Smallwood Wants to Follow in Footsteps of Great Eagles Backs

"More of a complementary scat-back than bell-cow … 'tweener … lacking the ideal build of a running back."

Scouting reports don't think much of Wendell Smallwood's chances of one day becoming an every-down player for the Eagles based on size alone.

Smallwood was just about to head out to the field for his first NFL practice at rookie minicamp, but he had already heard enough of that.

"I definitely see myself as an every-down back," Smallwood said. "Most people don't know, I'm not little. Some people think I'm little, some people think I can't run in between the tackles, but I'm here to prove everyone wrong."

Smallwood is neither small nor slight at all. At 5-foot-10, 208 pounds, the fifth-round draft pick is hardly undersized, not even for a pro running back. He can certainly afford to add some muscle to his frame, and no doubt will now that football is his full-time job, but plenty of the league's top rushers have excelled despite similar stature.

A few Eagles legends spring to mind. LeSean McCoy, the franchise's all-time leading rusher. Frank Gore - we kid, but a Hall of Fame-caliber back with eight 1,000-yard seasons to his name nonetheless.

Or Brian Westbrook, the Eagles' all-time leader in yards from scrimmage, who the 22-year-old Smallwood grew up watching as an Eagles fan in Wilmington, Delaware, and patterns his game after to this day.

Philadelphia Eagles

Complete coverage of the Philadelphia Eagles and their NFL rivals from NBC Sports Philadelphia.

Why Jeff Lurie has no problem with Jalen Hurts' stoic demeanor 

A look at the 11 Eagles free agents who haven't found jobs yet

"I've been watching Brian Westbrook since he was here," Smallwood said. "I was just watching his highlights yesterday at the rookie dinner we had. He ran hard and that's a guy I want to model my game after."

Running hard wasn't an issue for Smallwood at West Virginia, where he carried 238 times and led the Big 12 with 1,519 yards on the ground as a junior in 2015. If he is going to become an every-down back in the NFL, however, he must prove he's also a well-rounded player.

One skill he must continue to develop is catching the ball out of the backfield. Smallwood did flash ability as a receiver in college, hauling in 68 passes for 618 yards in three seasons. Still, there's room to grow.

"That's the thing I've been trying to work on, catching after practice and stuff like that, because it's very important for me to catch the ball as well as I run the ball," he said.

But the area that could really determine whether Smallwood can stay the field - and where he's most in need of improvement - is in pass protection. McCoy, Gore and Westbrook all are or were tremendous blockers, not merely for their size, but among the best at their position.

Smallwood admits he was only "very average" in protection at West Virginia, although recognition apparently wasn't the problem. He's able to read the defense and spot a blitzer coming, yet was prone to breakdowns in technique or fundamentals.

"Seeing it early before it happens is real important for me with the blitzes, instead of catching me off guard and me having to run," Smallwood said.

"I just need to have a better attitude towards it. [What] helped me was knowing where it was coming from, so I was kind of lazy about it, but I think just attacking those blitzers and being more focused, having a great attitude and bringing force when I pick up a blitz, I think that's gonna help me in this league."

Whether Smallwood can become a plus-protector remains to be seen, as it's often the most challenging job for young backs to perfect. Should he ever clean up that aspect of his game, he just may be able to follow in the footsteps of McCoy, Westbrook and Duce Staley, some of the great Eagles to carry and catch the football in the West Coast offense.

Those backs were the complete package and therefore an ideal fit for longtime Eagles head coach Andy Reid's offense. Now Smallwood will take aim at mirroring their roles under Doug Pederson, a Reid disciple.

"I definitely think a back needs to be able to do it all in this league now," Smallwood said. "So I definitely think I complement this offense."

Copyright CSNPhily
Contact Us