Embiid P wrote:mjkvol wrote:Embiid P wrote:
Admittedly I too was against signing Barkley for all of those reasons mentioned, but now that it's officially done, I feel like I'm trying my hardest to rationalize and even defend it. Yes, he's 27 (won't be 28 until January FWIW) and could start to decline at any moment, but if I'm Barkley, I feel a LOT better running behind the Eagles O line (even w/ Kelce retiring) than I did the Giants steaming pile of garbage O line which did me no favors. Plus, with all of the other weapons we have, he won't be asked to carry the whole offense like he did for years with the Giants. Best case scenario IMO is CMC who was also asked to carry the offense during his years in Carolina whose life was made easier due to the other weapons that SF has. Plus, I feel like he'll make Hurts's life a whole lot easier especially in Kellen Moore's offense and punish teams for blitzing him. He's also a MUCH better pass blocker than Swift which was likely a big reason why they let Swift walk. FWIW Swift also has had a reputation for being injury prone despite him being healthy for us all of last season. Like Barkley with the Giants, I'm sure overuse had a lot to do with his injuries in Detroit.
I would've let Swift walk as well. Just too many talented backs in the draft that will be available in the mid-late rounds, and probably as UDFA's. I watched a kid all season at UT named Jaylin Wright that some smart team is going to scoop up in the draft - fast, physical, and an excellent pass blocker. Roseman could ask all the Georgia and Bama guys about this kid.
I do agree that pass blocking was the reason Swift was let go, and probably had a lot to do with the Barkley signing. I just don't believe in today's NFL it is smart to allocate that much to the RB position.
TBH I wouldn't be shocked if Howie still took a RB in the draft as insurance policy in case Barkley doesn't pan out. It's not like he's hurting for picks and will likely acquire more when one or both of Sweat and Reddick are traded.
This is an interesting point. Signing Huff and having drafted Nolan Smith last year would seem to indicate they are ready for new blood.