Kenjon Barner credits Sproles for growth as all-around weapon

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A year on the Eagles' practice squad helped Kenjon Barner for two reasons.

It motivated him, and it educated him.

"It gives you drive, man," Barner said. "You want to play. You don't get to the NFL to sit down and watch other guys play, so it puts a chip on your shoulder. It also enabled me to learn under (Darren) Sproles, learn under (LeSean) McCoy, learn under those guys, and they taught me a lot. So it helped me develop much more as a football player and helped me take my game to another level."

Barner showed it off in Sunday's 36-10 preseason victory over the Colts. He scored two touchdowns, the first a 9-yard run and the second an electrifying 92-yard punt return.

Acquired from the Panthers last year, Barner was injured in the preseason and was cut before being signed to the practice squad. He watched Sproles return two punts for touchdowns and pile up 506 punt return yards, the second most in a season in team history behind Brian Mitchell, who had 567 in 2002.

"I stay in his back pocket. Wherever you see Sproles, you're going to see me," Barner said. "Whatever Sproles is doing, I'm doing. I've been able to have conversations with him about punt returns, kick returns, all these different things — and he's taught me a lot. So I credit a lot of where I am today to him because I've been able to sit under an 11-year vet and learn from him.

"I didn't understand that really as a rookie, getting with older guys and learning from them, but I understand that now. You have a guy who's been in this league 11 years — he has a lot of knowledge, a lot of wisdom that he can pass on to you. So your job is to put yourself in position to receive that knowledge and go out and do what you can."

Selected by the Panthers in the sixth round in 2013, Barner played in eight games as a rookie. He played only two percent of Carolina's offensive snaps and had 14 yards from scrimmage on eight touches.

The Eagles acquired him for a conditional seventh-round pick last year the day before the third preseason game. Against Pittsburgh two days later, he rushed seven times for 32 yards.

Not bad.

"I had no idea what I was doing. I was just out there playing," Barner said.

Before Sunday's game, Barner was out there catching kicks from Eagles punter Donnie Jones when Sproles advised him to watch Colts punter Pat McAfee warm up.

"So I went over there. I sat and watched," Barner said. "He asked me questions — which way is the ball coming down when it's on its descent? Which way is it going, to your right or left? Are you watching it off his foot? Are you doing this, are you doing that? So Sproles helped me out a great deal."

With 26 seconds left in the second quarter, McAfee launched a rocket that forced Barner to backpedal more than 10 yards and field it at his 8.

Barner withstood a shot from Colts safety Winston Guy, spun away from safety Dewey McDonald and juked running back Josh Robinson before the Eagles cleared a runway down the sideline.

McAfee averaged 56.0 gross yards per punt, but on this one he out-kicked his coverage.

"He definitely did," Barner said. "Throughout the game he was boomin' it. As a returner, that's what you want. You don't like those balls that are high up in the air, hanging. You want the punter to out-kick his coverage because now you know that you have more time to do what you need to do. My guys did a great job of blocking.

"Once I came around and got to the edge and I saw my guys out in front of me and saw them blocking, I felt pretty good about it."

With DeMarco Murray, Ryan Mathews and Sproles on the roster, Barner can't feel pretty good about his spot just yet. 

He is competing with running back Raheem Mostert, a rookie from Purdue who threw the final block for Barner on the punt return and shared a locker with him after the game. While Barner recorded the game's longest play, Mostert had the longest from scrimmage, a 40-yard catch-and-run. Also in the mix is Kevin Monangai, a rookie from Villanova who rushed six times for 11 yards.

But for now, it appears Barner has an edge. Or two.

One, he already has a rushing TD and a punt return TD. And two, he went to Oregon. 

"If he continues to perform like that," head coach Chip Kelly said, "we have to fit him in."

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