Wendell Smallwood, once buried on Eagles’ depth chart, is back in the running

The Eagles' plague of injuries at running back has been bad for Darren Sproles, Corey Clement, and Jay Ajayi, but it might have revived the career of Wendell Smallwood.

Smallwood, 24, was an afterthought coming out of the preseason; had rookie Josh Adams not been in and out with injuries, Smallwood might not have made the roster. He played all of one snap in the season opener, which began with Sproles, Clement and Ajayi healthy.

But Sproles, trying to heal a hamstring pull, hasn't played since the opener and won't play Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings, which is kind of how it goes for 35-year-old running backs. Clement played the Indianapolis game with a quadriceps injury that later got worse, keeping him out of last week's Tennessee game and making him officially "questionable" for Sunday. (Very questionable, given that Clement did not practice all week.)

Ajayi suffered what turned out to be a fracture in his back – the transverse process – Week 2 at Tampa. He is practicing and playing through it, maybe not quite getting the touches he would get if he were completely healthy.

Smallwood has stepped in with 22 carries the past three weeks, for 123 yards – 5.6 yards per carry — and a touchdown, plus seven catches for another 52 yards. An Eagles career has been revived after it seemed to be drifting away when Smallwood was inactive for the final six regular-season games last season, plus all three playoff games. His total carries went from 77 as a fifth-round rookie in 2016 to 47 last year.

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Eagles coach Doug Pederson said Friday that Smallwood got back on his radar during training camp and has stayed there.

"I thought his running style was — he was a little more aggressive. He's a physical guy. And quite honestly, probably had something to prove," Pederson said. "Maybe felt like there was a little heat on him. I think it's a great motivator for any athlete and player, and he responded. We have been encouraged with him. … We'll keep him coming."

It's an interesting twist that Smallwood, often ailing during his first two seasons, so far is the Eagles' healthiest back.

"I've been blessed to be able to stay healthy. … With guys being down, I've been given some opportunities. I've got to keep taking advantage of what I get," Smallwood said. "I can't always believe it's going to be there, so I've got to take advantage of what I've been given now."

Smallwood said the opportunities are "definitely more precious, being as how my last year ended. … I definitely appreciate things, even if it's the little things I'm getting. They mean so much to me."

He quantified his improvement as "knowing what's going on, being dialed in to the game plan, and being healthy."

Smallwood had some shaky moments in blitz pickup at Tennessee, once being directly responsible for a sack. But Pederson said this week that he is a willing blocker, even if he sometimes gets fooled.

"Sometimes we have miscommunications. That's the No. 1 thing. No technique can help, if you don't know what's going on," Smallwood said. "The communication part is the most important."

Eagles running backs coach Duce Staley isn't one to neglect blocking. It was something Staley took pride in during his playing career.

"He's huge on that. … We talk about blitz maybe 80 percent of the day," Smallwood said.

Todd Herremans played 10 solid seasons for the Eagles at guard and tackle after arriving in 2005 as a fourth-round draft pick from Saginaw Valley State. He finished his career with Indianapolis in 2015 but never officially retired. Herremans will take care of that detail Sunday, when he signs a ceremonial contract and retires as an Eagle, after serving as an honorary captain during the coin toss.

"This is kind of, I guess, wrapping it all up for me," Herremans, who turns 36 Oct. 13, said Friday. "To be honest, it just felt weird. The last contract I signed wasn't with the Eagles. … It just seems right to finish as an Eagle."

The Sports Business Daily reported that a federal court judge in New York ruled against Eagles tackle Lane Johnson in his attempt to reverse an arbitrator's decision to uphold Johnson's 2016 10-game PED suspension.

The point is largely moot, except that with four- and 10-game suspensions on his record, Johnson is facing a two-year ban if he ever again tests positive. If he could have gotten the decision reversed, he would have gone back to where he was before the second positive test.