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There’s no need for advanced analytics to conclude that the Philadelphia Eagles wouldn’t have won last year’s Super Bowl without Saquon Barkley. He turned in one of the best rushing seasons in league history in his first year in Philadelphia.
He tallied career-highs across the board, including 2,005 yards, 5.8 yards per game, 345 attempts, and 13 touchdowns. He had a good chance to break NFL legend Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record, but he was benched in their final game as a precaution heading into the playoffs.
The 28-year-old Barkley was so good that a narrative was created about a so-called “resurgence” of running backs. The Eagles stalwart, however, scoffed at the idea and blamed team owners and general managers for undervaluing guys playing the position.
“(It) wasn’t a diss to just me. It’s something they were trying to make up, just so they can get players for cheaper value. If you make that argument for running backs, you can do that for any position in the NFL,” said Barkley in a report from Sports Illustrated’s Greg Bishop.
Without naming anyone, the three-time Pro Bowler acknowledged that there were “three to four” running backs who received massive contracts but got sidelined by injuries. He said this could be one of the major factors why teams are now apprehensive about shelling out big money for running backs.
“Now, you have owners and GMs trying to find great players for cheaper value. That’s what it all was. I got tagged. Josh Jacobs got tagged (by the Las Vegas Raiders),” added Barkley, who signed a two-year, $41.2 million extension this offseason.
“I’m not going to sit here and say there was colluding. I’m not going into all that. But football is football. If you cannot run the ball, you’re done.”
He also rebuked the “funny” notion that running backs fall off when they reach 30 years old.
“It’s bunk, all the running-back-position-is-dying stuff. You got wide receivers who (teams) pay all this money to, and when they get into their 30s, they’re not performing at the highest level. You just never hear that,” said Barkley.
The Eagles will open their title defense against the Dallas Cowboys on September 4.
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