Ryan Matthews Not About To Get Overlooked
By Ed Benkin
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Eagles made big news in the backfield in the off-season with the trade of LeSean McCoy and the signing of DeMarco Murray.
Then there's that "other" back the Eagles signed.
Ryan Matthews came to the Eagles after spending his first five seasons in San Diego. It was a tenure filled with both highlight-reel runs and season-ending injuries. After suffering a pair of injuries in 2014 which wiped out most of his season, the Chargers decided to part ways with the running back. The Eagles brought Matthews to Philadelphia with the hope of a healthier season for the former first-round pick. Is Matthews motivated to show he belongs in the spotlight despite having Murray in the same backfield?
"I just want to help the team win," said Matthews.
Matthews is taking the team-first approach, but he is likely motivated to prove his doubters wrong. When healthy, Matthews was an electrifying back in San Diego. Matthews rushed for 4,061 yards during his days with the Chargers while catching 146 passes. Matthews also rushed for 23 touchdowns, and could certainly make a similar impact with the Eagles.
If he stays healthy.
"There's a lot of weapons," Matthews said. "There's a lot of playmakers on the team. We've all just got to do our part within the system. If we can do that, I think we'll accomplish what we need to accomplish."
Offensive Coordinator Pat Shurmur has been a fan of Matthews ever since his days at Fresno State. He believes the versatile Matthews will make his share of big plays throughout the season even with Murray as the main option in the backfield.
"I had a little smile on my face when he came here," said Shurmur. "I've always kind of appreciated what he is as a player. He's shown out there that he's a real solid, sturdy guy. He has really good vision and he catches the ball well and he does a good job in pass protection. We're really fortunate to have him."
Matthews expects to get his share of carries despite Murray's reputation for getting a heavy workload. Matthews believes the offense has plenty of weapons and believes everyone will contribute this season.
"It's going to be exciting," Matthews said. "We can't wait, but only time will tell. We just have to keep working hard out here and just keep getting better."
The Eagles will practice at NovaCare again on Saturday, then hold another open practice at the Linc on Sunday.
