Just a few days after the Eagles traded a fourth round pick to the Dophins for Jay Ajayi, the 24-year-old running back led the team in rushing in a blowout win against the Broncos.
He had eight carries for 77 yards and a big touchdown — his first of the year — but it wasn’t supposed to be that way.
The plan was to dip his feet in the water to get him some action in the Eagles scheme, and eventually slide him into the running back rotation behind LeGarrette Blount.
But after their bye week, head coach Doug Pederson seems to have a new plan.
“We’ll just continue to grow his package,” Pederson told the media Wednesday, “and grow the amount of plays and everything that he’s doing with our offense and continue to keep him coming.”
Blount is currently the leader in the clubhouse for rushing, and the Eagles seem eager to continue to use their rotation that also boasts Corey Clement, Wendell Smallwood and Kenjon Barner.
Smallwood is likely the odd man out Sunday in Dallas, and Barner is the Eagles’ primary returner. That means carries will be split between Clement, Blount and Ajayi.
“He’s come in here and he’s proven to pick up our system,” Pederson said. “He’s a smart guy. We saw it the first couple of days he was here and it carried over into the game against the Broncos. And we’ll just keep increasing his role just a little bit.”
The week away helped indoctinate Ajayi into the Eagles system, making it perfect timing for the former Fins’ star to find his way into starting line ups across fantasy leagues this week against a Cowboys team expected to be without run-stuffing linebacker Sean Lee in Week 11.
“It slowed down,” Pederson said reflecting on the week off. “A little more teaching and he can go back and even watch the Denver game and take personally himself, to have some takeaways from that game. Again, this is a veteran player who has played and understands football.”
