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Brightwell and rookie Eric Gray figure to compete for the No. 3 running back role behind Saquon Barkley and Matt Breida, Charlotte Carroll of The Athletic reports.
What it means:
Barkley has yet to sign his franchise tag or work out a contract extension with the organization, but he figures to be a workhorse again during the upcoming campaign. Breida was a good fit as the No. 2 ball-carrier last season and was brought back for 2023 presumably to fill the same role, leaving Brightwell and Gray to compete for the limited snaps that remain. Brightwell averaged a healthy 4.5 yards per carry last year and also worked as the team's lead kickoff returner, but Carroll notes that Gray offers "a needed injection of youth" to the running-back room. Should the rookie impress during camp and preseason action, he could feasibly move ahead of Brightwell on the depth chart.
