The Eagles have a few camp battles that will grab the headlines, from DeVonta Smith stepping in as the new WR1 to Makai Lemon trying to carve out a major role as a rookie and Vic Fangio’s defense looking to take another step. But there’s another question sitting a little further down the roster that could still matter when the season gets rolling.
That question is whether veterans Dameon Pierce or Elijah Mitchell can win the fourth running back spot behind Saquon Barkley, Tank Bigsby and Will Shipley.
It’s easy to shrug at that kind of competition in July. But with Barkley another year older, the margin gets thin fast. One play can change everything, and if that happens, either Pierce or Mitchell could be forced into a real role on game day.
Pierce, in particular, arrives in Philadelphia as a true unknown. Houston moved on from him last season, and he later landed with the Kansas City Chiefs. That was supposed to be a chance to get back on track, especially with Kansas City dealing with major issues on the ground and searching for answers beyond Patrick Mahomes.
Instead, Pierce barely got a look.
FanSided’s Chiefs expert Matt Conner from Arrowhead Addict offered some perspective on why Pierce never gained traction in Kansas City, and the takeaway only deepened the mystery.
"That Pierce couldn't wrestle any reps away from the likes of a limited Isiah Pacheco or a plodding Kareem Hunt is telling ... Andy Reid's staff were making weird choices on who to play (or not) all season long at multiple troubled positions. Pierce was just another piece of evidence in the case against a frustrating offense that might have been efficient but it was also unremarkable."
Conner knows that team as well as anyone, and if even he can’t fully explain why Pierce finished with just four carries in Kansas City, then the Eagles are left with plenty to sort through on their own.
The story of Pierce’s career has turned into a sharp drop after a promising start. As a rookie with the Texans, he flashed as a physical, downhill runner who could set the tone.
After that, the production fell off quickly. His total yards dropped by more than half in Year 2.
By Year 3, he was barely part of the picture. Aside from a random 92-yard explosion, he ran 39 times for 201 yards in 11 games.
Then Houston cut him partway through his fourth NFL season.
So when he signed with the Chiefs, it looked like a real opening. A chance to step in, take advantage of a shaky backfield, and maybe rebuild some momentum.
That never happened.
Now he gets another fresh start in Philadelphia, where the opportunity is there to reintroduce himself as a physical runner. But this is not a soft landing. Mitchell appears to fit the system better, and Pierce is going to have to earn every bit of his spot.
If he can put together a strong camp and show some of the burst and force that made him intriguing in the first place, then maybe there’s still something left to salvage. If not, the road gets a lot harder.
In Other News...
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Eagles Defensive Staff Loss Just Took A Brutal Rival Turn
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For the Eagles, the sting is not just about losing a respected coach who helped develop Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, but about seeing him go to a division rival with real work on his plate. Dallas is reshaping its defense, including a switch to a 3-4 scheme, and Parker will be part of the effort to get recent additions moving in the right direction after a rough season on that side of the ball. Slays reaction captured the mood around the move, and it is the kind of crossover that makes a coaching change feel a lot bigger than a routine staff shuffle. [Read more 🡒]