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Ralph Vacchiano
NFC East Reporter
Saquon Barkley felt a little weird wearing green the first time he put his new Philadelphia Eagles jersey on. But that was nothing compared to what he felt the first time he jogged onto the field and joined the Eagles’ huddle.
That was truly an experience the 27-year-old running back has never had before.
“The biggest thing that struck me is our first 7-on-7 huddle,” Barkley said last week. “You see A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert and Jalen Hurts. It’s not a bad group to be out there with. And that’s not even including the offensive linemen.”
He wouldn’t use this term — especially since it’s a sore spot in Eagles history — but it must have felt like a “Dream Team” to the veteran back. For the first six years of his career, spent with undermanned, marginally talented New York Giants teams, Barkley couldn’t have even dreamed of having a group of teammates like that.
It was a reminder of why this year could truly be special for Barkley. And it’s a reminder that while money was surely the biggest thing that lured him to Philly — in the form of a three-year, $37.75 million contract with $26 million guaranteed — the attraction of moving 90 miles down the New Jersey Turnpike was really about more than that.
“There’s a lot of talent,” Barkley said. “There was a lot of talent before I got here. I feel like I only can add to that.”
How much talent? It’s not just that the Eagles might have more offensive talent than any team in the NFL. It’s that for the previous six seasons Barkley was generally surrounded by one of the least talented offensive teams in the league. Barkley somehow managed three 1,000-yard rushing seasons (and nearly a fourth) even though he was constantly surrounded by players who, at best, would be backups on the Eagles this year.
Here’s a closer look at just how wide the talent gap is between what Barkley is surrounded with now in Philadelphia, and what he…
Source link : https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/saquon-barkley-living-dream-eagles-star-studded-offense
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Publish date : 2024-05-29 16:28:45
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