Eagles claim former 49ers RB Trey Sermon off waivers

The offseason just keeps getting better. If you thought Chauncey Gardner-Johnson was the icing on the cake, claiming Trey Sermon off waivers is the candle that sits on top. The Eagles did exactly that today, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Schefter noted that the teams discussed a potential trade last week. It appears as though Roseman’s patience paid off, as the Niners surprisingly cut the second-year running back on Tuesday.

Who is Trey Sermon?

Sermon was drafted in the third-round of the 2021 NFL Draft but had a disappointing stint in San Francisco. He started only two games, playing in 9, rushing for 167 yards and a touchdown. When the Niners drafted another third-round running back a few months ago, the writing on the wall became surprisingly apparent.

Trey Sermon added 39 rushing yards during the preseason, but even that didn’t appear to be enough to save a spot on the depth chart.

This is a low-risk, high-reward play for the Eagles. He’s never really been a dominant downhill runner and suffers from the same kind of weaknesses as Miles Sanders – decisiveness and vision. However, if you recall his Ohio State days, Sermon was a violent back who embraced pass-blocking and averaged 7.5 yards per carry in his final season.

The Eagles need a downhill back built like Jordan Howard, and the Niners couldn’t get the most out of the one they had. As far as a reclamation project goes, this will be an intriguing one to watch. Sermon has the frame and tools to be an adequate runner at the NFL level, but can he do so behind this Eagles offensive line, and more importantly, establish a role in this backfield?

 Leslie Plaza Johnson/Icon Sportswire