Saquon Barkley Expected to Return for Eagles vs. Cowboys

Eagles fans finally get some good news. Saquon Barkley is expected to return to practice Thursday from his hamstring injury and is in line to play Monday night against the Dallas Cowboys, sources told NFL Network's Mike Garafolo, as reported by ESPN.

Barkley left early in the first quarter of the Week 4 loss to the Los Angeles Rams and has missed the last two games. Philadelphia has lost four straight and sits at 2-4, and the offense is running without Jalen Hurts, who is out for the season with blood clots in his lungs.

The Eagles were down to RB4

It got thin in that backfield. With Barkley, Tank Bigsby (abdomen) and Will Shipley (foot) all hurt, the Eagles were down to their fourth-string running back, Dameon Pierce, in last week's 25-14 home loss to the Carolina Panthers. Bigsby and Shipley remain on injured reserve, so Barkley walks right back into the lead role.

The run game needs him badly. Philadelphia ranks 29th in rushing yards per game at 82.2. Barkley has appeared in four games this season and has 36 carries for 182 yards, good for 5.1 yards per attempt. If you have been watching this offense try to move the ball without Hurts, you know a healthy Saquon changes the whole feel of it.

The line is still a problem

Barkley alone does not fix everything. The offensive line has been missing three of its five original starters: Lane Johnson retired, Cam Jurgens was traded and Landon Dickerson is out with a knee injury. That group has not been nearly as stout as usual in the run game or in pass protection. Eagles fans used to bullying teams up front are watching a very different unit this fall.

There is some help coming on defense, maybe. Edge rushers Nolan Smith (concussion), Jalyx Hunt (knee/ankle) and Jonathan Greenard (ankle) are all banged up. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said he was hopeful Greenard could play against Dallas and called it "possible" that Hunt plays, depending on how practice goes this week.

Cowboys come to the Linc on Monday

Dallas visits Lincoln Financial Field on Monday night, Oct. 26, with a chance to pile on a struggling rival. For Philly fans, the first thing to watch is simple: does Barkley actually practice Thursday, and how much does he do?

Smacktok pick: lean higher on Barkley's carries Monday against Dallas if he practices as expected. Bigsby and Shipley are both on injured reserve, so there is nobody else to split the work with.