Expectations are high for Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and running back Saquon Barkley under new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion, though there have been some growing pains during training camp.
“They’re really happy with how open he’s been to the changes, taking under-center work, play action, ball fakes, all that stuff,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said on Saturday’s SportsCenter regarding Hurts. “He’s really taken to the footwork part of it; got to work early in the offseason. He and Sean Mannion have hit it off in that way. Now, they had a joint practice with the Patriots for two days. The sentiment was it was a little up and down; first day was a little bit rough. That was to be expected because a lot of the receivers had been out. De’Vonta Smith had a hamstring issue, missed multiple weeks. First-round pick Makai Lemon, hamstring, missed multiple weeks. They’re finally getting healthy and back into the swing. Hurts doesn’t really play in preseason games, so it’s expected to be a bit of a bumpy road as they get the offense in full swing. They’re hoping by Week 1 they’re full strength and then the running game is going to be big. The sentiment there is that with Saquon Barkley getting back to those 20-, 30-yard runs, that will set the stage for Hurts to have a big year.”
The Eagles had their share of struggles on offense last season, as the play-calling of offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo and head coach Nick Sirianni often became predictable and stale.
But Hurts also had an up-and-down season, throwing for 3,224 yards, 25 touchdowns and six interceptions while completing 64.8 percent of his passes, taking 32 sacks and rushing for 421 yards and eight touchdowns. The numbers were fine, but Hurts and the Eagles left a lot of meat on the bone in the passing game.
In addition, a once-dominant offensive line battled through a number of injuries and was less ineffective than seasons past. Barkley was pressing, often finding himself trying to make a defender miss before even reaching the line of scrimmage. Wideout A.J. Brown spent much of the season unhappy with the state of the passing game and offense, and wasn’t particularly shy in letting those feelings be known publicly.
The result was an offense that ranked 24th in total yards (311.2 YPG), 23rd in passing (194.3 YPG) and 19th in scoring (22.3 PPG). The Eagles still made the playoffs but lost to the San Francisco 49ers in the Wild Card Round.
Major changes followed, with Mannion replacing Patullo. The hope is that his scheme—which will rely more on pre-snap motion, under-center plays and working the middle of the field in the passing game—will revitalize both Hurts and the rest of the offense. So far, the transition has shown real promise.
Hurts is always a viable option in fantasy, given his rushing touchdowns, but a more productive year through the air would give him the potential to be a top-three option at the position. That’s the best-case scenario, however, especially with Hurts adjusting to life without Brown. But realistically, Hurts is still a safe starter on a weekly basis.
As for Barkley, a major bounceback season could be brewing, especially if the offensive line is healthy. Don’t expect another 2,000-yard season on the ground, but it wouldn’t be shocking if he’s a top-five running back this season.
