Murphy: A look at the Eagles' options at running back now that Kenjon Barner is gone

Kenjon Barner's signing with the Chargers, reported Monday night by ESPN, shines the light on a position that remains a big question mark for the Eagles.

The running-back position has been overshadowed by the Eagles' search for help at wide receiver and cornerback, and it probably pales in necessity to holes at defensive end and defensive tackle, but Doug Pederson and Co. learned last season how much of a liability it is to lack a dependable ball-carrier on first and second down and in short-yardage situations. By the end of the year, the Eagles depth chart featured a couple of undrafted rookies who had never before played in the NFL: Byron Marshall and Terrell Watson.

Logic suggests that liability will grow only more acute this season. While Wendell Smallwood finished the year with a respectable 4.1 yard-per-carry average on 77 rushes, his upright, straight-ahead running style seems a poor fit for his body type, which could be why he spent most of training camp and the end of the regular season sidelined with injuries. In Year 2, we could see a more aggressive, less tentative runner with better feel and vision, but the guy was a fifth-round pick for a reason. And, again, the hardest part of being an NFL running back is staying on the field. So that's part of it.

Speaking of which, Darren Sproles will be 34, and after carrying the ball 28 times in Weeks 7 and 8, he garnered just 35 carries over the rest of the season, posting 3.84 yards per attempt (YPA) in his final five games. Ryan Mathews is as good as gone, whether it is because of a neck injury that ended his 2016 season, or because he is healthy enough for the Eagles to cut, thus saving $4 million against the cap.

More than anything, the loss of Barner underscores the sheer lack of bodies the Eagles possess at the game's most physically destructive position. He earned a spot with strong training-camp performances in 2015 and 2016, but the Eagles never really figured out a unique role for him apart from backing up Sproles and returning kickoffs, though he posted a solid 30.8-yard average on nine returns in the latter department. Last year, he carried 27 times for 129 yards and two touchdowns (4.8 YPA) and caught five balls for 42 yards. In 2015, he carried 28 times for 124 yards and had nine receptions for 22 yards.

Still, Barner's departure leaves the Eagles with a depth chart of just Sproles and Smallwood. While they could be in striking distance to draft one of a couple of players regarded to have special talent — LSU's Leonard Fournette and Florida State's Dalvin Cook — doing so would mean squandering a chance to find a long-term solution for much more premium positions, whether that's cornerback, defensive end or wide receiver.

The Eagles almost have to sign somebody.

According to the NFLPA, the Eagles have $9.75 million worth of cap space. Though they'll need about $6.8 million to sign their allotted pool of draft picks, they also essentially have a $4 million credit that they will cash in at some point in the form of cutting Ryan Mathews, who apparently is still recovering from the neck injury he suffered and thus cannot be released per NFL rules.

In the meantime, there are all sorts of short-term measures they can take to accommodate the addition of another veteran or two (most recently, they converted a portion of Zach Ertz's salary into a roster bonus, temporarily freeing up a couple of million bucks).

The running-back market has been rather slow to develop. Apart from reclamation project Eddie Lacy, who will count $3.56 million against the Seahawks' cap, signings have been limited to third-down types. The Patriots' signing of former Bengal Rex Burkhead has the potential to look like a great value play at $3.15 million in 2017 cap space. Otherwise, Danny Woodhead, Jacquizz Rodgers, Lance Dunbar, C.J. Spiller and Andre Ellington all feature redundant skill sets from the Eagles' perspective. Which, again, was part of Barner's problem (along with his pass blocking).

The biggest names on the market who fit the Eagles' needs were Adrian Peterson and Latavius Murray, the latter of whom will replace the former in Minnesota. Murray, whom the Raiders spent three years attempting to replace despite solid numbers, was at least within the realm of possibility, given that he'd make some sense on a multi-year deal, which would've give the Eagles a chance to limit his 2017 cap hit.

That said, it generally does not make much fiscal sense to tap the free-agent market for anything other than a short-term deal with a near-minimum veteran, such as the Patriots did last year with LeGarrette Blount. In fact, Blount heads the list of backs who might be in line to accept the kind of deal the Eagles are in line to dole out (in theory, at least). Also on that list are Rashad Jennings, James Starks, and DeAngelo Williams, though each is at least 31 years old and two years removed from his last productive season.

One guy who might make some sense is former Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson, who had some productive moments in a rotational role for the Jaguars, including 2014, when he had a four-game stretch in which he averaged 18 carries and 97 yards per game.

Otherwise, you're looking at a bunch of guys who fell out of favor at their last stops despite varying degrees of talent: Karlos Williams, Tre Mason, Antonio Andrews, etc.

Frankly, trading Sproles for a late-round pick to spend his $4 million on a less-specialized player might make some sense. Whatever the case, the Eagles need somebody whom Carson Wentz can hand off to and feel reasonably confident that he can take advantage of whatever running room there is, particularly in late-game and must-have situations.