Jordan Howard - record with and without him

[Procus]

I haven't done the math, but it seems to me that when a healthy Howard is in the lineup, the Eagles are just a different team.  Considerably stronger.  I would think the W-L record is exceptional.  Which begs the question:  Should the team make it a priority to sign or draft a bruising back in the offseason?

[time2rock]

Hoping we re-sign Howard ... he is only 27 and likely can be signed relatively cheap again.  I'd also use one of our 10 draft picks on a RB that is more in the mold of Howard (a larger bodied, more N-S runner) since he does tend to miss time every year.  

[UK_EaglesFan89]

1 hour ago, time2rock said:

Hoping we re-sign Howard ... he is only 27 and likely can be signed relatively cheap again.  I'd also use one of our 10 draft picks on a RB that is more in the mold of Howard (a larger bodied, more N-S runner) since he does tend to miss time every year.  

Yep that's the answer to me. His last few years in the league he's seen a real drop off in the number of carries. 

[EazyEaglez]

1 hour ago, time2rock said:

Hoping we re-sign Howard ... he is only 27 and likely can be signed relatively cheap again.  I'd also use one of our 10 draft picks on a RB that is more in the mold of Howard (a larger bodied, more N-S runner) since he does tend to miss time every year.  

I like Howard, but it just seems like his tenure as an Eagles has been marred with injuries. Maybe the better move is to draft a guy? With that being the case their recent RB draft selections haven’t been that good either. 

[opa-opa]

Howie and Lurie loves the Westbrook type of RB so they will keep drafting until they find another Westbrook. 

[EazyEaglez]

2 hours ago, opa-opa said:

Howie and Lurie loves the Westbrook type of RB so they will keep drafting until they find another Westbrook. 

Westbrook was a great back, who was actually picked by Andy Reid. Shady was a great back too. I’d take either guy over the entire lot of backs we have right now. 

[Vlad67]

17 hours ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

Yep that's the answer to me. His last few years in the league he's seen a real drop off in the number of carries. 

I will repeat myself but I am missing  Blount type RB...we haven't had real one since Blount and to me he was one(even Ajai nor Howard can be compared to him although I like Howard a lot... if only he was healthier) of the key reasons for our miracle...But our analitics dopes are all about pass, pass, pass so...

[Infam]

11 hours ago, EazyEaglez said:

I like Howard, but it just seems like his tenure as an Eagles has been marred with injuries. Maybe the better move is to draft a guy? With that being the case their recent RB draft selections haven’t been that good either. 

Whatever we do, I don’t see how giving Howard a cheap deal is not in our best interest no matter what.

[Random Reglar]

14 hours ago, Procus said:

I haven't done the math, but it seems to me that when a healthy Howard is in the lineup, the Eagles are just a different team.  Considerably stronger.  I would think the W-L record is exceptional.  Which begs the question:  Should the team make it a priority to sign or draft a bruising back in the offseason?

YES

A central part to run first offense with running QB.

The Eagles should have 2 powerbacks.

[EazyEaglez]

5 hours ago, Infam said:

Whatever we do, I don’t see how giving Howard a cheap deal is not in our best interest no matter what.

With less than 300 rush yards this year why give him a big contract? Most likely you would be bidding against yourself anyway. Frankly I’d prefer more than one big back. 

[Procus]

17 hours ago, EazyEaglez said:

I like Howard, but it just seems like his tenure as an Eagles has been marred with injuries. Maybe the better move is to draft a guy? With that being the case their recent RB draft selections haven’t been that good either. 

He's that much of a difference maker right now that he should remain with the team even if he's not always available.  All the more reason to have more than one bruiser on the team.  Worked out pretty well with Blount and Ajayi

47 minutes ago, EazyEaglez said:

With less than 300 rush yards this year why give him a big contract? Most likely you would be bidding against yourself anyway. Frankly I’d prefer more than one big back. 

I don't think he'll command a big contract with his injury history.

[EazyEaglez]

12 minutes ago, Procus said:

He's that much of a difference maker right now that he should remain with the team even if he's not always available.  All the more reason to have more than one bruiser on the team.  Worked out pretty well with Blount and Ajayi

I don't think he'll command a big contract with his injury history.

I don’t mind Howard being back, but I wouldn’t do it for a big contract. Overall I hope the Eagles get into a mindset of running the ball with punishing backs meaning I don’t think just having Howard is enough. On top of that the Eagles two best backs (Sanders and Howard) are injury prone. I don’t know how long this system of running it 40-50 times a game will last, but even if they get to a number more consistently in the 30s they will need a back who is more durable than these guys moving forward. 

