Jay Ajayi is getting a fresh start in Eagles camp this year, after joining the team in mideseason a year ago. He's looking forward to being "the guy," in the Eagles backfield, according to a story at philly.com. The history of Doug Pederson's offense in Philadelphia is that he's probably going to be disappointed.
Back in 2016 with the Dolphins, Ajayi was "the guy." He had 64 percent of the team's rushing attempts, which is the 9th-highest percentage by any running back over the last two years.
But he's joining a team that hasn't had that in either of the last two seasons. Two years in a row, Philadelphia is one of the few teams that hasn't had a single running back get more than 37 percent of the carries.
| RUNNING BACK, PERCENT OF TEAM (2016-2017) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | PctAtt | PctYds | PctTD |
| 2016 | Todd Gurley, L.A. | 74% | 71% | 67% |
| 2017 | LeVeon Bell, Pitt. | 73% | 77% | 75% |
| 2016 | David Johnson, Ariz. | 73% | 72% | 80% |
| 2017 | Melvin Gordon, LAC | 68% | 69% | 80% |
| 2017 | Kareem Hunt, K.C. | 67% | 70% | 67% |
| 2016 | Jordan Howard, Chi. | 66% | 76% | 60% |
| 2017 | Jordan Howard, Chi. | 65% | 63% | 69% |
| 2016 | Ezekiel Elliott, Dall. | 65% | 68% | 63% |
| 2016 | Jay Ajayi, Mia. | 64% | 70% | 57% |
| 2016 | Frank Gore, Ind. | 64% | 63% | 31% |
| 2016 | Melvin Gordon, S.D. | 64% | 66% | 100% |
| 2016 | LeVeon Bell, Pitt. | 64% | 72% | 54% |
| 2016 | LeGarrette Blount, N.E. | 62% | 62% | 95% |
| 2016 | DeMarco Murray, Tenn. | 62% | 59% | 56% |
| 2017 | Todd Gurley, LAR | 61% | 67% | 76% |
| 2017 | LeSean McCoy, Buff. | 59% | 56% | 50% |
| 2017 | Carlos Hyde, S.F. | 59% | 56% | 53% |
| 2016 | Lamar Miller, Hou. | 59% | 58% | 63% |
| 2017 | Frank Gore, Ind. | 58% | 58% | 27% |
| 2016 | Isaiah Crowell, Clev. | 57% | 56% | 54% |
| 2017 | Marshawn Lynch, Oak. | 56% | 57% | 54% |
| 2016 | Devonta Freeman, Atl. | 54% | 56% | 55% |
| 2017 | Isaiah Crowell, Clev. | 54% | 50% | 18% |
| 2017 | C.J. Anderson, Den. | 54% | 54% | 38% |
| 2017 | Lamar Miller, Hou. | 53% | 48% | 38% |
| 2016 | Terrance West, Balt. | 53% | 53% | 50% |
| 2016 | Matt Forte, NYJ | 52% | 45% | 70% |
| 2016 | Spencer Ware, K.C. | 52% | 53% | 20% |
| 2017 | Mark Ingram, N.O. | 52% | 54% | 52% |
| 2017 | Leonard Fournette, Jac. | 51% | 46% | 50% |
| 2016 | Mark Ingram, N.O. | 51% | 60% | 35% |
| 2017 | Ezekiel Elliott, Dall. | 50% | 45% | 39% |
| 2016 | Jeremy Hill, Cin. | 50% | 47% | 53% |
| 2016 | Jonathan Stewart, Car. | 48% | 45% | 56% |
| 2016 | LeSean McCoy, Buff. | 48% | 48% | 45% |
| 2016 | Carlos Hyde, S.F. | 47% | 49% | 40% |
| 2017 | Joe Mixon, Cin. | 47% | 46% | 67% |
| 2017 | Alex Collins, Balt. | 46% | 52% | 43% |
| 2017 | Devonta Freeman, Atl. | 46% | 47% | 58% |
| 2016 | Rashad Jennings, NYG | 45% | 42% | 50% |
| 2017 | Ameer Abdullah, Det. | 45% | 45% | 40% |
| 2016 | Latavius Murray, Oak. | 45% | 41% | 71% |
| 2016 | Robert Kelley, Wash. | 44% | 42% | 35% |
| 2017 | Samaje Perine, Wash. | 44% | 42% | 10% |
| 2017 | Orleans Darkwa, NYG | 43% | 48% | 83% |
| 2017 | Latavius Murray, Minn. | 43% | 43% | 53% |
| 2016 | Devontae Booker, Den. | 42% | 41% | 36% |
| 2016 | Jerick McKinnon, Minn. | 42% | 45% | 22% |
| 2017 | Bilal Powell, NYJ | 42% | 45% | 38% |
| 2017 | DeMarco Murray, Tenn. | 42% | 36% | 33% |
| 2017 | Jonathan Stewart, Car. | 40% | 32% | 40% |
| 2017 | Dion Lewis, N.E. | 40% | 47% | 38% |
| 2017 | Derrick Henry, Tenn. | 40% | 41% | 28% |
| 2017 | Jamaal Williams, G.B. | 40% | 32% | 31% |
| 2017 | Jay Ajayi, Mia. | 38% | 34% | 0% |
| 2017 | Kenyan Drake, Mia. | 37% | 46% | 75% |
| 2017 | LeGarrette Blount, Phil. | 37% | 36% | 22% |
| 2017 | Tevin Coleman, Atl. | 36% | 34% | 42% |
| 2017 | Doug Martin, T.B. | 35% | 28% | 38% |
| 2016 | Ryan Mathews, Phil. | 35% | 36% | 50% |
| 2017 | Javorius Allen, Balt. | 33% | 32% | 29% |
| 2016 | T.J. Yeldon, Jac. | 33% | 29% | 13% |
| 2016 | Tim Hightower, N.O. | 33% | 31% | 24% |
| 2016 | Matt Asiata, Minn. | 32% | 33% | 67% |
| 2016 | Doug Martin, T.B. | 32% | 26% | 38% |
| 2017 | Adrian Peterson, Ariz. | 32% | 32% | 33% |
| 2016 | Bilal Powell, NYJ | 31% | 40% | 30% |
| 2017 | Jerick McKinnon, Minn. | 30% | 29% | 20% |
| 2016 | Chris Ivory, Jac. | 30% | 27% | 38% |
Cropped the table at 30 percent in the interests of space. Now, with the two Eagles backs who do show up, Ryan Mathews and LeGarrette Blount, there were extenuating circumstances. Mathews had some injury issues, of course, while Blount has generally been a committee back in recent years, not a workhorse.
But the Eagles just won a Super Bowl using Blount, Ajayi and Corey Clement. They're apparently getting Darren Sproles back. There might even be another back (Matt Jones? Undrafted rookie Josh Adams?) in the mix to get some chances.
Ajayi may hope to be a workhorse, but he shouldn't be drafted as one. No reason to have any confidence the Eagles are going to make him "the guy" anymore than they have any other running back the last two years.
--Andy Richardson