This Eagles-Bengals Trade Involving Joe Mixon Would Give Carson Wentz the Running Game Support He Needs

Remember the days of Brian Westbrook and LeSean McCoy, Eagles fans? Philadelphia boasted one of the most balanced offensive attacks when they were able to run the ball successfully.

Sadly, the Eagles have gotten away from that in recent years. They haven't had a 1,000-yard rusher since Chip Kelly traded McCoy to the Bills before the 2015 season and they've had FIVE different starting running backs since then: DeMarco Murray, Ryan Mathews, LeGarrette Blount, Josh Adams and Miles Sanders.

While Sanders should be the future in Philly's backfield, he's not exactly a downhill runner. He's more of a hybrid back, as evidenced by his 179 rushing attempts and 50 receptions his rookie season. He possesses speed and explosiveness, but his vision needs some work and he lacks power.

So why shouldn't the Eagles consider pairing the former Penn State star with Joe Mixon? After all, Philly was interested in drafting him back in 2017.

According to reports, the Bengals running back is considering holding out if he doesn't get a contract extension. If that's the case, it's hard to believe Cincinnati wants to deal with that kind of headache after they welcome likely No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow to town.

The Bengals still have Giovanni Bernard, Trayveon Williams and Rodney Anderson to work with on the depth chart. The latter two just finished their rookie seasons and have a lot of potential. As for Bernard, he's a veteran who has proven the ability to carry the load.

Philly should pick up the phone and explore a trade. This reminds us of the time the Eagles acquired Jay Ajayi from the Dolphins back in 2017. While Ajayi had a bit less experience, he was a still a Pro Bowl rusher who logged over 1,200 rushing yards and eight touchdowns the season prior. Howie Roseman got him for a fourth-round pick. A third-rounder should do the trick here even though it seems like a high price. Mixon is entering a contract year and wants big money, but he could be willing to play out the season with a contender before hitting free agency. Perhaps the Eagles coax him into signing an extension with the prospect of playing alongside Carson Wentz and a stacked offensive line for the foreseeable future.

Head coach Doug Pederson can get creative with his packages if he has Mixon and Sanders to work with. After all, last season Sanders split time with Jordan Howard and Boston Scott even got his hands on the ball a lot. Mixon and Sanders would be a great change-of-pace 1-2 punch the Eagles should consider if the Bengals are willing to trade their young running back.