Eagles’ Saquon Barkley insurance plan might be stronger than fans expect

The Philadelphia Eagles sat their core players in Week 1 of the NFL preseason, as expected. There's really no benefit to trotting out the likes of Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley in early August after a grueling Super Bowl run. We know this Eagles team is good. There's nothing for the stars to prove at this point in time.

That said, it does give fans a more intense look at the backups. Philly still has plenty to sort out with its depth chart, especially at running back. Barkley took on a historic workload last season. Generally, it's hard, if not impossible to follow up a season like Barkley had with an equally productive campaign. He will have nights where he burns out quicker, or in which the Eagles simply lighten his load.

As such, the Eagles' backup running back situation is actually of dire importance. Philly has a solid passing attack, but the Eagles' superpower last season was a unique, old-school ability to win through sheer force of will in the run game. If Barkley is only 50-80 percent of what he was a year ago, someone needs to step up.

So far, Eagles fans can feel good about their contingency plans.

Will Shipley shines in Eagles preseason opener

Will Shipley earned the start at running back with Saquon out of commission in Thursday's preseason opener against the Cincinnati Bengals. While free agent signing A.J. Dillon figures to compete for RB2 duties, Shipley has been around the team for a year already. He made several memorable special teams plays as a rookie. He also uncorked this impressive run in the NFC Championship Game.

Was that a flash in the pan? Perhaps, but Shipley is looking awfully good in preseason action. As of this writing, the 22-year-old has seven carries for 48 yards, averaging 6.9 yards per tote. He has a four-year reception, to boot. This was the highlight.

So often, great teams find value at the running back position late in the draft. Shipley, a fourth-round pick out of Clemson, has a lot of desirable tools. He lacks the brute-force physicality of Saquon, but Shipley is a twitchy, dynamic runner in the open field. Once he breaks free, it's hard for defenses to catch up. It helps when even the O-line reserves can open up oceans of space for the running back to exploit (shield your eyes, Bengals fans).

Eagles quickly silenced doubts about Saquon Barkley insurance plan

Philadelphia rewarded Barkley's Herculean efforts last season with a historic contract extension. Clearly the team plans to keep leaning on him as the primary workhorse in the backfield. And yes, beyond a doubt, the Eagles are better with Barkley on the field. This is not a situation where Philadelphia will ever consider promoting Shipley to RB1.

We can expect a slightly more balanced workload this season in the RB room, especially if Shipley continues to showcase his unique playmaking ability. If the Eagles can preserve Barkley on a few extra plays each week, that will add up throughout a long regular season. Not to mention the playoffs.

Shipley has excellent hands as a pass-catcher, so he's a natural change-of-pace option on third downs, at the very least. If A.J. Dillon can emerge as a viable third option — he put up 613 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 4.1 yards per carry for the Packers last season — the Eagles needn't worry too much about the run game when Barkley sits.