[Bwestbrook36]

8 minutes ago, EazyEaglez said:

I don’t mind Howard being back, but I wouldn’t do it for a big contract. Overall I hope the Eagles get into a mindset of running the ball with punishing backs meaning I don’t think just having Howard is enough. On top of that the Eagles two best backs (Sanders and Howard) are injury prone. I don’t know how long this system of running it 40-50 times a game will last, but even if they get to a number more consistently in the 30s they will need a back who is more durable than these guys moving forward. 

Nick S spits on balance! You do one or the other 95% !

[EazyEaglez]

5 minutes ago, Bwestbrook36 said:

Nick S spits on balance! You do one or the other 95% !

I know it’s crazy, but the Eagles ran the ball 33 times, and passed it 31 times against the Giants so they were balanced. 4 turnovers basically kill everything though. 

[Infam]

18 minutes ago, Bwestbrook36 said:

Nick S spits on balance! You do one or the other 95% !

This joke is way to close to the truth for my liking.

[Bwestbrook36]

1 hour ago, EazyEaglez said:

I know it’s crazy, but the Eagles ran the ball 33 times, and passed it 31 times against the Giants so they were balanced. 4 turnovers basically kill everything though. 

See what happened when they tried to balance it out? 

[Procus]

2 hours ago, EazyEaglez said:

I know it’s crazy, but the Eagles ran the ball 33 times, and passed it 31 times against the Giants so they were balanced. 4 turnovers basically kill everything though. 

Reminded me of the SF.  Boneheaded calls and plays at critical junctures.  With this team, nothing wrong with taking a FG if you can't score a td in the redzone.

[EazyEaglez]

34 minutes ago, Bwestbrook36 said:

See what happened when they tried to balance it out? 

Unfortunately they had no choice considering their backs were all hurt. 

[EazyEaglez]

16 minutes ago, Procus said:

Reminded me of the SF.  Boneheaded calls and plays at critical junctures.  With this team, nothing wrong with taking a FG if you can score a td in the redzone.

With this team this year what can go wrong will go wrong. Guys stepping out of bounds before they catch touchdown passes. A guy drops an easy touchdown only for an interception to be thrown like three plays later. Guys getting called for OPI on touchdown passes. Holding calls bringing back long touchdown runs. This team at this point has to have at least 10 touchdowns called back due to penalties and another 3 to four not happening due to dropped passes. On top of that Hurts has missed some scoring opportunities and to throw that pick against the Giants was ugh. 

[jsdarkstar]

Howard is out against the Jets. Man they need him back. 

[kiwieagle]

It all depends on the larger question of that they are doing at QB. But as a general rule I think it should be a mix of styles: two of Sanders, Scott, Gainwell or similar rounded backs capable of big play , complemented by two big backs like Howard. 

This is especially true if Hurts is back, the offense then needs to be built around the run game to be effective. That uses what Hurts does well and limits or hides his weaknesses. With that heavy dose, will be lots of carries and you need a group of 4 RBs, should expect durability issues and can’t rely on only one person bringing a certain style. 

[Procus]

On 12/4/2021 at 4:33 AM, Vlad67 said:

I will repeat myself but I am missing  Blount type RB...we haven't had real one since Blount and to me he was one(even Ajai nor Howard can be compared to him although I like Howard a lot... if only he was healthier) of the key reasons for our miracle...But our analitics dopes are all about pass, pass, pass so...

It's ideal, but let's be real here - there aren't a lot of Blount types out there.

[Hawkeye]

16 hours ago, Procus said:

It's ideal, but let's be real here - there aren't a lot of Blount types out there.

Exactly.  And the game is changing so fast that guys like Blount - at 250 lbs more like a fullback - aren't in the league much anymore. 

Howard is a power back who can run between the tackles.  Watching Sanders try to bounce it outside half the time is maddening.  

[Penn7980]

Howard contributed to the team success.  Love his power running style, but that also subjects him to injury problem.  Hope the team realizes that a robust power running play is essential to the overall offense.  Keeping an amble pipeline of RBs for power run ought to be personnel plan.

[Cochis_Calhoun]

We definitely need another back, and I'd prefer a one cut guy like Howard to another Sanders.

While I like Sanders, he's yet to complete a full season of games,  he's never going to be a go to guy for goal line or short yardage work and his numbers are always good enough to be promising of a possible break out but it never goes beyond that, they're almost certainly good enough for the market to pay more than he's worth to us, .

Ultimately a tailback who's worth keeping is either a bell cow that puts up gaudy numbers or is good enough to keep around as a change of pace guy in a committee, Sanders body isn't up to being the first and will almost definitely ask to be paid more than befits the second.