July 26, 2023
Colleen Claggett/For PhillyVoice
Eagles running back D'Andre Swift during a drill back at OTAs.
Everyone in the Eagles' loaded running back room is going to see first-team reps in training camp, second and third ones too.
There's going to be opportunity for Kenny Gainwell, D'Andre Swift, Rashaad Penny, Boston Scott, and even Trey Sermon to all try and establish clear roles for themselves over the next few weeks, but out of the gate, the Eagles are going to do things at the position by committee and see where it takes them.
"So they'll rotate throughout," head coach Nick Sirianni said ahead of the team's first practice Wednesday morning. "You're gonna see Boston in with the 1s, you're gonna see Kenny in with the 1s, you're gonna see Penny in with the 1s, you're gonna see D'Andre, you're gonna see Trey Sermon in with the 1s. You're gonna see them in with the 2s and you're gonna see them in with the 3s...
"There's no set with it because they just all need to get reps and we don't care where those are happening...I wouldn't look too much into whose with the 1s, whose with the 2s, whose with the 3s, because they'll all be mixing in to make sure they're getting the reps."
They'll figure out the rest from there.
Each back has their own intrigue entering camp.
Gainwell will be looking to step into a lead role after coming up big in the playoffs last season.
Penny is a dynamic and powerful runner, but struggled to stay healthy in Seattle and is out to prove that he can make it through all 17 now.
Swift is a versatile back both on the ground and in the passing game – not to mention a local product too – but also had injury issues last year and got lost in the shuffle with Detroit, getting dealt to the Eagles at the draft back in April for a couple of late-round picks after the Lions had taken a new running back with one their firsts.
Scott re-upped for another year as added depth and to continue on as the "Giant Killer."
And Sermon, entering Year 3 at age 24, will battle to try and find stronger footing within the league.
The Eagles have a lot of options and will only have so many snaps to go around – and reps in camp – but they'll run the rotation and figure out the rest from there.
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