The Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles went tit-for-tat in the NFC East a season ago. A late meltdown from Philadelphia enabled Dallas to capture the division title.
Fast forward a few months, and the two rivals could be competing for a star player from yet another division rival.
Let us explain a second. New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley is set to hit free agency after they opted against placing the franchise tag on him. Eagles running back D’Andre Swift joins Dallas ball-carrier Tony Pollard in also being set to hit NFL free agency.
After New York opted against placing the tag on Barkley, ESPN’s Adam Schefter floated the idea of Philadelphia or Dallas targeting the Pro Bowler on the open market.
“How would Saquon look in Dallas? How would Saquon look in Philadelphia? How would Saquon look somewhere in the NFC East other than the New York Giants?
I can see an NFC East team exploring that to see if they can make something happen with Saquon. That would be something that would be really interesting to track and watch in free agency here next week.”
Report on Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys targeting Saquon Barkley
It really isn’t too far-fetched. Both the Cowboys and Eagles are going to be in the market for a running back this offseason. Each could be seen as an ideal fit for the former No. 2 pick from Penn State.
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Why Saquon Barkley makes sense for the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas employed Pollard as its RB1 a season ago. He proceeded to put up just over 1,000 rushing yards in 17 games. That’s not necessarily the type of production the ‘Boys envisioned when they opted to move off franchise great Ezekiel Elliott ahead of the season.
Barkley’s numbers were not much better in 2023 (962 rushing yards, 3.9 average). But he has proven to be the more dynamic back throughout a largely successful career. That includes 139 receptions and a 72% catch rate over the past three seasons. He just seems to be a better fit in Dallas’ offensive scheme under Mike McCarthy than Barkley. As with everything, it will come down to price point.
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Saquon Barkley as a fit for the Philadelphia Eagles
With Kellen Moore now calling the shots on offense in Philadelphia, it would not be a surprise if the team went with a dual-threat running back. That was the case with Zeke in Dallas back in 2022 and with Austin Ekeler in Los Angeles a season ago.
Sure, D’Andre Swift has proven himself to be a capable receiving back (39 receptions a season ago). But Barkley’s dynamic ability coupled with what Jalen Hurts can do on the ground would be an absolute boon for the Eagles.