Eagles' Nick Sirianni 'Excited' About Addition of 'Dynamic' Saquon Barkley

The Philadelphia Eagles are hoping the addition of Saquon Barkley can upgrade an already dangerous run game.

Mar 14, 2024; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley speaks during a / Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports

For the second offseason in a row, the Philadelphia Eagles running back room has the pieces of a homecoming. Last year, it was a homecoming for Philadelphia native D'Andre Swift, who was traded to the Eagles from the Detroit Lions. The same can now be said for former Penn State star Saquon Barkley. 

The former first-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft jumped ship from one NFC East team, the New York Giants, to another, the Eagles. This was a win for both sides, as Barkley signed a three-year, $37 million contract, while Philly got a two-time All-Pro running back to upgrade an already dangerous run game. 

"I'm really excited about Saquon and the things that he can do," Sirianni said. "You know he's such a dynamic football player. Both as a running back and also the things he can do as a pass catcher. He's going to bring an element to our offense and to our team. As much as we see him, all the highlights that we see on the tape -- from my understanding and all of our homework he's a good leader and teammate, as well. To be able to add that into our locker room, and not only the playmaking ability, but the person, is really important.”

Mar 14, 2024; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley speaks during a / Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports

In an offseason where the Eagles have lost two long-time team captains to retirement, Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox, Barkley's “good” leadership could help fill the void in the locker room, which, as Sirianni points out could be just as important as his impacts on the field. 

Not only that, but the Eagles could have their first true difference-maker in the backfield since LeSean McCoy. While Miles Sanders and Swift rushed for over 1,000 yards, respectively, in their time with the Eagles, it is hard to argue against the notion that Barkley could be an upgrade. 

Since enduring two injury-stricken seasons in 2020 and ‘21, Barkley’s production has rebounded back to around where it was at the beginning of his career. In 2022, the 27-year-old played in 16 games and rushed for 1,312 yards and 10 touchdowns on 295 attempts. 

This past season, he totaled 962 yards and six touchdowns on 247 carries in 14 games. While he didn’t break the 1,000-yard benchmark on the ground, he did surpass it in yards from scrimmage at 1,242. 

Now, Barkley will hope he can help the Eagles rebound from a disappointing season where after starting out with a 10-1 record, they ended with just one win from their final six games, including the playoff loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.