Not satisified with their running back depth, the Eagles have made a strong move to upgrade the position, dealing RB Mike Bell to the Browns for RB Jerome Harrison. While the deal basically boils down to a swap of backup running backs, the Birds clearly got the better back in the deal.Harrison, a 5 year veteran, is a former 5th round pick out of Washington State. He had his best year last year, where he racked up 862 yards on 4.4 yards per carry as the Browns primary back. He has struggled a bit this season, picking up only 91 yards on 2.9 yards per carry, and has lost playing time to Peyton Hillis. Given an opportunity, Harrison figures to be a good fit for the Eagles backfield as he has good hands and has some big play ability.
As for Bell, he has been nothing but a disappointment for the Eagles this season, averaging only 1.9 yards per carry on just a few touches a game. Bell was signed in the offseason with the intention that he would be a short yardage back, only he never proved capable of getting the tough yards.
Given how poor he has looked running the ball this year, I'm surprised the Eagles got anything in return for Bell, let alone a running back with some actual upside like Harrison. While I wouldn't expect Harrison to get anything more than a few touches a game, he will certainly do more with those touches than Bell could have ever done. A great deal for the Eagles and a definite admission that they made a mistake when they signed Bell to be the backup.
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