After the signing of a familiar face was teased by Zach Berman earlier today, it’s been reported by Adam Schefter that the Philadelphia Eagles are bringing back both veteran Safety, Anthony Harris, and running back Boston Scott.
Anthony Harris
Anthony Harris was the perfect plug-and-play free agent signing for the Eagles last year. In what was otherwise a highly disappointing free-agent class, Harris stood out in a big way, bouncing back from a lowly 2020 campaign in Minnesota. He only allowed one touchdown all season and a passer rating of just 68.2, nearly half of the 118 rating given up one year before.
A stern tackler and someone who was able to provide some real stability on the back end due to his athleticism and familiarity with Gannon’s principles, there’s no doubting that the return of Harris is a strong one.
The Eagles are dealing with a depleted defensive backfield right now and one that craved stability. It might only be a one-year deal, but Harris will give the Eagles a player to bridge the gap, while the heir to his throne develops. Armed with three first-round picks and plenty of ammunition in the later rounds, it’s a pretty safe assumption that the Eagles are probably going to bring in some developmental talent to learn behind Harris and one day take the reins. Jalen Pitre, anyone?
The next big question concerns the fate of Rodney McLeod. He, like Harris, was also set to be a free-agent and posted a cryptic tweet a few days back, hinting at some potential uncertainty. Either that or he’s invested in a risky company and isn’t sure if it will pay off…
Either way, McLeod has been a vocal leader of this defense since his arrival in 2016 and while durability and a decline in production are concerning, he glues the defense together through his leadership and that’s a trait Howie would struggle to replace. A cheap deal would be optimal here, giving him a reduced role and allowing a younger player like Marcus Epps to maybe step up and compete with whoever else is brought in this offseason.
Boston Scott
Boston Scott wasn’t initially tendered by the Eagles, but the 26-year-old running back is returning for another year in midnight green after all.
Scott ran for over 300 yards last year with seven rushing touchdowns, which was second on the team behind Jalen Hurts. Nicknamed the “Giants Killer” Scott’s best games have seemingly come all against the New York Giants. Scott has over 300 yards rushing and seven touchdowns in six games against Big Blue over this thre-year career.
The emergence of Kenneth Gainwell paired in a backfield with Miles Sanders may make life tricky for Scott to get the same exposure we’ve been used to seeing, but he’s a great change-of-pace back and someone that will complement the rushing efforts of the team. After all, he was one of the two pushing the explosive rushing attack to the top of the NFL when Sanders was down with injury.
For now, we can sit back and say that although the Eagles have been quiet, their housekeeping up to this point has been optimal and the returns of Anthony Harris and Boston Scott only further validate that.
Photo by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire
