The Philadelphia Eagles have reportedly been fielding calls about potential trades featuring running back Darren Sproles, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
#Eagles received calls of trade interest for RB Darren Sproles mid-draft, sources said. He's staying away from OTAs until its sorted out
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 17, 2016
This isn't a situation filled with frustration for Darren Sproles. But he's away from the #Eagles, with his family on the West Coast now
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 17, 2016
Sproles, a diminutive third-down back, is still a valuable trade piece at this point, even at the age of 32.
In addition to his considerable abilities catching the ball and making people miss in space, Sproles can also be counted on to return punts, and he was a dangerous kick-return specialist early in his career.
Sproles has tallied 2,867 career rushing yards, 4,156 career receiving yards on 473 catches and has scored 48 career offensive touchdowns.
The Eagles, now under new leadership with rookie head coach Doug Pederson, don’t really have a ton of options at the running back position, so this is a bit strange from that perspective. After trading away DeMarco Murray to the Tennessee Titans, Philadelphia’s top rusher would be Ryan Mathews, the injury-prone former San Diego Chargers first-round draft pick.
Still, perhaps this is a team that understands winning now isn’t exactly achievable. Perhaps the Eagles are just going to take the hit this year and hope the next couple of drafts can stock the roster with enough talent to build a contender for the future with rookie quarterback Carson Wentz.
That there is interest in Sproles isn’t surprising. He’d be a valuable addition to teams in need of pass-catching receivers.