During this last offseason there were a lot of moves, of course, but there were two moves that were particularly interesting at the RB position. Josh Jacobs went from the Raiders to the Packers, and Saquon Barkley went from the Giants over to division rival Philadelphia. Before the season started – it was a legit question between the 2 teams, as who made the bigger and better move at the RB spot.
Both guys have been very productive in their careers. In 2023, Jacobs ran for just 805 yds, 6 TDs and 3.5 yd /carry – but he carried 46 career TDs on the ground. And not so long ago in 2022, he led the entire NFL in rushing yards with 1653 rushing yards, and he scored 9 or more rushing TDs in 60% of the seasons that he played, he has always had a very good nose for the end zone. He brought good hands from the RB position, including 2 seasons with 50 catches or more. At 5-10 and 225 lbs, the ex-Raider is more than a handful to tackle, and he’s also a very nice dual threat out of the backfield.
Saquon Barkley in a huge move, moved himself around in the division. Something I think, that pretty much everybody who is a fan, found to be a very curious move. At only 27 years old with a career 5211 rushing yards along with 35 career rushing TDs, with 1000 or more yards rushing 3 times, he has always been a great running back in the NFL. We all knew that the former PSU Lion has incredible athletic abilities with massive power and speed, but with his added ability to catch the ball out of the backfield, would also be a huge benefit for any QB throwing a ball to him.
Realistically, the biggest concern about Barkley was going to be if he was able to avoid any injury issues.
Unfortunately, for Saquon, he has had his share of injury problems over his career, missing 21 games when playing for the New York Giants. Fortunately, for Philly and him, he’s been very healthy all year, and in turn, he has given them a lethal weapon this year. Saquon has played absolutely phenomenal. Obviously not even counting the ridiculous highlights that he has generated from play on the field, but his production has been massive with 1688 rushing yards, 11 TDs, and a nasty 5.9 yards /carry. He has simply dominated the gridiron this year, putting him rightfully into the MVP race.
Josh Jacobs also has had a very good year for Green Bay with 1147 rushing yds, 12 TDs, and another 302 yards receiving – and Green Bay has definitely been successful with his presence in the backfield. But Saquon ended up being the “real deal” for Philly. He came as advertised, and quite honestly, in my opinion, eclipsed what I thought he was going to bring to the team. I expected a good season, but not quite as good as what he’s produced. Both teams have been very strong this year up to this point, as of this article, Green Bay is 10-4 and Philly is 12-2.
But the 235lb back went to a team with better WRs in AJ Brown and Devonta Smith, which gives the team additional threats, which in turn helps the entire team’s production on offense. They also still have a very good Oline, even with losing Jason Kelce, and quite honestly, Barkley is just the better running back. He has brought Philly a whole new dimension on offense, becoming the true focal point of the offensive scheme. He wasn’t just added as decor, he became the identity of the team.
Vegas a nd Philadelphia is reaping the rewards each week at the sports betting windows.