One of the big moves during the free agency period of the offseason in the NFL this year was former Giants running back Saquon Barkley leaving New York for the rival Philadelphia Eagles on a three-year deal.
It was a stunner considering how heated this rivalry is.
However, Philadelphia had a big need at running back and was able to bring in Barkley.
Five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Lane Johnson recently chatted about the addition of Barkley on NFL Network’s The Insiders.
“I never thought that he would be playing for us,” Johnson said.
“I never thought he’d would be playing for us.”@LaneJohnson65 talks with @TomPelissero and @BaldyNFL about blocking for @saquon in 2024 (via The Insiders) pic.twitter.com/D7MeXML9WD
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) June 24, 2024
Philadelphia lost former 1,000-yard back D’Andre Swift to the Chicago Bears in free agency, so they needed some help.
They got that in the two-time Pro Bowl running back in Barkley.
While with the Giants for six seasons, Barkley overcame a suspect offense and some injuries to prove how big of a star that he can be.
The former All-American at Penn State rushed for over 1,000 yards three times and eclipsed 1,000 scrimmage yards four times while in the Big Apple.
Now, his only full season in his career came when he was the Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2018.
That year, he recorded over 2,000 scrimmage yards.
That could be concerning, but Philadelphia was willing to take that risk because of his elite ability.
Behind Barkley on the depth chart sits veteran Kenneth Gainwell and former All-American Will Shipley.
With the talent in the backfield in Philadelphia, that could make Pro Bowl quarterback Jalen Hurts’s life a little bit easier as the season moves along.
