Eagles Wake-Up Call: Opening For Barner?

Shortly after rescinding the tender on restricted free agent Chris Polk, Chip Kelly said that Polk would have made the 53-man roster if he stayed on board and that the Eagles would have carried four running backs and three tight ends into the season.

Polk, though, wanted to move on and try to land a more prominent role elsewhere. The Eagles granted the request, and the 25-year-old is now a member of the Houston Texans. That means there is a spot up for grabs, one that can be won this summer.

Kelly went with four tight ends and three backs on his original 53-man each of the past two seasons. Perhaps that’s his preference. But there’s no clear choice for a fourth tight end at the moment behind Brent Celek, Zach Ertz and Trey Burton. The other options currently in the fold are all rookies: Andrew Gleichert (Michigan State), Eric Tomlinson (Texas El-Paso) and Justin Tukes (Central Florida).

The  running back options, meanwhile, include Matthew Tucker, speedy rookie Raheem Mostert and Kenjon Barner. 

The Eagles acquired Barner from the Panthers for a conditional seventh-round draft pick last offseason. He suffered an ankle injury in the preseason finale and was eventually waived with an injury settlement. The 25-year-old was signed to the team’s practice squad in November and inked to a futures deal with the club at the end of the year.

The former Oregon Duck finds himself in a very crowded backfield alongside the likes of  DeMarco Murray, Ryan Mathews and Darren Sproles, but as Barner points out, that’s nothing new for him.

“I’ve been in a loaded backfield since college,” said Barner. “If you go back to my college days, I was there with Jeremiah Johnson, LaMichael James, LeGarrette Blount, Remene Alston. So it’s always been a loaded backfield that I’ve been in but that doesn’t stop you from doing what you have to do. You have to go out there and work and get the job done.”

Barner had a starring role for Kelly during their last year at Oregon, racking up over 2,000 all-purpose yards and 23 touchdowns in 2012. He was drafted in the sixth round by the Panthers the following season but saw limited action his rookie year. Kelly acquired him the following summer.

It didn’t work out as planned for Barner the first time around, but he’ll have a good opportunity in front of him when the team reconvenes next month.

“Special teams, running back. Make this team, that’s the number one goal,” said Barner, who served as a kick and punt returner while at Oregon. “Put yourself in a position to where these coaches don’t have a choice but to put you on this roster.”

WHAT YOU MISSED

Why are ex-employees taking parting shots at Kelly?

“Coach kind of had a laboratory there.” Kelly turns to Ryan Day once again.

Don’t forget to order your Eagles Almanac.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING

Kent Babb of the Washington Post on the questions surrounding Sam Bradford and the Eagles.

Can Bradford, the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2010, turn around a career marked to this point not by victories but by two torn ACLs in less than a year? Is Chip Kelly, the eccentric but resolute Eagles coach who traded Philadelphia’s starting QB, Nick Foles, to St. Louis for Bradford, a man who can save a quarterback’s career – or, if the most important acquisition of a wild offseason goes sideways, defend his own? Can the Eagles, who seem to value upside more than recent history, survive in the unpredictable NFC East without consistency at the most important position?

At this moment, as Bradford put it, it is simply too early to know. But Bradford’s knee is perhaps the most intriguing storyline in the entire division — the most valuable body part — and, if nothing else, represents a significant dice roll for a franchise still finding itself in Kelly’s third year. Foles, after all, won 14 of the games he started for Kelly over two seasons, leading Philadelphia to the playoffs in 2013. But those surrounding the franchise believe one thing when it comes to Foles: that Kelly didn’t believe the fourth-year passer had it in him to be an elite quarterback. Any season, at least in Kelly’s wandering mind, waiting and hoping for such a thing would be a waste — and so Kelly, who also values immediacy, opted to move on.

The Jets and Cowboys likely won’t be at full force when they face the Eagles. BGN with the details.

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Rolando McClain has been suspended for the first four games of the 2015 NFL season, according to an official release from the NFL. McClain is being punished for violating the NFL Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse.

This suspension means that McClain will be out for the first Eagles-Cowboys game this season in Week 2. McClain won’t be the only Cowboys suspended starter, either. Defensive end Greg Hardy was suspended for the first 10 games of the upcoming season…

The McClain suspension is the second lucky break the Eagles have had come their way on Thursday. It was also announced that Jets defensive end Sheldon Richardson will miss New York’s game against the Eagles in Week 3.

COMING UP

Hope everyone has a great holiday weekend.