The Philadelphia Eagles are in a tough spot right now. They have lost six straight games to drop to a 2-6 record. Saquon Barkley is the team’s star back, but he is dealing with a hamstring injury and back issues. The team has told him he will not be traded before the November 10 deadline, per Heavy.com. That leaves a huge hole behind him. The current depth chart is thin and risky. Tank Bigsby and Will Shipley are the only other backs listed. Bigsby even hurt his own leg after Barkley went down in the loss to the Rams.
A National Champion Is Waiting
ESPN analyst Seth Walder has a clear answer for this problem. He says the Eagles should look at New York Jets running back Isaiah Davis. “Who should they target? Jets RB Isaiah Davis,” Walder wrote. Davis is a former national champion who knows how to win. He was the lead back for South Dakota State when they won back-to-back FCS titles. He even scored a touchdown in both of those championship games.
Walder notes that Davis has shown promise even as the Jets’ third-string runner. According to reports, his career average per carry was 1.0 rush yards over expected. That stat matters because it shows he gains more than a typical back. A four-year rookie contract worth $4.27 million, which is considered cheap, keeps him under contract through 2027. The cost is low, and the potential upside is high. If the Eagles play out an uncompetitive season, they should at least find young players who can offer value going forward.
The Cost of Doing Nothing
Ignoring this move would be a mistake. ESPN’s Football Power Index gives the Eagles a 0.8% probability of reaching the playoffs. That number is tiny. Jalen Hurts is out for the rest of the season with blood clots, and the team is struggling to find a quarterback. After Tanner McKee started with a 0-3 record, the team replaced him with Joe Milton. The offense is broken. Adding a reliable runner like Davis could help the team stay competitive in games they otherwise might lose.
The Jets have Breece Hall and Braelon Allen ahead of Davis, leaving him stuck behind two other talented backs. In seven games this season, Davis accumulated 29 yards on 10 carries along with 68 yards from five receptions. During the previous year, he recorded 422 scrimmage yards and one touchdown across 64 touches. He gained 119 rushing yards as the Jackrabbits defeated North Dakota State 45-21 to secure the program’s inaugural national title. The Eagles should make this call before the clock runs out.
The next game is Sunday, November 8, against the New York Giants. The team needs every possible advantage. They cannot afford to run out the clock with a backup plan that might fail. The trade deadline is fast approaching. Cam Jurgens, the center, has already been traded by the front office to the Baltimore Ravens.
