The Philadelphia Eagles struck a deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday night, bringing on the former Auburn Tigers running back Tank Bigsby to the defending Super Bowl champion's roster as a backup for Saquon Barkley.
As CBS Sports' Codby Benjamin wrote, the Eagles sent a 2026 fifth-round draft pick and a 2026 sixth-rounder to the Jags for Bigsby to add a change-of-pace depth piece. Philadelphia got a "B-" grade, since the deal wasn't one that absolutely needed to be done.
"Two draft picks for a new No. 2/3 running back sounds a bit steep on the surface, even if both picks are Day 3 selections. After all, the Eagles already pay top dollar for Saquon Barkley, the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year. But Week 1 showed Philly is (wisely) intent on lessening Barkley's workload after a monster 2024 campaign, feeding valuable situational reps to Shipley against the Cowboys," Benjamin wrote.
"Even after Shipley returns from injury, Bigsby arguably offers even greater upside as a change-of-pace option and special teamer, clearing 750 yards and scoring seven touchdowns as Etienne's relief last year. Better yet, he's under contract through 2026 at a very reasonable rate. Did the Eagles absolutely need to make this trade? Probably not. AJ Dillon is also in tow as physical depth. Still, added juice off the bench is rarely a bad thing."
Bigsby had high hopes in Jacksonville that he never reached. Doug Pederson saw star qualities in Bigsby that never materialized, and it's clear new head coach Liam Coen doesn't see those same things.
In Philadelphia, Bigsby may see situational opportunities facilitated by quarterback Jalen Hurts. There's a different orbit Bigsby now exists in that won't benefit him from a reps standpoint, but he'll now be competing for premium touches in a top-eight offense from a year ago.
All in all, this is a good deal for Bigsby.
Especially since the price the Eagles paid may warrant more calls for opportunities from fans than if it wasn't an overpay.