Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Pumphrey seems a little hamstrung
PHILADELPHIA » When the Eagles took running back Donnel Pumphrey off the board in the fourth round of the 2017 draft, what stood out was his size.
He measured 5-foot-8 and weighed 176 pounds at the scouting combine.
What caught the eye of the team’s scouts was Pumphrey’s production at San Diego State, where he was mentored by Aztecs alum Marshall Faulk. Pumphrey rushed for 2,133 yards and 17 touchdowns in his last collegiate season, making him the FBS career rushing leader with 6,405 yards.
“Don’t let the size fool you,” Eagles vice president of player personnel Joe Douglas said then. “This guy, he’s a little dog that thinks he’s a big dog and he plays that way.”
Pumphrey gets at least one more chance to prove Douglas right. Sidelined the first three games with a strained hamstring, Pumphrey is scheduled to show what he can do Thursday in the Eagles’ preseason finale against the New York Jets. Woof-woof.
“I’ll always have that big dog mentality,” Pumphrey said. “Sometimes the guys tell me I’ve got little man’s syndrome. Hey, it is what it is. I’ve got to carry that chip on my shoulder.”
The Eagles are likely to keep four running backs, with Jay Ajayi, Corey Clement and Darren Sproles being locks. Veteran Wendell Smallwood (5-10, 208), rookie Josh Adams (6-2, 213) and Matt Jones (6-2, 231) are competing with Pumphrey for the final spot.
Pumphrey understands it’s going to be rough to outplay Smallwood, who has had a solid training camp and preseason. Adams also has looked decent.
“Don’t want to press too much,” Pumphrey said. “I really just want to stay calm, stay prepared and focus on the goal at hand. I’m honestly just trying to put something on film, good things, because you never know. Coaches see good things, they might want to keep you.”
Pumphrey added a bit of good weight and came back stronger for this, his second shot at making the 53-man roster of the Eagles. Early in camp he earned time playing with the first-team offense, showing solid running and catching skills. Pumphrey looked a step faster than last year.
When the hamstring hit, he felt cursed.
“I felt I was having a pretty good camp,” Pumphrey said. “To be hurt, it was frustrating. I’ve got to stay positive, not get down on myself. I’ll be playing this preseason game. It’s the first time I’ve played in a year. I can’t wait.
“I honestly feel great being able to be back with the guys. It’s been difficult. It’s the second year in a row. Same exact hamstring. It’s frustrating but I can only control what I can control.”
Whatever happens when the Eagles reduce the 90man roster to 53 by 4 p.m. Saturday, Pumphrey has enjoyed his hitch here. From Darren Sproles to Smallwood, from running backs coach Duce Staley to head coach Doug Pederson and Douglas, the Eagles made him feel wanted.
“All the guys upstairs,” Pumphrey said of the player personnel staff, “they just tell me to keep grinding. They know it was difficult for me last year going from being the top dog in college to falling down and having to climb back up that ladder.”
*** Pederson applauded the work of Smallwood, who has taken advantage of extra playing time in the preseason game absences of Ajayi, Sproles and Clement.
“He’s doing a nice job on special teams, obviously, and he’s running tough,” Pederson said of Smallwood. “He’s running hard. Very few mistakes in games and in practice, and it’s showing up. He’s done a nice job.”
*** The Eagles did Corey Nelson a favor, as they cut the veteran linebacker Sunday, well ahead of the massive weekend cuts.
That gives Nelson a chance to survey the landscape, and possibly find a job before more than 1,100 cuts and/or transactions teams need to make to reduce rosters to 53 by 4 p.m. Saturday.
The Eagles hoped Nelson would be the cheap replacement for Mychal Kendricks, the linebacker cut over the offseason.
For now, it looks like Kamu Grugier-Hill will take over Kendricks’ spot. Hill, with 11 tackles, ranks third on the squad in the preseason.
The Eagles signed Jaboree Williams to take Nelson’s spot with the linebackers.
*** Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz was really spinning the ball in the early portion of practice Sunday, which was open to the media. Nick Foles, in contrast, looked a little more measured.