If your friend tells you they saw your significant other doing the dirty on you at the weekend, regardless of what your significant other tells you, it’s going to test your trust levels. It’s going to make you re-evaluate a lot and probably act slightly different while you decide what happens next. That’s basically what happened to Jordan Howard this week, who saw his name attached to a pick-swap in a trade rumor that would see him shipped to L.A in exchange for Melvin Gordon.
“We feel great about Jordan.” Doug Pederson told reporters on Friday. “It’s why we brought him here. We actually went to Jordan when the report came out, went right to him and said ‘Listen, you’re here. The report is false. It’s not coming from us.’ So, just wanted to reassure him that this is the reason why you’re here, to help us win games.”
Reassurance or not, it’s something that’s hard to look past. Howard, a former fifth-round pick, is used to being overlooked. But having his nose put out of joint by Tarik Cohen, despite being the third-most productive back in terms of rushing yards since his NFL debut, was the harsh reality that Matt Nagy’s offense enforced. He was then being traded to Philadelphia only for a second-round pick to be spent on Miles Sanders and now, he’s been attached to trade rumors, which, false or not, don’t exactly help matters.
Since entering the league three seasons ago, Howard has been nothing short of dominant. The workhorse back amassed 3,370 rushing yards and 24 TDs on 778 carries and averaged 4.3 yards per carry from the shotgun last year in wake of a 26th-ranked offensive line run blocking for him. Not to mention, the 24-year old scored more red-zone touchdowns than just about every other Eagles running back combined last year.
The re-invented backfield should see the Eagles lift the weight from the shoulders from Carson Wentz and bring some balance to the table. But if Jordan Howard is RB1 to begin with, expect some very, very, angry running…which is exactly what the Doctor ordered for a rushing offense slipped to a measly 28th place in 2018.
Howard is entering his contract year and is doing so on the back of a sorely underrated campaign where he was chained down by his offensive line. Now, with everything to prove, a future to fight for, and the odds stacked against him, the Eagles are going to take the lash off of one of the biggest underdogs on the team…and the world may be surprised by how hard he bites.
Mandatory Credit: Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports
