Hurting Birds bring back the Jay train
PHILADELPHIA >> Fresh out of experienced, healthy running backs, the Eagles Friday pulled another name out of their alumni rolodex.
Jay Ajayi signed with the Eagles Friday and according to Doug Pederson, won’t need much prep to get ready for the New England Patriots Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field.
Ajayi rushed for 592 yards in 11 games with the Eagles the previous two seasons, the last one ending with a torn ACL.
Offensive tackle Lane Johnson, who provided a preworkout photo of Ajayi on Instagram, was excited to see the hard-running back who averaged 5.1 yards with the Eagles back in the NovaCare Complex.
“I like Jay,” Johnson said. “He brings a lot of energy. He works hard and he’s always been like that.”
The Eagles need all the veteran help they can get as Jordan Howard, who leads the team with 525 rushing yards and seven touchdowns, is suffering from a stinger he suffered two weeks ago. Though Howard is listed as questionable for the Patriots, Pederson said the workhorse back hadn’t been cleared for contract as of Friday. Howard wasn’t at the portion of practice open to the media. He was listed as a partial participant. Later he walked through a sea of waiting reporters without answering questions.
Pederson said Howard incurred the injury late in the Nov. 3 win over the Chicago Bears. Meanwhile, the Eagles put 36-year-old running back Darren Sproles on injured reserve, a move that could signal the end of his 14-year career.
Wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, second on the team with four touchdowns, has been listed as out of action for the Patriots. The same with linebacker Nigel Bradham. Both have ankle injuries.
The Eagles needed Sproles’ roster spot to add Ajayi. Sproles played in just six games, including the contest against the Bears, with what the Eagles had been calling a quadriceps injury but on Friday turned into a right hip flexor. Sproles practiced all week until appearing on the injury report Thursday.
If this is it for Sproles, the good news is he picked up enough yardage to pass Hall of Fame receiver Tim Brown for fifth on the NFL’s career all-purpose yardage list with 19,696 yards.
“It’s disappointing, I think in Darren’s situation because of who he is as a person and what he’s meant to this organization, what he’s meant to this team, his leadership,” Pederson said. “He’s a Hall of Fame specialist in this league.”
The loss of Howard would be a big blow to the run game that’s helped the Eagles (5-4) build a two-game win streak. The Patriots (8-1) have been vulnerable to the run, and a rotation with rookie Miles Sanders and less-experienced Boston Scott is much less formidable without Howard.
The good injury news for the Eagles is that left offensive tackle Jason Peters (knee) practiced Friday and is expected to play Sunday. That would spare rookie Andre Dillard a start against a veteran Patriots defense that ranks among the league leaders in several categories, including takeaways (27) and points allowed (98).
Ajayi had been explosive in limited duty for Pederson in the past. He rarely practiced in his time here due to the knees. He had knee surgery after four appearances with the Eagles last season.
In parts of the previous two seasons he averaged 5.1 yards a carry, scored one touchdown and lost three fumbles after being acquired in 2017 from the Miami Dolphins for a fourth-round draft pick. De’Angelo Henderson (57, 208) also is a possibility to see duty, per Pederson.
“Really if it’s either one, I think they’ll be able to get a little work,” Pederson said.
Sproles and DeSean Jackson, 32, were re-signed before the season to add punch to the offense. Jackson played in two games before undergoing hernia surgery. Like Sproles, the 37-year-old Peters has played in just six games this season. All of the group had lengthy injury histories.
“With all three of those guys I would do it again,” Pederson said. “These are great players, great leaders, great teammates who have been a part of this organization for a long time. You can’t go into it blind, obviously. We know where they are in their careers and that’s something you have to consider.”
The Eagles have a role for another newly signed alum in wide receiver Jordan Matthews, back for his third tour with the team. Matthews has a comfort level with Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz.
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Johnson, believe it or not, has seen brawls almost exactly like the Browns-Steelers smackdown in which Myles Garrett ripped the helmet off Mason Rudolph, then hit the quarterback over the head with it.
“In practice, not here,” Johnson said. “It’s unfortunate to be swinging helmets and fighting. Stuff happens in games. Obviously, you want to control situations like that. It gets out of hand. But it’s happened before, weird stuff like that.”
Garrett was suspended without pay the rest of the season and received an undisclosed fine. His teammate, Larry Ogunjobi, was suspended one game and fined for taking a cheap shot during the mess.
Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey was suspended three games for freaking out on Garrett after the helmet attack. The Browns and the Steelers organizations were fined $250,000 apiece.
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NOTES >> Pederson said he thinks the Eagles will have a scout at Colin Kaepernick’s workout Saturday. “I’m comfortable with the guys we have,” Pederson said of his QBs, “but I’m assuming that we’ll have somebody there.” … Sproles-sized Henderson is a character. Asked what his strengths are, the Coastal Carolina product who scored a TD in 35 straight games said, “Just Google me. I’m pretty diverse, I can do whatever needs to be done.”