The Philadelphia Eagles have seen a revolving door at the running back position over the last few seasons. It all started when former Eagles head coach Chip Kelly made the curious decision to jettison two-time All-Pro LeSean McCoy to the Buffalo Bills. Kelly replaced McCoy with DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews and, well, we all know how that ended.
Murray is now with the Tennessee Titans, leaving Mathews as the presumed starter. But given all of the turnover in the backfield, other teams have been calling Philly to check on the status of veteran Darren Sproles
Earlier today, the Eagles reportedly heard from several interested teams regarding the speedy scat back. At the time, it sounded as if Philly was considering some of the offers that came in. However, just a few hours ago new Eagles head coach Doug Pederson denied those reports.
"We had no decisions to do that. I want Darren Sproles on this football team...He's a big part of this team," Pederson said.
Do we believe him? In the NFL, public comments aren't worth very much.
The veteran ball-carrier is not with the team during voluntary offseason workouts this week. Instead, he's spending time with his family ahead of his 12th NFL season. Pederson insists that Sproles' absence is not due to frustration with the team.
Sproles came to the Eagles in 2014 in a trade with the Saints. At the time, he was seen as a key cog in the backfield committee but has since been pushed down the depth chart due to new arrivals. But as of right now, Sproles is the No. 2 back on the roster, at least on paper.
Sproles, 32, made four starts last year and appeared in all 16 games. However, his usually versatile production was down across the board. He ran for just 317 yards on 83 carries but did add 55 catches for 388 yards. While he was named to the Pro Bowl in 2015, his YPC (3.8) was his lowest mark since 2009.
Any interested team would likely have to surrender a mid- to late-round pick for Sproles. But, as of now, it doesn't look like he's going anywhere.
Follow Brandon Katz at @Great_Katzby
