The Philadelphia Eagles have strong offensive depth which has afforded the team plenty of flexibility heading into the offseason. As Chip Kelly and company consider what direction to take their quarterback position in, they could make trades that offer the team to make moves at other spots. The running back position is a place the Eagles are particularly deep in which could mean someone gets traded or release at the start of the offseason.
LeSean McCoy has been the star running back for the Eagles for some time now, but suddenly his future is in doubt heading into the offseason. The running back will be 27 next season. He certainly showed no signs of aging in 2014 putting up 1,319 yards, but the issue is his contract not his numbers. The running back is due $11.95 million next season. That is a heavy salary hit for the running back considering his position is devalued and he is aging. McCoy is one of the highest paid backs outside of Adrian Peterson and the Eagles need to decide if it is worth it to keep him around.
Depth could push McCoy out. Darren Sproles impressed in his first season with the Eagles and they will be bringing him back as a result. His contract is manageable at $4.1 million and he is versatile enough to warrant the money. Another player likely to come back is Chris Polk who is a restricted free agent. According to Philly.com, the running back is a solid rusher and special teams player which is something Chip Kelly likes. The team can tender him for a manageable contract.
Philly.com reports that the likely scenario for McCoy could be a trade. It is no secret the Eagles want to try and do everything they can to grab Marcus Mariota. A potential trade package could include both quarterback Nick Foles and McCoy which would prevent the Eagles from having to give up their entire draft class as a result. Philadelphia could then turn around and sign a running back off the free agent market to a much more manageable contract. Mark Ingram, Justin Forsett or CJ Spiller could all be options that would put up the same amount of production as McCoy.
Right now, it is speculation what the Eagles will do. They are dealing with the potential departure of Jeremy Maclin while attempting to determine their commitment to Foles. Kelly has a lot of work on his hands, but it is a real possibility that McCoy ends up on the outside looking in.