In 1943, the Steelers and Eagles merged to form a team unofficially known as the Steagles as a way to deal with the number of players who were overseas fighting in World War II.
Seventy years later, they’ve come together again to swing a trade that the Steelers hope will help them cope with the loss of running back Le’Veon Bell to a foot injury.
The Eagles announced that they are sending running back Felix Jones to Pittsburgh in exchange for linebacker Adrian Robinson.
Jones was not expected to make the Eagles roster as he was running fourth on the depth chart behind LeSean McCoy, Bryce Brown and Chris Polk. In Pittsburgh, he’ll join Jonathan Dwyer, Isaac Redman, Baron Batch and LaRod Stephens-Howling among the healthy backs vying for snaps while Bell recovers from a sprained foot.
Jones’ performance with the Eagles this summer and with Dallas in the last couple of years doesn’t provide much confidence that he’s got a lot left in the tank, but the Steelers know what they have with Dwyer and Redman, in particular, and their feelings about that pair were made clear when they drafted Bell in the first place.
Robinson played 12 games with the Steelers last year after making the team as an undrafted free agent. He went to Temple, so the trade is something of a homecoming for Robinson. His ability to make an impact on special teams will likely determine how long the homecoming lasts.