Can Trey Sermon convince the Eagles to carry five running backs on the 53-man roster?
The Eagles have a loaded roster with the NFL’s most explosive offense and retooled defense that features elite talent at all three levels.
On offense, Philadelphia can beat you in multiple ways, and with the NFL’s top offensive line, Nick Sirianni can always fall back on a stout rushing attack when things get unbalanced.
The most intriguing training camp battle has to be the running back spot, where five players are talented enough to warrant carries and a roster spot.
Trey Sermon appears to be the odd man out behind D’Andre Swift, Rashaad Penny, Kenny Gainwell, and Boston Scott. Still, head coach Nick Sirianni has clarified that Sermon is a player he likes.
“I’m really pleased with the new guys, D’Andre and Rashaad,” Sirianni said via NBC Sports Philadelphia. “Kenny and Boston have been productive the last two years and have made a lot of plays for us the past two years, not only in the season but in the playoffs. Then I can’t say enough about Trey.”
Sermon had two rushing attempts last season, but the Eagles will give Sermon every opportunity to win a roster spot.
“We were really excited to get him last year,” Sirianni said. “He was able to get some game reps (and) we really liked him in practice. … “When guys get drafted, sometimes you bang the table and are, like, ‘Shoot, you know, you can’t get everybody,’ so we were really excited to get him when we got him last year.”
Sermon stood out at Ohio State, running for 870 yards with a 7.5 average as a senior in 2020.
San Francisco selected the 6-foot, 215-pound Sermon in the third round in 2021 – but only rushed for 167 yards and a 4.1 average in nine games, before being cut.
Sermon was claimed by Philadelphia, and spent the entire 2022 season on the active roster.
The big question is, can Sermon force the Eagles to keep five running backs on the active roster?
D’Andre Swift will have a tremendous season, and Rashaad Penny will flourish behind Jeff Stoutland’s powerful offensive line.
Kenneth Gainwell will have his role, while Boston Scott will likely earn a roster spot despite Sermon being the better player.
Philadelphia has typically carried four players at the position, but Sermon could warrant a role on the depth chart with Swift being an elite pass catcher.
