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Again and again running back Rashaad Penny used “refresh” to justify his decision to join the Eagles at his introductory presser Thursday.
The oft-injured veteran didn’t need to look long at the Eagles’ offensive line, quarterback Jalen Hurts’ skillset and the team culture to realize this was the chance of a lifetime for a guy coming off a broken fibula and tibia that limited him to five games and 57 carries last season with the Seattle Seahawks.
“I mean it’s like a refresh, a restart to my career,” said Penny, who signed a one-year contract worth up to $2.1 million. “I’m just excited to be here and I can’t wait to get to work. I’m playing with a finalist MVP at QB. A great running back room, great weapons at the receivers and arguably the best O-line. So, I’m definitely excited to get to work.”
Penny averaged 5.7 yards per carry but just 8.4 games per season with the Seahawks, who took the San Diego State product off the board with the 27th pick in the 2018 draft.
When Penny is healthy, he’s explosive. But he’s never played more than 10 games in a season since his rookie year due to injuries.
The opportunity to “rewrite the narrative” in a good situation more to Penny than the money.
“I just feel like playing 17 games is really important,” said Penny, who is optimistic the Eagles will find the optimum role for him. “Great training staff, great coaches. They all take care of their players here. It’s tough but this is like a restart to me. This is big for me. I’m healthy now and I’m really ready to go. It’s a refresh, really. This is one of the best opportunities for me as a player. This is going to refresh my career, for sure, being here. Being an Eagle is a great opportunity for me.”
With Hurts due to receive a contract extension averaging $50 million-plus, the Eagles had to create salary cap space wherever they could. The total payroll for the running backs room is a shade under $6 million.
Boston Scott has a one-year contract worth $2 million, Trey Sermon a $1.1 million pact this season. Kenny Gainwell will make a shade under $1 million.
That’s why veteran running back Miles Sanders said his goodbyes Wednesday. Sanders rushed for 1,269 yards and 11 TDs, both career-bests but had to find work with the rebuilding Carolina Panthers to get paid. He got a four-year, $25 million deal.
If Penny (5-11, 220), who uses “slasher” to describe his running style, is healthy and back to his old form, the Eagles will have a back with breakaway speed and power.
“I run hard but I really try to run past people,” Penny said. “And I think it helps everyone when you have a quarterback who can scramble and do multiple things. It lightens up the box for everyone. It makes the hole a lot bigger. I just want to be available and be consistent.”
Hurts already has reached out to Penny.
“He’s ready to win a Super Bowl,” Penny said of their correspondence. “I’m with him and I know the whole team is, too. It wasn’t a hard decision to come here. I wanted to be an Eagle.”
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NOTES >> The Eagles formally announced that 32-year-old defensive tackle Fletcher Cox signed a one-year contract … There was no formal announcement regarding cornerback Darius Slay, who said goodbye in a tweet Wednesday and according to know-it-alls was to be designated a June 1st cut, only to tweet that he wasn’t going anywhere … The Colts reached contract terms with free agent quarterback Gardner Minshew, who backed up Hurts.
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