Clement fighting for spot on team
PHILADELPHIA >> Corey Clement scored a touchdown in the only Super Bowl the Eagles ever won. That gained him a spot in franchise lore. As for a spot on any future rosters, that would not be as certain.
Undrafted out of Wisconsin, the running back forever would be obligated to prove why the scouts were in error. This summer, he would face his strongest test.
Having not appeared in a game since injuring his knee last Dec. 14, Clement was caught in a crowded race to win a spot on the Eagles’ Opening Day roster. Yet that was him Thursday, one of too few Eagles winning career momentum in an otherwise dreary exhibition loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
And for his seven-carry, 25-yard flash of decency, including an 11-yard scoot on thirdand-six, Clement at least provided the Eagles with some reassurance that he could again be a championship-level back.
“We needed to see Corey a little bit more,” Doug Pederson said afterward. “He hasn’t played in a while, so we needed to see some more time. We felt like we had checked the boxes with Miles (Sanders) and Jordan (Howard) a little bit in the first two games and obviously through camp. So it was really Corey’s time to play. And I thought he did some really good things out there tonight.”
With that, Clement likely eked out a roster spot behind Sanders, Howard and Darren Sproles, with Wendell Smallwood the presumptive No. 5 back and Josh Adams also in the mix.
And with that, he could afford a bit of an exhale.
“It felt good, just getting into the mix again and getting things early, right out the gun,” Clement said. “We knew the game plan was that I was going to be starting the game. I was excited. I couldn’t really sleep. So it was a good day to be back out there playing football.”
There were signals that Clement was fully back from his season-ending injury, as he broke open more than once during joint workouts last week with the Ravens. But while healthy players avoid preseason games to stay that way, the recently injured need them to prove they are capable of surviving NFL-level tackles.
“I’m sure they wanted to see it, and that’s why they put me out there,” Clement said. “I wasn’t shying away from anything. If anything you have to step up when the opportunity presents itself. I’m definitely blessed and fortunate to be able to play this game, coming back from an injury that put me out.
“So I’m happy to be out here and showing what I can still do.”
Pederson has been satisfied enough with Sanders to have announced that he will give the second-round draft choice from Penn State all the carries he can handle. Howard is only 24, twice has rushed for more than 1,000 yards in an NFL season, is a renowned blocker and is ticketed for short-yardage duties. Sproles, when healthy, is a legendary change-of-pace game-changer. That they all were idle in the Baltimore game was an indication, if not evidence, of Pederson’s running back preferences. After that?
Why not a back who helped win a Super Bowl?
The Eagles have one more exhibition game, Thursday night at the Meadowlands against the Jets. By next Saturday, they must be down to a 53-man roster.
“It was fun to get back out there and play some football again,” Clement said. “It’s been since December. So getting back with the first team and just getting the feel back into the game was awesome.”