Nick Sirianni spoke about Rashaad Penny and how excited he is to coach him. He spoke about Kenny Gainwell and how he took advantage of his opportunities late in the season. He spoke about Boston Scott and how glad he is that the Eagles were able to re-sign him.
Then he got super pumped.
When he started talking about Trey Sermon.
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Sermon is the mystery man in the Eagles’ running back room, but Sirianni not only included him when talking about the team’s running backs Tuesday but spoke glowingly about the 24-year-old running back who played only eight snaps all last year.
“Trey Sermon, I’m really excited about him,” Sirianni told reporters covering the league meetings at the Phoenix Biltmore Hotel.
“Trey didn’t get an opportunity to showcase his talents except for that game against Jacksonville … but I can’t tell you how many times at practice he made a cut or you just saw him in his pads or he made a play on a screen or whatever it was and you’re like, ‘Man, this guy has a chance to be really good.’”
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Sermon is an intriguing guy, and all signs point to him having a significant role on offense in 2023.
From 2017 through 2020, he averaged 6.5 yards per carry for Oklahoma and Ohio State, the 6th-highest average among running backs in the BCS during that four-year span.
The 49ers drafted him in the 3rd round in 2021 – he was the fourth running back taken overall, and he had a nice rookie year in limited playing time – 41 carries for 167 yards, a 4.1 average and a touchdown.
But when the Niners tried to sneak him onto the practice squad after training camp, the Eagles claimed him.
Just like that ... Howie Roseman snagged a promising, young 3rd-round pick for nothing.
Even though he only got two carries all year – for 19 yards and two first downs against the Jaguars – you could tell how much the Eagles liked Sermon since they kept him on the 53-man roster all year.
So even though there weren't any snaps available, he had a chance to learn the offense, get used to the offensive linemen and get acclimated to the training program.
Sirianni was asked Tuesday about the running back position, and he brought up Sermon on his own.
“Wish we could have gotten him touches,” he said. “But we couldn’t do it last year.”
But there are snaps available now.
And if Sermon has a good training camp, he could very well have a significant role in what’s shaping up to be a true running back by committee.
With Sanders now in Carolina, there isn’t anybody on the roster you’d expect to get 15 to 18 carries per game. But there are some very talented backs who could be awfully dangerous behind this offensive line in a rotation.
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“We love the addition of Rashaad,” Sirianni said. “I’ve wanted to coach him for a long time. He was playing at San Diego State when I was with the San Diego Chargers – when it was still the San Diego Chargers – and was able to see his career as a college player and always thought very highly of him and the teams that he was on. So I’m excited about that addition.
“We all saw Kenny Gainwell have a really good playoff run, and it seems like every time Kenny’s in the game, he makes plays. Whether that’s in the pass game or that’s in the running game.
“Boston being back is huge. I think that’s somebody that you always want to have on your team, and I’m really glad we have him, especially because I know how much Shane (Steichen) likes him too, so I don’t know if there was anything going on (with Scott and the Colts), but I remember Shane always saying, ‘Man, I love Boston,’ and we all love Boston. He just provides great depth. What was awesome about Boston last year is that he had limited opportunities to make plays, but when he did he made them, and then he found a niche as the kick returner, and I thought that was great.”
The Eagles also have 24-year-old Kennedy Brooks, who ran for over 3,000 yards with 31 touchdowns and a 7.2 average in three years at Oklahoma. That 2019 Sooners team had Sermon, Brooks and Jalen Hurts in the backfield, combining for 2,694 rushing yards and 30 touchdowns.
The Eagles could still draft a running back, but as it stands now they have a group of young, talented backs without a lot of wear and tear.
Penny, Gainwell, Scott and Sermon have a combined 3,844 career rushing yards with 39 touchdowns on 783 carries. That’s only 44 fewer carries combined than Sanders has.
What about Ezekiel Elliott?
Seems like all the interest there was on Elliott’s side.
“He’s a heck of a player,” Sirianni said. “Obviously, a great, great player that I’ve had the opportunity to watch from our sideline four times in the last two years and think he’s a really outstanding player.”
And?
“We feel really good about the room as it is right now,” Sirianni said. “I’m really excited about that room, really excited about the guys we have in that room.”