The Eagles are loaded at the running back position with adding DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews to pair with Darren Sproles. Certainly an impressive positon to be in after trading LeSean McCoy, but will Chip be able to effectively utilize the talents of all three players?
The Eagles had 415 rushing attempts by their running backs last season, Polk and Sproles combined for only 103 of those attempts. Chip admitted that he was hesitant at times to use Sproles in the running back role with the lingering injuries that Polk was battling. It’s hard to project an increased role for Sproles rushing the football (57 carries) but he could certainly eclipse the 40 reception mark.
The tandem of Murray and Mathews bring a north-south running style, the ability to catch the football out of the backfield but also their share of missed time due to injuries. Chip believes that by having both players, he can keep his guys fresh.
Murray is not going to approach the workload the Cowboys pounded out of him last season. 2014 was a career season but also the first time he played in all 16 games. Coming off his first 16 game season in 2013; Mathews was only able to rack up 74 carries last year, but says he is healthy and eager to get on the field again.
Chip likes to have options, and he will have just that with his trio of running backs. How is he going to “maximize” the talent of all three players and in what situation will Chip use one player instead of another?
The state of the offensive line is certainly a concern, but I believe in the offensive line coach, the scheme and the vision that Chip had when signing Murray and Mathews. I’m excited to think about the production these three backs can bring to the creative mind of one Chip Kelly. This could certainly be one of the best all-around rushing seasons ever by a Philadelphia Eagles team.
answer: Yes
The Answer is No – Chip Kelly failed to do so last Year with McCoy, Sproles and Polk, what makes anyone think he will utilize Murray,Matthews & Sproles any better this Season…
Sproles was terribly under-utilized after a fast start last Season and was really the Eagles Offensive MVP the first month od the Season… Polk was non-existent the first half of the last Season, now Polk as injured a bit a the beginning of last Season which may have hampered his Carries/Production
Buit all in all , Chip Kelly did a poor job with his RB Corp last Season where Polk should have started on Short-Term IR and Tucker should have been the 3rd RB .. There were 3-4 Games where Eagles only had McCoy & Sproles as Healthy RB’s on Game Daty which is just plain stupid ..
Chip didnt utilize the three because Polk was oft injured and you dont run Sproles a million times a game. Theres nothing hard to understand about that. You can kill them for not having a proper backup and not utilizing Sproles as much as they did but Kelly did fine with what he had. Sproles is a 20 to 20 back and really couldnt be used around goalline. They should have had a better backup for McCoy. That is a management miscue. Not a coaching miscue.
The OL Coach and Chip Kelly will really need to Coach up the OL to become more of a “Zone-Blocking” scheme for Both Murray & Matthews are in-between the Tackles typr of RB’s and not the Outside the Tackles Runner that LeSean McCoy has mostly been.. The Stretch Plays that McCoy ran effectively behind a pulling LT Peters are not really going to work as well with a Murray/Matthews.. So having Quicker Trap Plays, Zone Blocking Schemes, maybe even a lead blocker (FB or an HB) to open up Holes in the Interior of the OL will llikely determine the Success of the Eagles Rushing Attack in 2015 and will be interesting to watch to see how Eagles OL Jeff Stoutland has the Eagles OL adjust.. This more Power Running Game the Eagles will be switching to better suits OL Coach Stoutland’s Techniques,Experience & Philosophy that he had while Coaching at Alabama
I think Mccoy turned them into outside runs which was the biggest problem. This is going to be easier for his system in that he likes to get o lineman off of their first block and to a secondary target with the RB… this is what all the plant, cut and go talk has been about this off season…