The formula worked last year — sign an undrafted rookie free agent from the Philly area immediately after the draft.
We all know how Glassboro, New Jersey’s Corey Clement fared.
The Eagles repeated that formula Saturday when they agreed to terms with another local rookie running back, Notre Dame’s Josh Adams, a graduate of Central Bucks South.
Adams rushed for over 3,000 yards and 20 touchdowns and averaged 6.7 yards per carry over the last three years, fifth-highest in Division I over the last three seasons among backs with at least 300 carries during that period.
His numbers are impressive:
2015: 117 for 835 [7.1 average], six touchdowns
2016: 158 for 933 [5.9 average], five touchdowns
2017: 206 for 1,430 [6.9 average], nine touchdowns
His 7.1 average was fourth-best in D-I in 2015, and his 7.3 average was 11th-best in D-I this past season.
NFL
Adams had 15 100-yard rushing games during his three years at Notre Dame, with a high of 229 yards in a win over Boston College this past September.
His production came despite sharing the workload in South Bend. He only had more than 20 carries once and surpassed 15 carries only 13 times in his entire college career.
Adams suffered a torn ACL near the end of his junior year but bounced back to rush for more than 1,400 yards and nine touchdowns as a senior.
Even though they haven’t drafted a running back in the first three rounds since LeSean McCoy nine years ago and lost LeGarrette Blount to free agency, the Eagles have an interesting mix of running backs.
Jay Ajayi, Clement, Wendell Smallwood and Donnel Pumphrey are back from last year, and the Eagles announced Saturday that they’re also bringing back Darren Sproles.
“We like our running backs,” Howie Roseman said. “That’s a good room.”
Below is a tracker of the Eagles' other unofficial UDFA signings:
• Jeremiah Briscoe, QB, Sam Houston State
• Bruce Hector, DT, South Florida
• Chandon Sullivan, CB, Georgia State University
• Jordan Thomas, CB, Oklahoma
• Stephen Roberts, S, Auburn
• Aaron Evans, OL, UCF
• Toby Weathersby, OT, LSU
• Jeremy Reaves, S, South Alabama
• Joe Ostman, EDGE, Central Michigan
• Danny Ezechukwu, LB, Purdue
• Ian Park, OG, Slippery Rock
• Bruce Hector, DT, South Florida
• Brandon Silvers, QB, Troy
https://twitter.com/B_Silvers1/status/990403688777871360
• Ryan Neal, S, Southern Illinois
• Asantay Brown, DB, Western Michigan
• Anthony Mahougnou, WR, Purdue