The Philadelphia Eagles made a big addition to their backfield earlier this offseason, trading for Chicago Bears running back Jordan Howard.
Howard is coming off of a 2018 campaign in which he rushed for 935 yards and nine touchdowns, but he wasn't very efficient, averaging a meager 3.7 yards per carry.
The 24-year-old took the NFL by storm in his rookie season, racking up 1,313 yards and six scores on the ground while registering 5.2 yards per attempt, but he has been on a steady decline ever since.
Now, Howard is just 24 years old, so he has plenty of time to right the ship, but the fact that the Bears were so quick to trade him this offseason might be some cause for concern moving forward.
Regardless, here are three goals for Howard in his first season with the Eagles.
3. Carve out a Role and Maintain it
Howard is joining a Philadelphia team that is loaded with talent in the backfield. While the Eagles don't exactly have any stars at running back, they have plenty of guys capable of getting extended playing time.
Josh Adams, Corey Clement, Wendell Smallwood and rookie Miles Sanders all represent halfbacks with whom Howard will be battling for carries, so he might not have the opportunity to put up huge numbers.
However, Howard can absolutely carve out a role in Philly's backfield, which might end up being the most important thing he does all year.
At about 225 pounds, Howard is a classic north-to-south runner who could end up being the Eagles' top goal line option.
At the very least, he should be a solid change-of-pace back for the Birds and will be a guy who can keep defenses off balance.
2. Be Efficient
The biggest problem with Howard over the last two seasons has been his efficiency.
After an incredibly efficient rookie year in 2016, Howard averaged just 4.1 yards per carry in 2017 before logging under four yards per attempt this past season, and that is simply not going to get the job done if he wants a lot of carries.
Of course, due to Howard's bulk, he can still be a fine option in short yardage situations regardless of his efficiency, but the Eagles acquired him for more than just third-and-1s.
It would be nice if Howard can average around 4.5 yards per carry in 2019, which will really open up Philly's offense and will have defenses scrambling to find answers for what is a very deep backfield.
1. Don't Try to Do Too Much
A big problem that a lot of guys face going to new teams is trying to be the main difference-maker. What ends up happening is that the player puts way too much pressure on himself and ends up falling flat.
Howard needs to understand that he is far from Philadelphia's only running back, and even though he may be the most accomplished, he will be used in conjunction with the rest of the group.
Howard should be heading into the season thinking of himself as a complementary piece to what could be a very good offense overall rather than a focal point.
The Eagles have a lot of weapons, and Howard is only one of them. It's important for him to realize that and enter the year with the right mindset.
Follow Us
Subscribe