Ex-Giants RB Saquon Barkley feels 'like a rookie again' during first OTAs with Eagles
Ex-Giants RB Saquon Barkley feels 'like a rookie again' during first OTAs with Eagles
It's a new world for Pro Bowl running back Saquon Barkley. Yes, he is still in the NFC East, but the 27-year-old swapped his Giants helmet for an Eagles one earlier this offseason. Barkley inked a three-year deal with Philadelphia back in March, marking the end of his tenure with New York. While he may be entering his seventh season in the NFL, Barkley told reporters on Wednesday that he "feels like a rookie again" as he makes this latest stop with the Eagles, who have one of the more lethal skill-position groups in the league.
"Biggest thing that struck me is my first 7-on-7 huddle you see A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert and Jalen Hurts. It's not a bad group to be out there with," Barkley said, via the official team website. "That's not even including the offensive linemen.
"We're all just coming in, buying in, trying to learn the playbook, learning the system, trying to get better each day. You know there is a lot of talent, a lot of talent before I got here. I feel I can only add to that. At the same time, you can't look too far. That's the beauty of it. That's the beauty of coming in every single day, working with each other, pushing each other."
Saquon Barkley PHI • RB • #26 Att247Yds962TD6FL2 View Profile
When healthy, Barkley is one of the most talented running backs in the league thanks to his versatility as a pure runner and receiving ability out of the backfield. He's now slated to take on a major workload left by D'Andre Swift, who had 268 touches in Philly's backfield last season. Not only are those touches up for grabs, but Barkley could prove to be an even bigger piece to their offensive attack than Swift and capable of touching the ball north of 300 times.
"Take it day by day," Barkley said. "Put the work in and get ready for the season and that's how it works. The more you work now, the more it's going to pay off later. That's the culture here. Competitive. We're all trying to make each other better."
The Eagles are coming off a rather tumultuous season in 2023 where they were one-and-done in the playoffs after losing five of their final six games in the regular season. That said, the club has the talent to get back to the Super Bowl like they did during the 2022 season, and Barkley could prove to be a key reason why.
"I'm excited to be here with this team," Barkley said. "I feel like we can do something special. That's a ways, ways away, so just continue to come in one day at a time and try to get better."
Philadelphia will continue its OTA sessions throughout the rest of the month before mandatory minicamp kicks off on June 4.