March 14, 2023
The Philadelphia Eagles have agreed to terms with Seattle Seahawks running back Rashaad Penny, according to a report from Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
Source: The #Eagles have agreed to terms with #Seahawks RB Rashaad Penny.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 14, 2023
Let's start with the bad. The Seahawks selected Penny in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft, and he has missed 40 games over the last five seasons. His list of injuries since entering the NFL:
• 2018: Missed two games with a knee injury.
• 2019: Missed three games early in the season with a hamstring injury.
• 2019: Torn ACL. Missed the final three games of the season.
• 2020: Missed the first 13 games of the regular season while recovering from his 2019 torn ACL. He returned for the final three regular season games, but missed the Seahawks' wild card round matchup against the Rams.
• 2021: Injured his calf in the Seahawks' win over the Colts Week 1. He missed the next five games.
• 2022: Broke his tibia Week 5 against the Saints, missed the rest of the season.
So why should the Eagles even consider signing this guy? Well, with the Seahawks' season basically in the toilet down the stretch in 2021 and few paying attention, Penny absolutely went off in the Seattle's final five games:
| Opponent | Rush | Yards | YPC | TD |
| Week 14, at Texans | 16 | 137 | 8.6 | 2 |
| Week 15, at Rams | 11 | 39 | 3.6 | 0 |
| Week 16, Bears | 17 | 135 | 7.9 | 1 |
| Week 17, Lions | 25 | 170 | 6.8 | 2 |
| Week 18, at Cardinals | 23 | 190 | 8.3 | 1 |
| TOTAL | 92 | 671 | 7.3 | 6 |
As a follow-up in 2022, he was off to a great start with 57 carries for 346 yards (6.1 YPC) and 2 TDs before he broke his leg.
Penny's running style is a great fit for the Eagles' offense. He's a power back at 220 pounds, who runs with excellent energy. He has good vision, and his short, choppy steps allow him to follow his blocks as they develop down the field. He also has 4.46 speed (pre-injuries, anyway), and can run away from defenders. A look (you'll have to click "Watch on YouTube):
This may sound like a bit of hyperbole, but if he can run like that over the course of 17 games, Penny is an All-Pro player. He just hasn't shown that he can last an entire season.
There's risk in signing Penny, because you don't know if he will stay healthy, but he is a potential home run, short-term results kind of signing who can help take the Eagles' rushing offense to an even higher level.
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