It's time for Ajayi to go from complement to Eagles' offensive focal point

Brought over from the Miami Dolphins at the trade deadline in exchange for a 2018 fourth-round draft pick, running back Jay Ajayi was viewed as the final piece of the Philadelphia Eagles' championship puzzle.

Coming off a 1,272-yard season in 2016, he joined running backs LeGarrette Blount and Corey Clement in one of the league's top rushing attacks, behind MVP front-runner Carson Wentz and the wildly efficient Eagles' passing attack.

Used as a novelty item with just 50 total touches through five games in Philadelphia, it's time for Ajayi to rise above his backfield teammates and be the focal point of an offense with championship aspirations that's coming off the loss off its franchise quarterback to a season-ending knee injury.

Ajayi was used as a workhorse by the Dolphins this season, receiving at least 20 touches in four of seven games. That followed last season's trend, when Ajayi received an average of 22.7 touches per game over his final 11 regular-season games.

With low usage, Ajayi has raised his average yards per attempt from 3.4 with the Dolphins, to seven with the Eagles, though the number is being helped dramatically by long runs of 71, 46, and 30 yards.

Through 14 weeks, the Eagles rushing attack ranks second in the league in yards, tied for third in yards per attempts, and tied for 17th in touchdowns. Here's how the individuals have performed since Ajayi's Week 9 arrival:

Clement has seen the most work in the passing game, with Ajayi catching six of nine targets for 30 yards since landing in Philadelphia.

The Eagles already possess one of the league's most balanced offenses, passing the ball on 54.32 percent of offensive plays. The drop from Wentz, who was ranked as Pro Football Focus' No. 2 quarterback, to Nick Foles should see them lean even more heavily on the run.

Ajayi's 15 carries and 16 total touches against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 14 were his most with the Eagles, with eight of those carries coming in the fourth quarter, after Wentz had left the game.

Here's how the Eagles final three regular-season opponents have fared against the rush:

According to Football Outsiders' DVOA, the Giants, Raiders, and Cowboys rank 25th, 21st, and 27th, respectively, against the run.

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

Now, it's clear the Eagles haven't needed Ajayi to do any more than he has up to this point. Having paid such a low price for him and owing a pro-rated share of just $325,588 for this season and $705,000 in 2018, his small role hasn't affected anyone's view of the deadline deal.

But without an MVP quarterback under center and a finishing schedule conducive to the rushing game, it's time for the Eagles to focus on the 24-year-old and allow him to help them finish the season atop the NFC.

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