Eagles' Boston Scott Taking The Baton in RB Room: 'In This Together'
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PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia Eagles running back Boston Scott's rookie season in the NFL started out as a storybook and quickly turned into a whirlwind.
The Baton Rouge native was drafted by his "hometown" team, the New Orleans Saints back in 2018 and he made the initial 53-man roster as a sixth-round selection.
You won't find initial next to the word final in any Thesaurus, however, and the moment Scott got to breathe a little bit as a professional player was followed by a trip to the waiver wire before things ultimately settled down when the 5-6 Lousiana Tech product went unclaimed.
Scott was quickly re-signed to the Saints practice squad but he finished his rookie season in Philadelphia.
That's because Scott was offered a spot on the Eagles' 53-man roster in December and when New Orleans couldn't offer the same, the Southern Boy headed north and hasn't looked back since.
When Scott first arrived in Philadelphia he found a life raft in the similarly sized and powerful Darren Sproles, by then a veteran do-it-all type of back that was among the most well-regarded players in the NFL, never mind the Eagles locker room.
Fast forward five years and Scott finds himself as the elder statesman of the RB room after re-signing on a one-year deal in the offseason.
“Just yesterday, I feel like I was asking Sproles and seeking wisdom from him,” Scott said. “Now I just try and be available to the guys in any way I can."
With former lead back Miles Sanders now in Carolina, the "guys" are incumbents Kenny Gainwell, Trey Sermon, and Kennedy Brooks, along with trade pickup D'Andre Swift and free-agent signing Rashaad Penny.
The odds are that Swift and/or the talented but oft-injured Penny will ultimately earn lead-back status with Gainwell as the longshot. Scott will likely settle into his Old Faithful-like role of sure to produce when called upon, especially when the New York Giants are on the schedule.
Last season Scott rushed for 217 yards at 4.0 yards per pop with three touchdowns, two of which were against the New York Giants, the team he's tortured over the years. Of Scott's 17 career touchdowns, 10 have come against the Giants prompting one reporter to ask if New York tried to sign Scott in free agency.
"I can't talk about that," Scott smiled. "That's confidential."
Philadelphia, on the other hand, has become comfortable.
"Familiarity with the system. I think it's a great system," Scott said when asked why he chose to re-sign. "I love the guys around here, the city of Philadelphia has definitely treated me well. And I have a lot of love for the people around in this building. It's a good -- a great -- organization.
"It starts from the top to the bottom. The coaches and staff really care about the players and I wanted to come back and we'll see what happens but this place has been special to me so here I am."
Here is the elder statesman of Jemal Singleton's running back corps, a valuable role player and the team's top returning kickoff returner, averaging 27.2 yards per return last season, including a 66-yard run back against -- you guessed it -- the Giants.
That last part of the job description has lost a little luster, however, after NFL owners approved a measure from the league’s competition committee that puts the ball on the 25-yard line if a fair catch is called.
Scott didn't mince words calling the new rule "dumb."
“I’m not a fan of it,” Scott said. “I feel like it takes away from the excitement of the game. Whatever happens, will happen. We’re going to deal with it. I think it’ll come with different types of kicks and adjusting to that. We’re going to have to be ready for the different situations that have probably come from that type of situation. We kind of have an idea."
While Scott isn't one of the headliners on what is a star-laden team, he's become invaluable.
"You probably can't win with 53 Boston Scotts," a team source said when describing the sixth-year pro, "but you can't win without one," a sentiment perhaps best explained by Scott's desire to help his peers.
"I want to make them the best players that they can be because we’re in this together," Scott said. "Whatever label they put on me, whether as leader, teammate, or whatever, it doesn’t matter. "Whatever role I have in that room, I will be the best I can at it.”
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-John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's Eagles Today and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Media. You can listen to John, alongside legendary sports-talk host Jody McDonald every morning from 8-10 on ‘Birds 365,” streaming live on YouTube. John is also the host of his own show "Football 24/7 and a daily contributor to ESPN South Jersey. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen
