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The Philadelphia Eagles were arguably the most dominant offensive team in the NFL in 2022. And while they didn't end up winning Super Bowl 57, falling just short against the Kansas City Chiefs, that shouldn't take away from the massive steps they took forward as a team. One player who had a big role in their awesome season was running back Miles Sanders.
After a rough 2021 campaign in which he failed to find the end zone even a single time in the 12 games he played, Sanders put together the best season of his career for Philly. Sanders was the go-to-guy on the ground for the Eagles (259 CAR, 1269 YDS, 11 TD) and while he didn't provide much as a receiver out of the backfield, he didn't have to in order to remain valuable for Philadelphia.
Sanders put together his best season at the best possible time, as he is set to be part of the NFL free agency class this offseason, meaning he's set to make a nice raise as a result. Whether that raise comes courtesy of the Eagles or another team across the league remains to be seen, but if Sanders leaves the Eagles this offseason, let's take a look at the three best landing spots for him.
3. Kansas City Chiefs
Ironically enough, one team that could make great use of Sanders is the team that just handed him defeat in the Super Bowl. While the Chiefs have gotten by without having a strong running back corps thanks to the greatness of Patrick Mahomes, it's hard to not envision how much better their offense could be with a top-tier running back.
The Chiefs basically admitted defeat on their Clyde Edwards-Helaire experiment this season, as he quickly went from being an inefficient touchdown machine to just inefficient. Edwards-Helaire also dealt with injuries, but by the time he was healthy enough to return to the field, he had lost his job to the duo of Isiah Pacheco and Jerick McKinnon.
There's nothing wrong with this duo, but McKinnon is a free agent this offseason himself, and he could be on the move if he gets a bigger deal from another team. It's clear Sanders would be an upgrade over Pacheco as well, so if the Chiefs want to add to their already dominant offense, Sanders would be a great target for them.
2. Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins offense showed tons of potential in 2022, but once again, they were limited by Tua Tagovailoa's inability to stay on the field. When Tagovailoa wasn't able to play for Miami, their running back duo of Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. was decent, but they weren't enough to keep the offense afloat.
Both Mostert and Wilson are free agents this offseason, and it seems unlikely that both of them will be returning this offseason. Maybe one of them will return, but when you consider that both Salvon Ahmed and Myles Gaskin are also free agents, it looks like this is going to be a position of need either way.
Considering how good the passing game was when Tagovailoa was under center, getting a strong ground game going to complement it could be the key to taking the next step forward for the Dolphins. Sanders has proven that he can be a reliable lead back in a high-caliber offense, and the Dolphins would be wise to take a close look at him this offseason.
1. Buffalo Bills
After another disappointing playoff run in 2022, the Buffalo Bills need to find answers. What is a key weakness on their team that can be fixed? It may not even be a key weakness, per se, but their running back room could definitely use some upgrades this offseason. And given the strength of their passing attack, that could be precisely what they need to become a legit Super Bowl contender in 2023.
The Bills relied on the duo of Devin Singletary and James Cook for most of their production on the ground in 2022, but Singletary is set for free agency, and there's a decent chance he won't be returning. Buffalo seemed to want to use Cook more as the season went on, but he's not really ready for lead running back responsibilities it seems.
Sanders could be the perfect option for the Bills to beef up their offense even more than it already is. They have never been totally comfortable letting Singletary handle the bulk of the carries in their offense, despite his strong efficiency, but they wouldn't have those same concerns with Sanders, who is a proven workhorse back. The Bills need to do something to fix themselves this offseason, and adding Sanders could be the remedy they need.
