Our Philadelphia Eagles roster outlook series following the 2022 season begins by examining the running back position. PREVIOUSLY: Quarterback.

THE PLAYERS

MILES SANDERS

REGULAR SEASON STATS: 673 snaps, 259 carries, 1269 yards, 4.9 average, 11 TD ... 26 targets, 20 receptions, 78 yards, 3.9 average, 0 TD ... 2 fumbles

PLAYOFF STATS: 76 snaps, 35 carries, 148 yards, 4.2 average, 2 TD ... 2 targets, 1 reception, 3 yards, 0 TD ... 1 fumble

REVIEW: Sanders finally proved capable of being an effective and efficient high volume option in 2022. His 279 total regular season touches were well above his previous season average of 194.9. Sanders deserved his first career Pro Bowl honor, running harder than ever. That said, opportunity cost was still something of an issue considering he finished the season ranked 32nd out of 62 backs in yards after contact per attempt (via Pro Football Focus). Sanders’ receiving production also dropped for the third straight year. No back has logged fewer yards per target since 2020, according to ESPN. Sanders ended what was otherwise a strong season on a bad note with seven carries for just 16 yards (2.3 average) and a fumble (almost two with a Chiefs touchdown being overturned on replay) in the Eagles’ Super Bowl loss.

OUTLOOK: If the salary cap didn’t exist, the Eagles probably wouldn’t hesitate to re-sign Sanders. He’s certainly expressed interest in remaining in Philly. But the reality is the Eagles have limited funds to go around and so they need to spend their allocations wisely. If there is a position where it makes sense to be frugal, it’s running back. The Eagles shouldn’t need to spend primary resources at this spot when there’s reason to believe they can get good production out of options in their system. Even if the Eagles don’t have Sanders, they’ll still have 1) one of the NFL’s best run-blocking offensive lines, 2) arguably the NFL’s best run game coordinator in Jeff Stoutland, and 3) one of the league’s best rushing quarterbacks who opens up opportunities for his ball carriers. Sanders cannot be a priority when the Eagles have so many other key free agents to retain. The team should allow him to enter free agency and keep tabs on his market. If another team is going to hand him a huge deal, the Birds should be willing to let him walk and potentially recoup a compensatory pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. If Sanders remains unsigned for some time, there’s a path to him returning to Philly on a more reasonable deal.

MY TAKE: Go.

KENNETH GAINWELL

REGULAR SEASON STATS: 331 snaps, 53 carries, 240 yards, 4.5 average, 4 TD ... 29 targets, 23 receptions, 169 yards, 7.3 average, 0 TD ... 0 fumbles

PLAYOFF STATS: 95 snaps, 33 carries, 181 yards, 5.5 average, 1 TD ... 9 targets, 7 receptions, 55 yards, 7.9 average, 0 TD ... 0 fumbles

REVIEW: Gainwell had a rough training camp and he wasn’t overly impressive in the regular season. He logged 25 fewer total touches than he had as a rookie. It was unexpected, then, when Gainwell stepped up in the playoffs. Playoff Kenny was a real thing for the Eagles’ first two postseason games before he came back down to Earth a bit in the Super Bowl.

OUTLOOK: One mustn't overreact to a small sample size ... but what Gainwell showed late in the year was encouraging. He has by no means earned a lead back role but there’s reason to wonder if he deserves more touches as RB2 in Year 3.

MY TAKE: Stay.

BOSTON SCOTT

REGULAR SEASON STATS: 170 snaps, 54 carries, 217 yards, 4.0 average, 3 TD ... 6 targets, 5 receptions, 15 yards, 3.0 average, 0 TD ... 0 fumbles

PLAYOFF STATS: 51 snaps, 15 carries, 61 yards, 4.1 average, 2 TD ... 1 target, 1 reception, 9 yards, 0 TD ... 0 fumbles

REVIEW: Scott was exactly what anyone expected him to be in 2022; a decent low-usage rotational running back. And one who especially has the New York Giants’ number. Scott also provided some juice as a kick returner when he overtook Britain Covey for that role.

OUTLOOK: If Sanders is back, the right combination of playing opportunity and money won’t be here for Scott. He’ll likely look to move on. If Sanders is gone, retaining Scott would be more sensible. I’ve seen some Giants fans over at Big Blue View interested in signing Scott so he can stop tormenting the G-Men.

MY TAKE: Stay.

TREY SERMON

REGULAR SEASON STATS: 8 snaps, 2 carries, 9 yards ... 0 targets ... 0 fumbles

REVIEW: To some excitement, the Eagles claimed Sermon off waivers after the San Francisco 49ers gave up on their 2021 third-round pick. Sermon spent most of the season as a healthy scratch but he did see some very limited snaps when Scott missed two games. Sermon did not look bad in an extremely small sample.

OUTLOOK: The Eagles can’t merely bank on Sermon being a huge piece of their offense next year. But there’s an opportunity for him to step up and be a factor, especially if Sanders isn’t back. BGN’s Jonny Page did a nice film breakdown on Sermon after the Birds acquired him.

MY TAKE: Stay.

KENNEDY BROOKS

REVIEW: Brooks, a 2022 UDFA signing, spent time on the Eagles’ offseason roster and practice squad. He signed to a futures contract during the playoffs.

OUTLOOK: Brooks is a long shot to stick on the roster but he’ll compete for a spot in the rotation. Might be back on the practice squad again next season.

MY TAKE: Stay.

FREE AGENCY OR TRADES

The free agent market at this position is pretty decent. Notable names include but are not limited to: Saquon Barkley, Tony Pollard, Josh Jacobs, Kareem Hunt, Rashaad Penny, Jamaal Williams, Raheem Mostert, D’Onta Foreman, Samaje Perine, D’Ernest Johnson, David Montgomery, and Jerick McKinnon.

Given no shortage of quality options, teams would be remiss to rush to pay big money to a running back. The astute approach would be to wait out the market and wait for prices to drop before signing a player to a reasonable rate.

That player could be Sanders. Hunt might be on the Eagles’ radar given their previous rumored interest in him. Perine has a connection to Eagles assistant head coach/running backs coach Jemal Singleton from their time together in Cincinnati. Johnson is an interesting buy-low candidate since he’s been buried on the depth chart behind other good running backs in Cleveland.

NFL DRAFT APPROACH

The Eagles are simply not drafting Bijan Robinson at No. 10. They’re not taking a running back that high. Robinson at No. 30, though? That’s not necessarily likely — especially because he might be off the board by that point — but it’s certainly more possible.

If the Eagles don’t spend big money on a running back (including a Sanders extension), they could look to draft a new backfield option with a Day 2 pick.