As fun as this Saquon Barkley revenge tour has been, it isn’t the first time we have seen the Eagles raid the Giants’ cupboard.
The Philadelphia Eagles have dominated the feud for a couple of decades. It doesn’t matter. The old-school Birds fan living in most of us has never lost the angst we feel when the New York Giants are mentioned.
You may have heard. Saquon Barkley landed with Philly during the offseason. Fuel was added to this rivalry’s fire. We’ve had one heck of a time reminding the G-Men how dumb they were to lose him.
We’ve seen players leave the nest and wind up in Gotham. Guys like Norm Snead, Connor Barwin, Carlos Emmons, Patrick Johnson, and Cullen Jenkins come to mind, but Mr. Barkley is enjoying a dream season.
That sparked an idea. We thought we’d explore the other angle. More than 100 players have suited up for both the Birds and G-Men. We dug up the guys who left Big Blue to set up shop with the Birds.
After all, the Saquon Barkley acquisition may prove to be the most iconic but it isn’t the first time Philly pulled a fast one on New York. Here’s more on that and a few other defections that you may find interesting in no particular order.
Also read: The 15 best pass rushers in the history of the Philadelphia Eagles
Saquon Barkley
Giants tenure: 2018-23
Eagles tenure: 2024-present
Seeing Saquon Barkley operating in the Eagles offense makes us wonder how good he’d be had he played in Philly for the duration of his career. He is on pace to break the single-season rushing record and is assured of both Pro Bowl and All-Pro nominations. Might an MVP trophy also be in the discussion?
Jack Hinkle
Giants tenure: 1940
Eagles tenure: 1941-47
After only three games, Jack Hinkle was cut from the Giants roster for arguing with then-head coach Steve Owen. He’s later sign with the American Football League in 1941. That season ended, just in time for him to join the Eagles.
He played in Philly’s last game of the season that year vs. future NFC East rival Washington. He remained in Philly through 1947.
He ran the ball three times in New York. 23 yards rushing was the result. In six years with Philly, he notched 1,067 yards and five TDs on 238 career carries.
Lane Howell
Giants tenure: 1963-64
Eagles tenure: 1965-69
Much has changed since Lane Howell joined the Eagles in 1965. They didn’t keep track of many stats, and being the 209th selection in the 1963 NFL Draft made Howell a 15th-rounder.
He played at Grambling under the legendary Eddie Robinson who coached the Tigers football team from 1941-97 and its basketball team from 1643-56. Howell was an offensive tackle who stood at six-foot-five and tipped the scales at 257 pounds.
His career spanned 91 games. He started 21 of them. That equates to two seasons in New York and another five in Philly.
Mark Bavaro
Giants tenure: 1985-90
Eagles tenure: 1993-94
Bavaro’s best years were long behind him when he joined the Eagles in 1993. It was also three years after he left the Big Apple.
Bavaro was serviceable during his time in Philly. He started 27 of 28 regular-season games. He racked up 60 receptions, 696 receiving yards, and nine TDs.
Bill Stribling
Giants tenure: 1951-53
Eagles tenure: 1955-57
It’s crazy when you think about this stuff, but being the 267th player taken during the 1950 NFL Draft made Bill Stribling a 21st-rounder. He played three years in New York, took the 1954 NFL season off and landed in Philly before the 1955 campaign.
Stribling was a solid receiver in an era where no one really threw the ball as often as teams do now. He was consistent though. He started 25 of 30 games with the Giants and racked 800 yards receiving and seven TDs on 60 receptions. He snagged 54 passes, collected 773 yards receiving, and reached the end zone seven times during 26 games where he made 13 starts.
James Bradberry
Giants tenure: 2020-21
Eagles tenure: 2022- present
James Bradberry may never again get the respect he deserves for a phenomenal Eagles season in 2022. Why? After he earned an extension during the 2023 offseason, he stunk it up during the regular season and landed on the injured reserve before the 2024 campaign really got going.
James has heard the adoration of the Eagles faithful. He has also seen his name placed on trash cans, but you can’t deny how good he was in Eagles green. He earned a Second-Team All-Pro nod and picked off a Daniel Jones pass vs. the G-Men in the Wild Card Round of the postseason.
Yep! When he was good, he was really good.