Rams opponent weighs in with sage wisdom for his former teammate

It's tough to believe that the same running back who plays for the Philadelphia Eagles and just rolled up an Eagles franchise record for the most rushing yards in one game (255 yards) was once a tarnished and struggling player. But that is how running back Saquon Barkley's NFL career has gone. You see, the Philadelphia Eagles have done for Barkley what the Rams had done for tarnished quarterbacks Baker Mayfield and Carson Wentz.

Bakley is loving football once more, and his numbers show it. But unlike the Rams, who merely rented veteran quarterbacks for a portion of one season, the Eagles bet on Barkley, signing him to a huge multi-year contract that very much looks like a bargain. He has 1,392 rushing yards in 2024, and could top 2,100 yards by seasons end. It's mind-boggling to see that he has churned out 50 percent more rushing yards this season, despite fewer rushes.

But the LA Rams defense knows how good Barkley is. Seeing is believing, after all.

So there is a lot to be said about the team, the scheme, the culture, the coaches, the ownership, and the team when it comes to how well a player performs on the football field. And that is how fans and NFL general managers can sometimes be seduced into coveting a player who simply doesn't work out

The Rams must sort through that 'buyer's remorse,' issue right now.

For NFL teams, and fans, the desire to release players is simply a matter of Fantasy Football. The players are noting more than a stat sheet, and the goal is to collect the best ensemble of stats for any given NFL season. The problem is, we are talking about NFL players, their lives, and their families.

It's complete and utter upheaval. It's pulling up all roots, and trying to take root instantly in a new city, for a new team, for a new entourage of NFL fans. It's one of the most difficult things to do in your lifetime. Just ask anyone who served in the military.

So the message from former foe Saquon Barkley to his former teammate, quarterback Danial Jones, touched a part of me. As fans scramble to determine whether or not Daniel Jones could help their team, we may be missing the boat on how this upheaval impacts him as a person.

Saquon Barkley did not miss that aspect of Jones' situation.

As the lyrics to a former Jimmy Buffet song says:

"It (i)s those changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes
Nothing remains quite the same
With all of our running and all of our cunning
If we couldn(o)t laugh we would all go insane
"

- Jimmy Buffet, Changes In Latitudes

The Rams have had some success with restoring the love of football to tarnished quarterbacks. Should the front office give Daniel Jones' agent a call? I'll save that topic for another article. For now, it's enough to simply share that players are humans. Their pasts hint about their future, but by no means do those histories dictate what will be.

Sometimes, it comes down to feeling wanted and appreciated. I hope that QB Daniel Jones finds that.

As always, thanks for reading.

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