Kerryon Johnson Pushing Surprise Veteran for Eagles Roster Spot

After a disastrous 4-11-1 record in the 2020 NFL season, the Philadelphia Eagles have spent the offseason bringing in new players to help turn things around. One of those is former Detroit Lions running back Kerryon Johnson, who the Eagles claimed off of waivers back in May. The 24-year-old's performance throughout training camp has certainly impressed the Philadelphia coaching staff. So much so that he's actually pushing veteran Eagles RB Jordan Howard for his roster spot.

Kerryon Johnson Eagles Rumors

Howard was re-signed to a one-year contract back in April and was expected to serve as the third-string RB behind Miles Sanders and Boston Scott. However, NJ.com's Chris Franklin has said that the fact that Johnson's pass-catching is better than Howard's has been giving him the edge at practice.

Howard has never been a pass-catching back. His career-high for receptions is 29, which came five years ago in his rookie campaign. Ever since then, his receptions numbers have decreased, culminating with just one catch on a single target over seven games last year. Meanwhile, Johnson has a career-high of 39 passes caught coming in 2018 when he played in just 10 games.

Needless to say, the Eagles likely value that type of versatility more, especially in the event that there's an injury in the backfield. Another factor that could come into play is that Johnson is about two-and-a-half years younger than Howard, so there's more time to help him reach his ceiling whereas the latter is likely past his.

Regardless of whether Johnson or Howard earn that coveted roster spot, the truth is that they'll have a lot of work to do when it comes to turning Philadelphia into a winner. The Eagles currently have +7500 odds to win Super Bowl 56, according to FanDuel Sportsbook, which ranks T-25th across the NFL.

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