Saquon Barkley Flashes And Fires Fans Up

The Eagles' high-profile running back didn't show off much in the spring but that changed on Day 1 of training camp.

Eagles RB Saquon Barkley / John McMullen/Eagles on SI

PHILADELPHIA - A small sampling of Eagles’ fans got their first look at gifted running back Saquon Barkley on Wednesday and their excitement almost saturated the air in South Philadelphia.

Or perhaps it was the humidity.

Either way, every time Barkley touched the football there was a buzz and for one day in July at least, the 2018 No. 2 overall pick delivered.

Barkley, 27, showed off his impressive blend of size, speed, and strength on one swing pass from Jalen Hurts in which you could also hear a rumbling as the big back headed down the sideline.

“I definitely heard it,” Barkley said when asked about the fan reaction. “It was a little excitement with me being here, the crowd and since coming to Philly it’s been nothing but love and a lot of support from everyone within the building, the fans, so I’m excited. 

“Obviously in OTAs I got to put the jersey on, but now it’s finally here to put a jersey on and come out here and get things started for what hopefully will be a great season.”

Barkley’s presence may even be a better tool for Kellen Moore and the offense, something shown during an option look when Hurts, a dominant runner himself, faked a pitch and the defense bit because of the threat from the RB, enabling Hurts to generate a chunk play on the ground. 

For the first time in his NFL career, Barkley isn’t the lone foundational piece of an offense. He’s part of an array of stars and the potential is intoxicating for many.

“It still doesn’t feel real when I’m in that offensive huddle, seeing all those guys. We have Pro Bowlers, All-Pros at every position to be completely honest, so I’m super excited,” Barkley said. “But we have to come out every day and get better. We’re all in a new similar kind of offense, getting adjusted to it, feeding off each other, and it starts there. 

“I think it started today.” 

It was a welcome and marked difference from the spring when Barkley rarely got involved while the offense struggled as a whole in the shift away from Nick Sirianni’s offense to Moore’s.

“My mindset when I came here is I decided to come to this team because I knew the team could help me for my legacy,” said Barkley. “... I know we have an opportunity to go out there and win games. … There might be games where I gotta sit back and watch A.J. Brown do what he do, or DeVonta Smith. Whatever it takes, that’s what it’s about. 

“I’m about buying in and doing whatever it takes to win games.”

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