Could this be the year the Eagles finally invest significantly in a running back? | Jeff McLane

INDIANAPOLIS – In 2009, the Eagles expended a second-round draft pick on LeSean McCoy and for the next six seasons they had one of the more dynamic running backs in the NFL. They also had zero playoff wins over that span.

In 2015, they signed DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews to long-term contracts and had two of the top free-agent running backs during that offseason. Murray was a colossal disappointment, Mathews was injury-prone, and the Eagles again had zero postseason victories during the duo’s collective three years in Philadelphia.

In 2017, the Eagles signed veteran LeGarrette Blount to a one-year contract, and after Darren Sproles suffered a season-ending knee injury, they dealt for Jay Ajayi before the trade deadline. They would go on, of course, to win the Super Bowl, and their most productive running back in that game was undrafted rookie Corey Clement.

Of the teams that won championships over the last decade, they did so with franchise tailbacks, first-round talents, undrafted free agents, by-committee backfields, and names that might be hard to remember.

In other words, as Eagles executive Howie Roseman said Wednesday, when asked about whether his team would make a sizable investment in running back this offseason, “There are different ways to skin a cat.” Especially at a position that is far down on the list of priorities in roster building.

But the Eagles, armed with eight draft picks and the likelihood of salary cap space, could decide to invest significantly in running back for the first time in years. And if the 2015 offseason, when Roseman had little say in personnel, is taken out of the equation, it could be the first time in a decade.

“At the end of the day, we’re not going to force any particular position just because it’s a perceived need,” Roseman said at the NFL combine. “We’ll evaluate that position based on the value of each particular player.”

Do the Eagles need a bona fide No. 1 running back? No. Of the eight teams in the divisional round of the playoffs, only the Cowboys had a running back (Ezekiel Elliott) among the top 14 rushers during the regular season. But they do have room for a lead guy, even if he falls short of workhorse status.

Ajayi, even when he was healthy, never had more than 18 touches in a game. He is slated to become a free agent and, barring something unforeseen, won’t return to Philly.

The Eagles got by with a combination of Josh Adams, Wendell Smallwood, Clement, and Sproles after Ajayi suffered a season-ending knee injury, but the relatively low amount of money devoted to running back does afford Roseman the opportunity to upgrade.

Adams (a 2018 undrafted rookie), Smallwood (a 2016 fifth-round draft pick), and Clement (a 2017 undrafted rookie) will account for about a total of $2 million of the cap in 2019, unless any of them signs an extension (unlikely). The Eagles have more pressing needs, but there are attractive options in both free agency and the draft.

Le’Veon Bell, who sat out all last season after the Steelers put the franchise tag on him, will likely be the most sought-after running back on the market. He recently teasingly mentioned the Eagles on social media as a possible suitor. But would Roseman be willing to devote big money to a 27-year-old with already more than 1,500 career touches?

Bell is a phenomenal runner, but his pass-catching abilities would also be suitable in coach Doug Pederson’s offensive scheme. Tevin Coleman and T.J. Yeldon – both age 25 – would probably be more affordable alternatives. The 29-year-old Mark Ingram could also be available.

A trade is always another route, and Roseman has been as active in that market as any general manager. But listing names at this point would merely be speculative. The Eagles have been linked to McCoy since last season, but they would probably want to rework his deal – he has a $9.05 million cap number in the final season of his contract – to accept an exchange with the Bills.

There is also the possibility that Buffalo will simply release the soon-to-be-31-year-old.

The draft is an obvious option. While there were as many running backs (five) taken in the first round over the last two drafts as there were in the previous five, the Eagles aren’t likely to expend that much capital on the position, especially with the defensive-line class among the deepest ever.

Josh Jacobs of Alabama could also be gone by the time the Eagles select at No. 25. But Devin Singletary of Florida Atlantic and David Montgomery of Iowa State could be in their second-round wheelhouse. Both were productive on the ground in college, if not through the air, but many evaluators think they can be two-way backs in the NFL.

There are more than a handful of mid- to late-round possibilities – Georgia’s Elijah Holyfield, Memphis’ Darrell Henderson, and Penn State’s Miles Sanders could be targets. But Roseman’s record from the third round on has been dubious.

The Eagles have passed on prospects like the Saints’ Alvin Kamara and the Bears’ Tarik Cohen in recent drafts, and around that same period chose Donnel Pumphrey in the fourth round and Smallwood. Dion Lewis (2011, fifth round), Charles Scott (2010, sixth), and Bryce Brown (2012, seventh) round out Roseman’s drafted running backs.

He has done better with undrafted rookies, but the jury is still out on Clement and Adams, at least in terms of their long-term prospects. Roseman left open the possibility of bringing back the 35-year-old Sproles, but allowing Ajayi and Sproles to walk could clean the slate for the Eagles’ first monumental running back addition in some time.

Or they could just ink another aging veteran to a one-year deal, scour the market for an undrafted prospect, and roll with their returning cast.

It worked before.