Kenny Gainwell Shaping Up as Complement to Miles Sanders

PHILADELPHIA - Miles Sanders is the best runner on the Eagles and that particular competition isn't really close.

The other aspects of the running back position are still a work in progress for the third-year explosive back, something that has Nick Sirianni and assistant head coach/running backs Jemal Singleton moving toward a committee approach as the 2021 regular season grows near.

Although not asked to catch the football all that much in college at Penn State, Sanders showed a natural affinity toward it as a rookie, amassing 50 receptions and three touchdowns in 2019.

Those numbers plummeted last season, however, and Sanders has again struggled as a receiver in training camp, dropping at least five passes according to the unofficial SI.com Eagle Maven count.

Sanders' troubles, which Sirianni has confirmed, have opened the door for others to be the third-down back, most notably Boston Scott and rookie Kenny Gainwell, the latter a receiving prodigy during his one season at the University of Memphis.

“He's working at it because he knows he has to continue to improve there,” Sirianni said when discussing Sanders' rough patch when catching the football. “So I love the fact that he's doing that. We've seen Miles drop a couple. Off-angle routes are really where we've really seen it, and that's coming back in and looking at the quarterback and the angle that it's coming through. So we're just trying to simulate that as much as possible.”

Sanders is often seen on the sidelines working with the Jugs machine or having an assistant throw bad balls purposefully but the tracking of the angle routes seems to be the hurdle.

“I’m just trying to get better at it,” Sanders said earlier in camp. “Get back to how I was my rookie year, just be consistent and confident catching the ball.”

Sanders admitted Sunday that receiving is part of the game that comes more naturally to Gainwell.

“He probably has the best hands in the room, I’m not afraid to say that,” said Sanders. “He has very natural hands. He practices without gloves, just to make it easier on him when he does put gloves on. I like that. Just making me work 10 times harder.”

After 15 practices in training camp, the committee looks to be led by Sanders with between-the-tackles option Jordan Howard, along with Scott and/or Gainwell getting involved.

From a talent perspective, having Sanders as the first- and second-down runner with Gainwell as the third-down and split receiving options for Sirianni, Howard the short-yardage specialist, and Scott the jack-of-all-trades fill-in seems like the template the Philadelphia coaching staff will be chasing.

Whether Gainwell, who opted out of the 2020 college season due to COVID-19, is up to speed early in the season to garner significant playing time remains to be seen but the progress had been steady in camp.

“I love his game,” Sanders remarked of Gainwell when talking with reporters before Sunday's Henri-affected indoor practice. “You guys have seen he fits perfectly in this offense. Those are the types of backs that are (having) long careers in this league right now, being able to catch the ball anywhere, whether it’s outside the backfield, in the slot, and he’s doing both.

"His ability to run the ball too is pretty good. I’m definitely impressed with him and I like the approach that he’s taken, just really keeping his head down, picking everybody’s brains, staying to himself, and just working every day and trying to get better. He even gets me better.”

Having complementary pieces is important for Sirianni, who wants an Austin Ekeler- or Nyheim Hines-like back with the Eagles.

“I think I've always been - and especially in that room, piecemeal it together," the coach said.

And Sanders is open to letting Gainwell help with the workload.

“He’s ready to get better each and every single day," Sanders said of the rookie. "Like, he’s always writing notes, he’s always asking questions, he’s not afraid to ask questions and that’s kind of how I was [as a rookie].

"I was still quiet but I also was just trying to make sure I’m doing my job the best way I could do it. I told him, ‘When you got a question, bro, just ask, because the worst thing is if you’re going out there and just messing up and having no clue what to do.'"

John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's EagleMaven 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 both PhillyVoice.com and YouTube. John is also the host of his own show "Extending the Play" on AM1490 in South Jersey. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen

Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Eagle Maven and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglemaven.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.