The Philadelphia area exploded on Monday once they heard the news former Penn State star Saquon Barkley agreed to a reported three-year, $37.75 million contract with the Eagles. Howie Roseman stepped way out of his comfort zone to acquire the former New York Giants’ running back, who could get up to $46.75 million, which includes $26 million fully guaranteed when he signed.

Now the hovering question looms: Was it worth it?

Was it worth it considering the Eagles are porous in their back seven, with multiple needs, which includes safety? Would Giants’ safety Xavier McKinney have filled that more important need, in the neediest area of the field for the Eagles? Instead, McKinney signed with the burgeoning Green Bay Packers, while the Eagles made the splashy move in signing a tailback who is a great locker room presence, a stand-up guy, who could easily be questioned that at 27 and six NFL seasons of wear and tear on his body if his best years are behind him?

In 2020 and 2021, he played a combined 15 games, battling nagging ankle and knee injuries. His explosive first step appeared to sag. He has rushed for over 1,000 yards once in the last four years, gaining 1,312 yards, though, ironically, missed the season finale in January 2023 against the Eagles with a high ankle sprain.

The Eagles were willing to let former St. Joseph’s Prep and Georgia star D’Andre Swift go to the Chicago Bears, after he outgained Barkley last year, 1,049 to 962. Over the last three years, Swift has rushed for 2,208 on 479 carries, averaging 4.60 yards a carry, while in that same time, Barkley rushed for 2,867 on 704 attempts, averaging 4.07 yards a carry. Barkley is a better pass protector, though Swift’s rushing success rate (rush gains of at least 40% of yards required on first down, 60% yards required on second down, and 100% on third and fourth downs denominator by is attempts) far exceeded Barkley, 54.1% success rate to Barkley’s 40.1 % rate.

Barkley is a better running back than Swift. He is bigger. He is also two years older. The Eagles will not hold back Barkley, as they held back Swift.

The Giants had one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL last season, but the Eagles will be entering this season with 40% of their offensive front playing new roles, with Cam Jurgens trying to replace future hall of fame center Jason Kelce, with the possibility of 2023 third-round draft pick Tyler Steen, out of Alabama, being inserted at right guard to replace Jurgens.

This was broached before. When New Heights podcast hosted a goodbye to Jason Kelce, JJ Watt told Kelce, “I do not miss lining up on the other side and having you point out exactly what blitz we were running and exactly where the pressure is coming from.”

Will Jurgens pick up those tendencies like Kelce did?

Early on, probably not.

The Eagles lost six of their last seven games—with Kelce.

It will take time for this new offensive front to coalesce—super coach Jeff Stoutland or no Jeff Stoutland.

The Eagles could have utilized that money in far more important areas than running back, and still retained Swift at a reasonable cost (three-year for $24 million/$15.4 million guaranteed). He was not used nowhere near as much as he should have been in 2023, catching 39 passes for 214 yards and a score in earning his first career Pro Bowl in 2023, while Barkley caught 41 passes for 280 yards and four touchdowns.

What will make Barkley a benefit is how new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore uses him. Moore likes using play action, and was highly successful with that while the Dallas’ OC. Under Brian Johnson, the Eagles were 27th in the NFL running play action and last in the NFL when it came to Jalen Hurts being under center.

Maybe there is a reason for that. Maybe Hurts is not best suited to running play action?

We will see this season.

The bottom line is this: Eagles’ management seems to have somehow forgot this team lost six of its last seven games and improved this week in an area of strength, while paying marginal attention to a glaring area of weakness (linebacker, safety, cornerback, defensive tackle depth). The 2023 Eagles were built to outscore teams, like it seems Roseman is trying to build the 2024 Eagles.

We know how that turned out the last time.

Joseph Santoliquito is a hall of fame, award-winning sportswriter based in the Philadelphia area who has written feature stories for SI.com, ESPN.com, NFL.com, MLB.com, Deadspin and The Philadelphia Inquirer/Daily News. In 2006, he was nominated for an Emmy Award for a special project piece for ESPN.com called “Love at First Beep.” He is most noted for his award-winning ESPN.com feature on high school wrestler A.J. Detwiler in February 2006, which appeared on SportsCenter. In 2015, he was elected president of the Boxing Writers Association of America.