Philadelphia Eagles: Martell Mallett Making a Strong Push for Third RB

While watching the Eagles take on the Jaguars last Friday, Martell Mallett was one guy that really caught my eye.

Maybe it’s because he had more touches on offense then any other player, but I liked what I saw from Mallett when he got his hands on the ball.

In the game, Mallett accumulated 15 carries for 60 yards as well as three catches for 18 yards.

Although pass catching ability is looked at closely when you’re a running back for the Eagles, I really liked the way he carried the ball. He seems to have a nice combination of speed and power.

With Charles Scott being moved to fullback and J.J. Arrington being completely invisible, the third running back battle is coming down to Mallett and Eldra Buckley. Both are also being given a great opportunity to shine with Mike Bell missing so much time.

When he first joined the team, Mallett was an intriguing player. He had impressive film that earned him Rookie of the Year status in the CFL, but many (including myself) didn’t buy that much into it since it wasn’t the NFL.

However, his time in the CFL may have been very beneficial. Playing there allowed him to get a lot of live reps which he wouldn’t have been able to get if he landed on an NFL practice squad.

The battle between Mallet and Buckley will be something to keep a close eye on.

Mallett definitely made the most out of the reps he got last week.

It should be interesting to see if the Eagles give him as many opportunities to run the ball this week, or if they give Buckley extra reps.

Either way, I can only hope that both of them keep playing at a high level and continue to push each other to get better.