Eagles acquire Jerome Harrison for Mike Bell

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.

Jackson and Herremans activated as the Eagles are suddenly getting healthy

There was a lot of good news coming out of Lehigh today when it comes to injured Eagles making their return to the field:

Jamaal Jackson and Todd Herremans activated from the PUP list The Eagles o-line has been a question mark all offseason but the return of these two expected starters will help to clear things up. While Jackson still isn't likely to be playing the first few weeks of the season, the fact that he's practicing again shows he's well ahead of schedule. As for Herremans, he appears on schedule to play in at least one preseason game and should be good to go when the season starts.

Mike Bell, Macho Harris, Hank Baskett and Antonio Dixon also return to practice All four missed the preseason opener but are healthy enough to get back out on the practice field. Baskett needs to be out there and giving it everything he's got if he wants to make the team over Kelley Washington. Bell's return to practice was short lived as he had to be carted off the field with a calf strain.

Safety Antoine Harris placed on the IR After suffering a Lis franc injury against the Jaguars, Harris' season is over. Harris was signed just a few weeks ago to compete for a backup safety spot but probably wasn't going to make the team before the injury. The Eagles will be looking to bring in another safety now and worked out Terrell Skinner and Jamaal Fudge after practice today.

Amongst all the injury news, the Eagles also made one cut today, dropping punter Ken Parrish. Heading into camp, Parrish seemed like he had a decent shot of unseating Sav Rocca but clearly the coaches didn't see enough from him to make a change.

Mike Bell is officially an Eagle

There's a new backup running back in Philly.

Former Saints running back Mike Bell signed an offer sheet with the Eagles a week ago and New Orleans has declined to match, making Bell a Bird. The contract was for 1 year and 1.7 million and Bell figures to back up LeSean McCoy in the Eagles backfield.

A 4 year vet in the NFL with the Saints and Broncos, Bell brings experience and some nice size (6 foot, 225 pounds) to the Eagles. While he has never actually played a full season in the league, Bell did have a solid year for the Saints last year, rushing for 654 yards and 5 TD's.

While I'm not that excited about the move, especially considering Bell doesn't solve the Eagles short yardage woes, he's still an upgrade over Eldra Buckley. While the Eagles arguably could have drafted someone in the 4th round who was better than Buckley, I like the idea of having a veteran around to supplement Leonard Weaver just in case McCoy breaks down at some point in the year. I call it a nice signing for the Eagles; they got a decent back for a decent price.

Eagles sign RB Bell to offer sheet

The Eagles may have their backup running back: visiting free agent RB Mike Bell has signed an offer sheet. According to Adam Schefter, the Eagles have signed the restricted free agent to a 1 year, 1.7 million dollar contract. Because Bell is a restricted free agent, the Saints have 7 days to match the offer. Should the Saints decline to match it, there will be no compensation from the Eagles, meaning no draft picks have to change hands.

1.7 million for a backup RB is a pretty good deal but I wouldn't get too excited just yet. My initial guess is that the Saints will match the offer and leave the Eagles looking for another running back somewhere else. Even though Bell is the third string running back for the Saints, he would still be used enough in their offense to make him worth 1.7 million. Of course, the Saints might plan to draft another running back that they can sign for a cheaper rate and their loss would be the Eagles gain.

Eagles to meet with RB Mike Bell

The Eagles are clearly looking for a veteran backup running back. After meeting with Justin Fargas last week and letting him go without a contract, the Eagles have announced that they will meet with former Saints running back Mike Bell on Tuesday. Bell is a 4 year veteran with a career 4.0 yards per carry average who has also spent time with the Broncos.

Bell is a restricted free agent, meaning the Saints can match any contract offer made by the Eagles. If the Eagles sign him and the Saints refuse to match, the Eagles don't have to give them any compensation.

Bell is similar to Fargas in my book; he's had a few decent seasons but would be nothing more than an adequate backup. Bell has decent hands out of the backfield and almost has the size of a fullback so he should be able to get the tough yards up the middle. While the Eagles could likely find someone in the 4th round of the upcoming draft who is just as good as Bell, for the right price, he would make a nice backup.