As they continue to hunt for veteran running back depth ahead of the 2020 NFL season, the Philadelphia Eagles have narrowed their search to Carlos Hyde, Devonta Freeman and LeSean McCoy. That's according to ESPN's Tim McManus, who reported Thursday that the team has spoken with McCoy since April's draft and is intent on adding experience behind Miles Sanders at the position.
The Eagles are "bullish" on Sanders as a lead ball-carrier following his promising finish to the 2019 season, McManus said, but will almost assuredly add a veteran to the RB room during an offseason affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Only third-year reserve Boston Scott and former undrafted backup Corey Clement offer NFL experience behind Sanders, whereas Hyde, Freeman and McCoy have all had extensive stretches as starting RBs around the league.
Hyde, who's coming off a career season in which he eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards with the Houston Texans, has been speculated as the team's top choice considering his ceiling as a big, traditional runner. Freeman, however, has also received inquiries from the Eagles, per McManus, and has fans inside the organization -- namely RBs coach Duce Staley, who's known the former Atlanta Falcons standout since his days at Florida State. And McCoy, who spent the first six years of his career in Philadelphia, has repeatedly and publicly campaigned for an Eagles reunion.
Of the three, it's possible McCoy is the likeliest addition simply because of other teams' interest in Hyde and Freeman. Both of the latter two RBs have been courted by the Seattle Seahawks, per McManus, with Seattle even offering Freeman a one-year, $4 million contract for 2020. The Eagles have the salary cap space to match that kind of money, but SiriusXM Radio's Adam Caplan previously reported the team doesn't intend to spend much more than the $1 million veteran minimum for a backup RB.
