Eagles notebook: Saquon's appreciation for Jacobs, Covey's role and more

Saquon Barkley was obviously thrilled this offseason when he signed a near top-of-the-market deal to join the Eagles.

He was really happy when Josh Jacobs got paid too.

“Yeah, for sure,” Barkley said this week. “When we both were getting tagged, we had conversations. We had talks. I think he got what he deserves and to be honest, I think he deserves even more. He’s a heck of a player. Hopefully, him, myself, all the other backs can continue to stay healthy and play well and just diminish that notion that backs shouldn’t get paid.”

Barkley and Jacobs will begin the second chapters of their respective careers on Friday night in São Paulo when the Eagles play host to the Packers. Barkley and Jacobs are on different teams but they were kind of on the same team last year: Team Get the Running Backs Paid.

Both Barkley and Jacobs played the 2023 season on a franchise tag — Barkley with the Giants and Jacobs with the Raiders — and then both had down seasons by their own high standards.

Buts still both got paid.

Barkley signed a three-year, $37.75 million deal ($12.58 million per season) with the Eagles and Jacobs signed a four-year, $48 million deal ($12 million per season) with the Packers. Those contracts put the pair of two-time Pro Bowlers among the top five of highest-paid running backs in the NFL by APY.

There’s now doubt that Barkley has an appreciation for Jacobs’ game.

“Yeah, big fan of Josh. Really big fan of Josh, actually,” Barkley said. “I love watching backs. Josh Jacobs is one of my favorite backs to watch. I think he’s a really good back, he runs the ball really hard. He presents a tough challenge for our defense. But that’s what our job was this offseason, going against guys like me, Kenny (Gainwell) and Will (Shipley) and Ty (Davis-Price) every single day. 

“I think we gotta be locked in and ready because he’s definitely going to be a focal point of the offense and he can take over a game. He’s definitely somebody we’ve got to be able to stop.”

Covey’s role in the locker room

For the last two seasons, Britain Covey has been a popular guy in the Eagles’ locker room and in the receiver meeting room. Part of his role is to lighten the mood and he does that with aplomb.

Star receiver DeVonta Smith recently handed out a big compliment to Covey.

“He’s the light of the room,” Smith said. “In the room, he’s always the guy keeping the spirits up, no matter if anybody is having a bad day, he’s going to be the guy to make sure that everybody in the room is having fun. Whoever it is who may be down a day, he doesn’t continue to let them feel that way.”

From the outside, Smith and Covey are very different. One was a Heisman Trophy winner and early first-round pick. The other was an undrafted rookie a few years ago and finally made the 53-man roster out of training camp for the first time in 2024.

But Smith and Covey are close. Aside from both being fathers to young children, they’re two of the smallest players on the team. They joke about that a lot.

“He probably weighs a little more than me so I consider myself the smallest guy,” Smith said.

Away from New York

Barkley spent the first six years of his career with the Giants, running behind plenty of subpar offensive lines.

So even one of the guys who was blocking for him in New York was thrilled when he heard Barkley was leaving for (literally) greener pastures.

“I was so happy for him,” offensive lineman Nick Gates said. “I was like, ‘Finally now he has a good offensive line’ and good guys he can run behind.”

That means even more coming from a guy who started 29 games for the Giants at guard and center from 2019-23. Even Gates, who is on the Eagles’ practice squad, knows how much better this offensive line should be than the ones Barkley ran behind before.

Barkley was a two-time Pro Bowler with the Giants and despite being the focal point of the offense, has had some really great seasons.

“Saquon is awesome to block for,” Gates said. “You give him just a tiny hole and he can hit it and he can be out the front door and be gone. Even if you mess up a play, he can turn it into a big play for you. It’s awesome. I love blocking for Saquon and I love Saquon as a human and a person. He’s a good teammate too. He’s an awesome player.”

A confident BVS

Last Tuesday, Ben VanSumeren’s phone never rang. He never expected it to.

And that’s how he found out he made the Eagles’ 53-man roster.

“I didn’t get the call to come in so that’s really what it was,” VanSumeren said. “I figured that and I was confident going into the day that I wouldn’t be getting any calls. It was just a chill day.”

Last year, VanSumeren was waived at final cuts as an undrafted rookie out of Michigan State. But eventually he worked his way up from the practice squad, played in nine games and became a special teams ace.

He was way more confident about his standing entering this year’s cut-down day.

“It was a different feeling than last year for sure,” VanSumeren said. “Just feel like you get confident in your role and where you fit in on the team. This year was different than last because I felt like I could understand that more and the way that I played through training camp and this offseason, I feel like was different more so than last year. I feel much more advanced than I was last year this time.”

The Eagles have really shaken up their linebacker room from last season but there are plenty of players ahead of VanSumeren on the depth chart. That means his role — for the second straight year — is going to be playing special teams.

It’s a role he relishes.

“If there’s a play that I don’t make on special teams, I feel like that’s on me,” he said. “I feel like I should make every play on special teams. That’s my mindset with it. I’ve been playing special teams for a while and I want to excel and be seen as one of the best around the league in that role.”

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