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Oklahoma RB Rodney Anderson’s injury misfortune could make him an undrafted bargain for the Eagles

The Eagles have had pretty good luck with undrafted running backs the last two years, finding Corey Clement and Josh Adams. Could Oklahoma's Rodney Anderson make it three in a row?

The Eagles have had pretty good luck with undrafted running backs the last two years, finding Corey Clement and Josh Adams. Could Oklahoma's Rodney Anderson make it three in a row?
The Eagles have had pretty good luck with undrafted running backs the last two years, finding Corey Clement and Josh Adams. Could Oklahoma's Rodney Anderson make it three in a row?Read moreSue Ogrocki / AP

Rodney Anderson spent the first 10 minutes of his interview session with the media at the NFL scouting combine last week answering questions,

Not about the three major injuries that limited the 6-1, 224-pound running back to 200 carries in four seasons at Oklahoma, not about why he decided to skip his final year of eligibility or where he thought he might go in the draft, but about his teammate Kyler Murray.

Were you surprised when Kyler picked football over baseball?

Do you think he should be the first pick in the draft?

How fast is he?

Were you surprised when he was measured at 5-10 1/8?

As a running back, how do you adjust to playing with a guy who could take off at any second?

Truth is, Anderson didn’t get to play much with Murray. He tore his ACL in Oklahoma’s second game last year, which was Murray’s only season as OU’s starting quarterback.

The ACL tear was preceded by a neck injury – to the C5 vertabra -- in 2016, which was preceded by a broken fibula in 2015. Other than that, he’s been the picture of health.

“The stuff that’s happened has been unfortunate,’’ Anderson said. “But at the end of the day, it’s a rough sport. Things happen. In my case, three completely unrelated injuries. Sounds like bad luck to me.’’

Very, very bad luck.

Anderson managed to play just one full season at Oklahoma. He averaged 6.2 yards per carry and scored 13 rushing touchdowns in 2017. He also averaged 16.5 yards per catch with five receiving touchdowns that year.

NFL scouts agree that he has first- or second-round talent. But his injury history is going to move him down, and maybe even out, of the draft next month. That could be a very good thing for the Eagles, who have shown a fondness lately for signing undrafted free-agent running backs.

They signed Corey Clement after the 2017 draft, and signed Josh Adams after he went unclaimed last April.

Clement helped the Eagles beat the Patriots in Super Bowl LII as a rookie, and Adams led the Eagles in rushing last year, though he got just one carry in the playoffs.

“We won a championship with a rotational system [at running back],’’ Eagles coach Doug Pederson said. “You look at a lot of teams around the league, they’re usually a two-back type of operation.

“Whether it’s another veteran free agent or through the draft, those are things we’re going to explore in the next few months.’’

Anderson would look good in midnight green. His run-catch versatility makes him a good fit for Pederson’s offense. He is a smart, patient runner with a good blend of power and speed.

Anderson had a formal interview with the Eagles at the combine, but that doesn’t necessarily mean a whole lot since teams are allowed to sit down with 60 of the 337 prospects.

He didn’t run at the combine, participating in only the 225 bench press. His 25 reps were the third most among running backs, behind only Kansas State’s Alex Barnes (34) and Georgia’s Elijah Holyfield (26).

He won’t run at Oklahoma’s pro day next week either, but he said he might participate in some drills for scouts at some point in April before the draft.

“I’m being really conservative because I want to be 100 percent for the start of the season,’’ Anderson said. “That’s my first priority for whatever team picks me up.’’

The catch-22 there, however, is if he doesn’t run, it’s going to definitely hurt his chances of getting drafted.

Anderson had a year of college eligibility left, but given the three injuries he already had suffered, and the fact that he already has his undergraduate degree (in social science) and is halfway to his master’s, he felt it was time to move on.

“I played a good season of football,’’ he said of 2017. “I was hoping to play another good season of football last year, but that didn’t work out. I just felt I was ready from a physical standpoint to make the leap.’’

“He’s a really talented runner,’’ said NFL Network analyst Charles Davis. “His biggest issue is going to be how teams feel about him medically with those three injuries and the limited amount he played.

“Running backs already have short careers. If they have injury issues, it’s even shorter. You’re seeing that with the other guy in Philly [Jay Ajayi]. He came into the league with [injury] questions, and then tore his ACL last year.’’

Ajayi, who already had an arthritic knee before tearing his ACL last year, will be a free agent next week. The chances of the Eagles bringing him back seem slim.

Anderson arrived at Oklahoma as a prized recruit, only to have injuries wipe out most of his career there. He hopes his luck is better at the next level.

“I’ve been talking to a lot of teams,’’ he said. “With each one, I just let them know that my rehab has been going great and that there’s been no drop-off in my strength or my flexibility or anything like that. I’ve got all my quad strength back. I let them know I’m going to be 100 percent at the start of the season.

“It’s easy to fall into the whole why-me thing. But I don’t let myself do that. It’s a tough sport I signed up for. I know how it can go. All you can do is just fight back, be resilient and persevere.’’