Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Ajayi reportedly lost for the season
PHILADELPHIA >> The Eagles’ running attack has gone from injured and ineffective to unstable.
The team Monday put running back Jay Ajayi on injured reserve with an undisclosed knee injury. According to an ESPN report and other reports, Ajayi suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee while pass protecting during a 23-21 loss to the Minnesota Vikings Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field. Ajayi leads the Eagles with 184 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
The Associated Press was reporting Monday night that Ajayi, who is in the final year of his rookie contract, will miss the rest of the season due to the injury. The Eagles were confirming nothing about Ajayi or a possible pursuit of a replacement for him, but their actions might have been speaking for them.
ESPN reported Monday night that the Eagles had reached an agreement with Fletcher Cox and his representatives to restructure his contract, thereby creating $6.5 million more of cap space this season and $11.7 million next year. Ajayi is in the final season of his rookie contract.
The Eagles are among a handful of teams that reportedly have shown interest in Le’Veon Bell, who hasn’t signed his franchise tag with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and may not until the midway point of the season. Teams can franchise a player up to three times, and the Steelers are on their second tag of Bell, which has infuriated the versatile back.
While reports have said Bell doesn’t want to be traded, the Steelers also are said to be willing to listen to offers. The starting price would be a second-round pick plus a player or players. According to ESPN insider Adam Schefter however, the Eagles have no plans to pursue Bell.
The Birds do have an extra second-round draft selection in 2019 via their draft day trade with the Baltimore Ravens. The Steelers also could use a young offensive lineman. Maybe even Eagles guard Isaac Seumalo, despite his rough start.
Though it’s hard to imagine the Eagles locking up a running back to a long-term contract, particularly with Carson Wentz’s presumed extension coming up in another year, a short term sign-and-trade could be a win-win-win. If Bell stays healthy, he could be the big-play run-and-catch threat capable of reviving an Eagles’ offense struggling to score points.
The NFL trade deadline is Oct. 30, which is two days after the Eagles oppose the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium in London.
Right now, the Eagles’ healthy running backs are Wendell Smallwood and undrafted rookie Josh Adams. Corey Clement (quadriceps) suited up but didn’t play Sunday. Veteran Darren Sproles (hamstring) hasn’t played since the opener.
••• Which brings us to the latest drama surrounding Doug Pederson and the starting lineup changes in Sunday’s loss to the Vikings. It’s possible the Eagles were showcasing Seumalo for a trade.
Veteran guard Stefen Wisniewski tweeted Monday that the Eagles’ decision to give his job to Seumalo was “frustrating” because “I wasn’t playing bad.”
Pederson, at his press conference Monday, countered that “everything in this business is performance based.” He also said Seumalo “played well” against the Vikings.
“He had one bad snap in there but overall, played pretty well,” Pederson said.
Seumalo gave up a hit on Carson Wentz on the first offensive play for the Eagles. Wentz’s throw almost was intercepted. Seumalo also was slow to react on the game-changing play in which Wentz fumbled the ball in the air within arm’s reach of him. Vikings defensive tackle Linval Joseph hauled it in and ran away from Seumalo for a 64-yard touchdown giving the Vikings the lead for good.
Pederson said he anticipates Seumalo starting again Thursday when the Eagles (2-3) oppose the New York Giants (1-4) at MetLife Stadium. But that could change in a hurry.
The offensive line change didn’t help the anemic Eagles offense. The Birds trailed, 20-6, before scoring their touchdowns in the fourth quarter. The run game produced 81 yards and the Eagles were just 2-of-9 (22 percent) on third down.
The other starting lineup change worked out relatively OK as rookie Avonte Maddox, the fourth-round pick out of Pitt, flashed his speed and tackling ability at safety. Maddox wound up playing all 62 defensive snaps as 33-year-old veteran Corey Graham was injured.
••• As rough as the season has been for the Eagles, the Giants are in the middle of a melodrama. Odell Beckham Jr., in an unusual ESPN interview that included rapper Lil Wayne, told ESPN he had questions about quarterback Eli Manning and the heart of some of his teammates.
Head coach Pat Shurmur, an assistant for years with the Eagles, told reporters after the Giants’ 3331 loss Sunday to Carolina that he didn’t agree with what Beckham said, and that the locker room would take care of that. Per reports, Beckham apologized to teammates. The Giants were beaten on a 63yard Graham Gano field goal with one second left.
Last season Jake Elliott kicked a walk-off 61-yard field goal to lift the Eagles to a 27-24 victory over the Giants at the Linc. The Giants lost five of their next six games.