Well, we speculated, we hoped, we dreamed, we procrastinated. But still, through it all, Howie Roseman continues to shock Eagles fans everywhere. The Eagles announced today that they have traded a conditional 2020 Draft selection to the Chicago Bears in exchange for Jordan Howard.
I actually broke down Jordan Howard’s tape a few weeks ago, trying to answer the question of whether or not the Eagles should look to trade for the back entering his contract year.
Howard posted 935 yards in 2018, scoring 9 touchdowns and averaging just 3.7 yards per
At 24-years old, Howard’s ceiling is incredibly high. He ranks third in the NFL in rushing yards since 2016 and as a former 5th round pick, he’s been one of the true running back darlings of recent memory. But the Bears have found their swan-song in having Tarik Cohen break ankles all over the field and although Howard’s thumping rushing style through the tackles is an asset, they likely weren’t going to pay him once he hit free agency, so cashing in
Howard is going to cost the Eagles next to nothing ($2M) and if the team can get another 900+ yard season out of that price-tag then this may be one of Howie Roseman’s most impressive moves yet. If they don’t, I’m sure that’s where the conditional aspect of the trade comes in.
This move is very much Ajayi 2.0. It’s cheap, cheerful and you know exactly what you’re getting. A thundering workhorse back who will barrel through the tackles and dominate short-yardage situations…so long as the offensive line is competent.
The Bears offensive line was worryingly poor when it came to run-blocking at times and Howard was often swallowed behind the line of scrimmage before he had a chance to turn on the afterburners. This is likely what contributed to his sudden decline in YPC and with defenses keeping more players out of the box, knowing that Howard doesn’t have the long-speed to escape more elusive DB’s, he needed that initial push.
However, the Eagles offensive line, as we all know is just outstanding when it comes to run-blocking and with Nagy running a branch-off of Pederson’s system (the Andy Reid system), Howard would theoretically slot right in and hit the ground running…hard.
But back onto ‘Ajayi 2.0″, Ajayi 1.0 may have had his future in Philadelphia revoked. Although there were reported talks ongoing that could’ve kept the Brit who suffered a season-ending injury in his contract year, around the NovaCare Complex, the Eagles aggressiveness in adding a back who almost duplicates that skillset all but solidifies his fate.
This doesn’t mean that the Eagles won’t draft a running back, either. Howard is the workhorse that the team craved so badly last season, but they still really need to replace what they will eventually lose in Darren Sproles. Clement and Smallwood may not quite meet the bar of expectation in this backfield revamp and a player like Darrell Henderson could be a dream fit here.
Not only that, but the Eagles have suffered three years of backfield instability and Jordan Howard is only going to be around for one year, barring a contract extension…so while this is a monumentally impressive gain in the short-term, the long-term questions will still remain on draft night.
As of right now, the Eagles have a 6’0, 224 lbs, bowling ball at their disposal that is undoubtedly going to cause a few earthquakes next season. It’s a cheap bowling ball and the Eagles don’t even have to give up a pick unless certain criteria are met. Howie Roseman, you’ve done it again.
Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
