Questionable Eagles philosophy sparks rising internal fury

Never say never. We've all heard that once or twice. It's a subtle rule that extends beyond football and the Philadelphia Eagles, especially since we probably weren't talking about football the first time we heard it.

During the 2024 offseason, we stated that Eagles general manager Howie Roseman would never spend big money to sign a running back. We were mistaken.

So, here's our 'never'. We would never criticize any football player for trying to raise his price tag and ask for more money during negotiations. We also wouldn't fault the other party, in this case, the organization, if they were wary about opening the purse.

We thought signing Saquon Barkley to a three-year, $37.75 million deal with $26 million in 2024 was fair. We could also see why some might think his two-year, $41.2 million contract extension after one season might be a bit premature.

That March 4th extension was a nice gesture. It included $36 million guaranteed and up to $15 million more in incentives, but the running back position is the NFL's most punishing. Barkley is already showing the effects of a heavy workload during his first season as an Eagle.

After the first 12 games of Barkley's sophomore Eagles season, the reigning Offensive Player of the Year hasn't enjoyed Saquon Barkley-like numbers. He has yet to reach 750 yards rushing. He has scored four rushing TDs and averages 3.7 yards per carry.

The regression isn't all on Barkley, though attrition has undoubtedly played a part. The Eagles' offensive line has struggled, and for whatever reason, the offensive play callers refuse to spare him by sharing the workload. Tank Bigsby has already proven to be a nice companion piece, but these past two games, both losses, he has been ignored.

Bigsby was unbelievably (and unforgivably) given one carry vs. the Dallas Cowboys. He gained eight yards on that rush. Five days later, the Eagles' coaching staff refused to give him any. It was a strange decision by an offensive staff that has struggled to generate consistent offense.

"He’s still always going to be the guy that comes in for Saquon, and like I said, we want to get Saquon more than 13 carries also, but we have a lot of confidence in him when he goes into the football game to make plays. We’ll continue to roll the way we are rolling with it. But yeah, when he goes in, he’s had some really good plays. We’ll continue to roll. We want to make sure we get Saquon the football. We know how explosive he can be when he has the football."

Those were head coach Nick Sirianni's words when asked if there was a plan to get Bigsby more involved. He had a huge game and hasn't been as involved very much since then.

It doesn't really make sense. Barkley hasn't been very effective, and Philadelphia has planned to ignore one of the few offensive players who has been productive when involved. Unless there's fear of Barkley's hurt feelings or pressure from leadership to have him on the field at all times, this decision makes zero sense.

Seven of Bigsby's carries have traveled past the first-down marker to move the chains. He has gained 164 yards and averages over nine yards per carry. Call us crazy, but that sounds like someone you want to be more involved with the scheme and strategy. Seriously, what's the fear? Are we concerned that Philly might actually move the ball?

This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Questionable Eagles philosophy sparks rising internal fury