The Eagles have reportedly gotten calls from teams interested in running back Darren Sproles.
The Philadelphia Eagles have a bit of a crowded backfield even after trading DeMarco Murray to the Tennessee Titans. Ryan Mathews is expected to get most of the carries during the 2016 season. Darren Sproles isn’t too happy about that. The Eagles reportedly had some teams calling about Sproles during the NFL Draft, hoping to acquire him.
#Eagles received calls of trade interest for RB Darren Sproles mid-draft, sources said. He's staying away from OTAs until its sorted out
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 17, 2016
Sproles could see his role in Philadelphia grow after trading Murray, but even then, Sproles’ $4.5 million price tag is likely too much for the Eagles to handle considering that he will likely be their backup running back. While he was a great fit in Chip Kelly’s offense, it remains to be seen if new head coach Doug Pederson views him as a fit in his offense, which will likely differ from Kelly’s.
The former Saints running back had 317 rushing yards on 83 carries with three rushing touchdowns and 388 receiving yards on 55 receptions and one receiving touchdown in 2015. He was also an excellent returner for the Eagles, as he made the Pro Bowl.
Trading Sproles would free up $3.5 million in cap space for the Eagles, leaving $1 million of dead money to the 2016 cap. Whether or not the Eagles will trade Sproles likely hinges on how they feel about the other running backs on the Eagles roster. Kenjon Barner, Byron Marshall, and Cedric O’Neal. 2015 fifth round pick Wendell Smallwood is a similar back to Sproles, so he could factor into the equation as well.
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