What exactly Trey Sermon brings to the Philadelphia Eagles
It's hard to believe that the Philadelphia Eagles picked up running back Trey Sermon off waivers Thursday. But Howie Roseman again pulled a shrewd move off to improve the team around the margins in what amounts to a make-or-break year for quarterback Jalen Hurts. So what does Sermon bring to Philadelphia? Let's take a look. […]
It's hard to believe that the Philadelphia Eagles picked up running back Trey Sermon off waivers Thursday.
But Howie Roseman again pulled a shrewd move off to improve the team around the margins in what amounts to a make-or-break year for quarterback Jalen Hurts.
So what does Sermon bring to Philadelphia? Let's take a look.
Sermon's background and history
Sermon played his college ball at Oklahoma and Ohio State. He played with Hurts at Oklahoma during the 2019 college football season.
In his rookie season, 2021, Sermon only played in 107 total snaps. Sermon averaged 4.1 yards per carry and amassed 167 yards on 41 attempts.
He often appeared indecisive in his runs. He struggled to be a one-cut, north-to-south runner, which left a bevy of yardage on the table last season.
In his college scouting report, the same issues with his running style were present. Here is what Lance Zierlein of NFL.com had to say:
"Great-looking running back at a quick glance, but one who suffers from inconsistency in creativity and decisiveness. The regular-season tape at Ohio State was fairly disappointing relative to the talent he showed at Oklahoma, but his monster postseason should quell some concerns. At both schools, the interior vision and decision-making was suspect and would run him into some traffic. He does have potential as an outside-zone back, where he has more time and space to utilize his skills. He has size and open-field speed and will step up and handle his business in pass protection, as well as catch it out of the backfield. So, while Sermon's skill level as a runner is somewhat average, his potential as a three-down backup with upside should create middle-round interest."
Sermon's outlook with the Eagles
The Eagles brought in Sermon with the hope of developing him into a power runner in the offense. His game currently mirrors Miles Sanders, but with some patience, Sermon could be the runner the 49ers wanted him to be.
With the redundancy found in the Eagles' running back room, Sermon may not see any action early. However, if injuries do happen, Sermon is someone who can easily fit in the offense and be productive for stretches at a time.
Related Philadelphia Eagles reading
"The pressure is real for an Eagles star in a crucial season."
Feature image via Chris Coduto-USA TODAY Sports.
