The Philadelphia Eagles are in pursuit of landing a No. 1 running back in the wake of Jay Ajayi's season ending injury, but won't stop with just Le'Veon Bell. Per Derrick Gunn of NBC Sports Philadelphia, the Eagles have shown interest in acquiring Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson.

Unlike Bell, who will be a free agent in 2019, Johnson already has signed a contract extension with the Cardinals...which makes a potential deal even more interesting. The terms of the deal call for Johnson to be paid $38.1 million over the three years with the possibility of reaching $45 million in total.

Johnson is guaranteed $30 million, and the contract makes him one of the highest-paid running backs in the NFL. He has two competitors in that arena.

The first is Todd Gurley, who signed a four-year deal worth up to $57.5 million that came with $45 million in guarantees. Gurley's contract is longer and comes with far more money assured to him, but if Johnson hits whatever incentives have been worked into his contract, he will make more on average per year than his division rival.

Looming over all of this is Bell. The Pittsburgh Steelers star has feuded with his team over a new contract for years now, and is under the franchise tag for the second consecutive season in 2018. In response, Bell is in the midst of a holdout, even though his tag pays him over $14.5 million for this season alone, but he surrenders $853,000 with each game that he misses. He therefore has the highest average of the three technically, but that number drops significantly with each missed game.

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When Johnson was healthy in 2016, he measured up to Gurley, Bell and just about any other running back in football. He led the NFL in touches (373), all-purpose yards (2,118) and combined receiving and rushing touchdowns (20) in that season, just his second in the NFL. He suffered a broken wrist on opening day last season that kept him out for the entire season, but the Cardinals saw enough in his explosive sophomore campaign to lock him up early.

That is especially notable in light of Bell's plight. Johnson's extension will keep him in Arizona through his seventh NFL season and was given to him after his third. Bell is currently in his sixth, and he still has not yet received a multi-year deal. He will get his second contract only a year earlier, relative to their careers, than Johnson will get his third.

Johnson is struggling this season behind an anemic Cardinals offensive line, having 74 carries for 242 yards (3.3 yards per carry) and four touchdowns. he also has 15 catches for 120 yards and a touchdown. The 27-year old Johnson is averaging 4.1 yards per touch this season.

Because Johnson is signed, the Eagles may have to give the Cardinals more for his services (his extension hasn't kicked in yet), but the franchise could buy low because he is getting paid $38.1 million over the next three years and hasn't performed like an elite running back in 2018.

The Eagles did this with Ajayi, but he was on his rookie deal when they sent a fourth-round pick to the Miami Dolphins for him last year. Interesting note with Johnson is his deal ends in 2021, which would be the first year of Carson Wentz's extension (Wentz wouldn't get paid a huge sum in year one of the extension, but it would count against the cap).

The Cardinals have not given any indication they would entertain a trade for Johnson, but they are also in the crossroads with their franchise. If they get a good return back and can eliminate that contract, they could move on from the 2016 First Team All-Pro.