After getting signed from the practice squad in October of last year and becoming a spark plug for the Eagles offense, Boston Scott quickly became a fan favorite.
He finished his 2019 campaign with 449 yards from scrimmage, finding the end zone a total of five times. Which includes his three touchdown performance in week 17 against the Giants, earning himself Offensive Player of the Week honors.
Over the final four weeks of the season, the most pivotal weeks of the season (all against divisional opponents), Scott had the third-most catches (23) of any running back in the league during that time. Only Christian McCaffrey (41) and Tarik Cohen (25) had more.
He did have some fumbling issues, coughing the ball up four times on 85 total touches. But all in all, there’s a lot to be encouraged about with Scott moving forward.
The fact that the front office didn’t bring in any other backs through free agency or the draft speaks to what they think of Scott. They clearly believe he can be a solid RB2 behind Miles Sanders, and it’s not hard to see why.
Scott has the classic Darren Sproles build and skill set. He’s small, standing at just 5-foot-6, and he brings a lot of versatility to his role. Doug Pederson absolutely loved getting Sproles involved in any way he could, and I imagine he has the same sort of feelings about Scott.
While Sanders proved during his rookie season that he can be a very reliable receiver out of the backfield, Pederson would probably prefer to keep him lined up in the backfield as much as possible. Scott, on the other hand, will probably get utilized like the Swiss army knife that he is.
Expect Scott to line up all over the formation this season. From the slot, to out wide, to his natural spot in the backfield. Scott could be a true matchup nightmare for opposing defenses if he’s used correctly. And I have supreme confidence Pederson will be able to exploit those matchups.
Scott plays with a chip on his shoulder. Even after his performance down the stretch last season, he’s well aware that there’s still a lot of work to be done. When he appeared on the “Eagle Eye” podcast a few weeks ago, it was obvious that he’s ready to build off what he put forth last season.
“Everything is earned. I know going into this next year, organizations are going to be able to game plan, organizations are going to be able break down the film,” Scott said. “So I know that, by no means, have I arrived. By no means have I made it. I gotta continue to work on my craft, continue to build on the things that I was able to do this past season moving forward and just continuing to build.”
That’s the type of stuff you love to hear as a fan. Scott has truly worked his way up from the bottom of the NFL totem poll. Not many players in this league can make a name for themselves after spending multiple seasons on practice squads.
I’m really excited to see what Scott can do given a full season of work. It’s too early to start calling him the next Sproles, but there’s no doubt Pederson will attempt to use him in the same fashion.