Bryce

Brown

The former number one high school recruit in the country, ahead of Trent Richardson, Brown could never find a home in college. Before leaving college early, Brown sat out most of last season and only carried the ball three times for 16 yards. He even threatened to skip college altogether and go straight into the CFL. Brown possesses 4.48 speed and produced 22 bench press reps but this is a major project for the Eagles, on and off the field.

The Eagles like Dion Lewis, Chris Polk, and Bryce Brown behind McCoy. “We feel really good about that spot,” Roseman said. “That doesn’t mean that if something was there that made sense we still wouldn’t look to add there, but we feel really good about them.” This, despite coach Andy Reid’s plan to lighten McCoy’s workload. Look for Lewis to be Philadelphia’s primary backup.

Brown has a few pounds on Polk and is an inch taller, so it’s not good news for Polk’s stock after he unexpectedly went undrafted. Polk is a more polished player than Brown, but it may be telling that Philly saw fit to spend a pick on Brown and not Polk. If Polk can prove he’s healthy, however, he may have a leg up on Brown as they fight for what may be the same roster spot.

Brown showed an obvious sense of entitlement when the NFL wouldn’t let him go pro out of high school, threatening to go straight to the CFL. Instead, Brown bounced from Tennessee to Kansas State, managing just 104 carries for 476 yards and three touchdowns in his entire college career. The Eagles will give him a shot to be their No. 3 back behind LeSean McCoy and Dion Lewis.

Brown impressed the coaching staff with his receiving ability in offseason practices, and beat writers noted that he outplayed the undrafted yet more ballyhooed Chris Polk. Although Lewis will enter camp as the heavy favorite, Brown has a more well-rounded game. This is a battle worth monitoring for “handcuffing” purposes.

A minor hamstring tweak briefly slowed Lewis, but he’s back practicing and is expected to play against the Patriots Monday night. Virtually all reports have the second-year back well ahead of rookies Bryce Brown and Chris Polk. Lewis is the handcuff for LeSean McCoy owners, albeit a below-average one.

It’s a major hurdle in his quest to beat out Dion Lewis for the primary backup job. “He is a heck of a talent, though,” says beat writer Tim McManus, “and seems to have his head screwed on straight right now.” McManus believes Brown has a roster edge over fellow rookie Chris Polk, who “doesn’t strike me as a fit for this system.”

Both players will undergo MRIs to determine the severity, though coach Andy Reid said Jenkins’ does not look serious. Lewis rushed four times for 22 yards before exiting. Rookie Bryce Brown had 33 yards on three carries and 16 yards on two receptions while Chris Polk managed just one yard on three rushes and 28 yards on three catches.

Blocking skills are essential for any reserve back, but particularly in Philly. Polk is battling fellow rookie Bryce Brown for the Eagles’ No. 3 job, and his superior passing-game skills could give him a leg up. Brown has never pass blocked, and it has showed in camp. Dion Lewis remains LeSean McCoy’s top backup.

Brown’s pass-catching skills have been better than expected and his short-yardage prowess evident. We’d caution, however, that this report should be taken with a grain of salt. The usually reliable Birds 24/7 blog stated Sunday night that Lewis appeared to be “firmly in place” as LeSean McCoy’s backup.