After saying goodbye to a half-dozen fan favorites from their Super Bowl run, the Philadelphia Eagles officially became the 32nd NFL team to agree to a contract with an external free agent, signing Green Bay Packers running back AJ Dillon to backup Saquon Barkley in 2025.
That's right, while the exact terms of the signing aren't yet known, what is clear is that the Eagles have added a super-sized power back who can push the line of scrimmage with his bruising style, give opposing teams a different when Barkley exits the game, and most importantly of all, help out with the tush push, where his power could help to propel Jalen Hurts forward an extra yard or two.
Originally drafted in the second round out of Boston College by the Green Bay Packers in 2020, Dillon is a unique player at the running back position. At 6-foot, 247 pounds, Dillon is one of the biggest backs in the NFL, but he isn't a one-trick pony, catching 86 of the 110 balls thrown his way over his career for 763 yards and two receiving touchdowns. Dillon has also been used in two-back situations with both Josh Jacobs and Aaron Jones, where he served as a quasi-lead blocker for his more agile teammates.
On the Eagles, Dillon immediately slots in as the Eagles' RB2 alongside Will Shipley, adding some much-needed power where the former Clemson product is more of a traditional third-down back. While Dillon can do a little bit of everything, from catching passes to playing fullback, at worst, his biggest role will likely be as a 1B to Barkley, taking early down snaps and even whole drives when the PSU product needs a break.
What do the Eagles have planned for Dillon? Do they view him as a depth signing before this, an incredibly deep RB class, just in case things go really bad on draft day? Or do they have something specifically planned, maybe using him in two-back sets or even as a fullback competing with recently re-signed fullback/linebacker/special teamer Ben VanSumeren? Considering how tight Howie Roseman's pursestrings have been so far this offseason, it feels like Dillon was explicitly targeted to both play alongside Barkley and ease his burden moving forward, as after his latest extension, the Eagles can't afford to run their top back into the ground for a second-straight regular season.
