Saquon Barkley Excites Eagles Crowd In 1st Camp Practice
Saquon Barkley was the crown jewel of the Eagles off-season. In a complete reversal of how the Eagles usually operate, they went out and spent big on a running back….
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY – DECEMBER 11: Saquon Barkley #26 of the New York Giants celebrates after scoring a five yard touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the second quarter in the game at MetLife Stadium on December 11, 2023 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
(Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)Saquon Barkley was the crown jewel of the Eagles off-season. In a complete reversal of how the Eagles usually operate, they went out and spent big on a running back. But they did it because they saw a guy who could take their offense to the next level, the way Christain McCaffrey did for the 49ers.
Well on Wednesday, Eagles fans got to see him in person for the 1st time. According to reporters on the scene, they were fired up to see Barkley debut.
Saquon Barkley Fires Up The Crowd
(Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)Tim McManus joined The Best Show Ever on Wednesday to discuss his takeaways from the 1st day of camp. The first thing he talked about was the crowd's reaction to seeing Barkley.
"The energy was white, and a lot of that was Saquon Barkley. You have a legit star making his training camp debut... When Barkley came out... the crowd was just going haywire over it."
The Eagles have not had that true star RB since LeSean McCoy. Mile Sanders was nice, as was D'Andre Swift last season, but neither of them were game changing runningbacks. Barkley can be that. When healthy, he is a true top 5 talent at the position.
McManus went on to explain a couple of nice moments Barkely had at practice that had the fans in attendance even more excited.
"Barkley caught one right down the left side, then he just rumbled past the crowd. You get to expeirence the size of this guy. He is just built different, and he still has speed. That was on display as he whizzed by and had people screaming.
Camp is obvioulsy just camp. Looking great there does not mean that much. But it is clear Eagles fans are itching for ay glimpse they can get at their new star RB. And if the few fans allowed to attend Eagles camp are going that crazy, just imagine what it will look like the first time he takes the field at the Linc in a real game.
Listen To Or Watch 'The Best Show Ever?' Live On The 97.5 The Fanatic And On NBC Sports Philly From 2 To 6 p.m. every Weekday
Every year in Eagles camp, there is some random player who wins the hearts and minds of Eagles fans. Someone who goes from a relative unknown to everyone's favorite player. They smash onto the scene in camp and in preseason games and have fans frothing at the mouth to make the final 53-man roster.
The truth is that player usually does not make the roster, or really ever make it in the NFL. There are outliers, but often times that player who comes out of nowhere in Eagles camp doesn't end up going anywhere.
The Past Eagles Camp Heros
(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)I am talking about guys like Paul Turner, Rasheed Bailey, Tyree Jackson, and Dane Evans. Often times it is skill players. It is hard for Offensive Linemen to stand out too much. It has happened.
Jordan Mailata is the rare example of that type of guy working out. Alex Villeneuve was a darling as a Lineman, got cut, and made it elsewhere. So sometimes it pans out, and fans were right to fall in love.
But the vast majority of the guys we fell in love with were WRs, or pass rushers. Those are the guys who have the chance to stand out in camp, or in preseason games by putting up big numbers.
Someone in the second half of preseason games has to get targets. Getting a chance to play against 2nd string, or 3rd string corners or Linemen, might give those players a chance to beat up on their peers a bit. It is why Paul Turner, who never did much in the NFL, was so explosive in Eagles camp.
But who will be that guy this year? Which guy on the fringes of the Eagles roster are fans going to swoon for? Which players can be the standouts at Eagles camp? Whose name will have Eagles fans upset when they inevitably miss the cut?
Here are 7 Names That Could Be This Year's Eagles Camp Hero:
John Ross
Speed does not always play in the NFL, but it can play in camp. It is easy to see someone as fast as John Ross impressing in camp with his straight-line speed. With a few long TDs in practice or a pre-season game, Eagles fans will fall in love and think he is going to have a breakout season at 28 years old, 7 years after being drafted.
He is a long shot to make the team, even with a good camp. We have seen him struggle in the NFL. He has had a lot of shots and didn't make use of any of them. But he has the skill set to be a guy who looks good in practice.
Johnny Wilson
Eagles fans love a tall WR. Wilson is tall, with decent speed. Like Ross, he has some traits that could make him stand out in practice.
Does he have the skills to be an NFL WR, we don't know. But he easily could have a big pre-season game and win the hearts of Eagles fans who are crazy enough to be locked into the second half of the 3rd Pre-Season game. Then it is just a matter of if he can crack the roster. But I could see him being a practice squad guy unless he is so good he forces their hand.
Kendall Milton
An RB from Georgia, of course, Eagles fans will fall in love. I doubt we see much of Barkley or Gainwell in the pre-season. Someone has to get carries. Will Shipley will get a good chunk, but so will UDFA Kendall Milton.
Milton was a fine back in College. There is nothing overly special about him, but he is solid. If he gets a ton of carries in these games, I won't be shocked if he puts up big numbers. I doubt he makes the team though. Barkley, Gainwell, and Shipley are locks. Will they keep a 4th RB? I doubt it. But Eagles fans might fall in love with him anyway.
Joseph Ngata
Ngata was a camp darling last year. He impressed in camp but then was relegated to the practice squad. He will get another chance to be a camp darling this year. But it will be an uphill battle to make the roster yet again. There are a lot of WRs competing for a few spots.
At one point he was a highly touted College recruit. we never quite saw it, which is why he was a UDFA. But the traits that had him highly regarded going into College are still there, and can still show up on a practice field.
Isaiah Rodgers
Rodgers is already a camp darling and camp hasn't started. There were Eagles fans who swore the Eagles did not need to draft a corner because they had Rodgers. Thankfully the Eagles disagreed and drafted 2 of them.
Rodgers was a good corner for the Colts. But he is no lock to make the team. Cornerback is the busiest position on the team. 4 spots, Slay, Mitchell, Ringo, and Dejean, are locks. That leaves 7 other guys competing for maybe 2 spots. Rodgers having success in the past gives him a leg off, but I can see him getting cut, and I can see Eagles fans losing their mind about it.
Ainias Smith
Here is a camp darling who might have a chance to break tradition and actually make the team. Smith was compared to Deebo Samuel when he was drafted. The skillset speaks to a guy who would be the perfect WR3 on this team.
But again, cracking the team as a WR may be tough. They need a WR 3 though, so if he impresses in the slot, he does have a chance. of all the WRs here, I think he has the best chance to actually be something.
Nolan Smith
As a former 1st round pick, Smith does not fit the criteria of the traditional camp darling. He is a lock to make a team and comes in with high expectations. But he is a guy where his skillset has not yet matched production. I can foresee him having a huge camp, making people very excited.
Does that mean he will also be great in the season? Maybe, maybe not. We won't know until the games start. But Smith's big camp had people thinking he would make an impact last season, and he never did. I will be surprised if he is not one of the camp standouts this season too. It is just a matter of if it carries into the season again.
