Eagles scouting combine preview: Which running back is being compared to LeSean McCoy and why Nick Foles rumors may heat up soon

INDIANAPOLIS – The Eagles traveled to the annual scouting combine last February while still on a victory lap, just weeks past winning the Super Bowl and embarking on an offseason seeking reinforcements for a bid to repeat.

They come this year in a different spot, with three more weeks of rest following a 9-7 campaign and a divisional-round playoff loss. They visit Indianapolis with more difficult roster decisions mounting than at any point in recent years, armed with limited salary-cap space and three draft picks among the first 57 selections.

The combine marks the beginning of the busy portion of the league’s offseason, and this year will be busier than others. Top executive Howie Roseman and coach Doug Pederson will address reporters Wednesday for the first time since their end-of-season news conference, and on-field workouts begin Friday. Here are the big stories for the Eagles this week:

This is a good year for a team looking to replenish both sides of the line of scrimmage in the draft. Roseman called it a “historical” defensive line class, and draft analysts touted the depth of this group throughout the college football season. But it’s not just the defensive line – it’s the offensive line, too. So with aging defensive linemen and uncertainty about the futures of left tackle Jason Peters and center Jason Kelce, the Eagles will pay close attention to the strength of this year’s class.

“It’s all about big guys,” said NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah, a former Eagles scout. “Premier talent and depth at the defensive line position, inside, outside, it’s outstanding, and it carries deep into the draft. Offensive line-wise, while there’s not a premier guy, somebody that’s a top-five lock that we’ve seen in some previous years, I think it’s a really, really good group, especially once you get to the middle of the first round probably all the way to the middle of the third and around the fourth-round range.”

The Eagles draft 25th in the first round, and then have two picks in the second round – Nos. 53 and 57 overall. They don’t have a third-round pick because of the trade for wide receiver Golden Tate, but they have two fourth-round picks, a fifth-round pick, and two sixth-round picks.

This is not the best year for skill-position players, although the Eagles will be trying to upgrade running back. They haven’t taken a running back in the first 60 picks since LeSean McCoy in 2009, and they’ve worked with patchwork solutions in recent years. The Eagles could add a running back in free agency next month. However, they have the resources to use a premium pick on a running back if they find one they like – and there’s a running back who just might remind them of McCoy this year.

The top running back in the class is expected to be Alabama’s Josh Jacobs. After him, it depends on the eyes of personnel executives. Florida Atlantic’s Devin Singletary is a name to remember, because he reminds Jeremiah of the Eagles’ all-time leading rusher.

“When you look for some fits for Philadelphia, they’ve always placed a premium on being able to create explosive plays,” Jeremiah said. “Devin Singletary … I have him as the second-best back, and actually for comparison, I wrote down he’s got a little Shady McCoy to him. So he can make you miss. He does a great job in tight quarters. He could be in a hallway and you can’t get a finger on him. Just real loose, nice little, nifty jump cut that he uses. I don’t know that he really has that big-time, big-time top speed, but we saw some of those same comments made about LeSean when he was coming into the draft, and we know how that worked out.”

Jeremiah also mentioned Memphis’ Darrell Henderson as a player who would fit the Eagles. Iowa State’s David Montgomery is another player to watch. The running backs’ on-field workouts are Friday.

The March 5 deadline to use the franchise tag is one week away, and the only way for the Eagles to trade Foles is by placing the tag on him – a risk that comes with a $25 million price tag and would tie up the Eagles’ salary-cap space. The Eagles would use this option only if they know they have a trade partner, and those discussions could accelerate at the combine, when officials from all 32 teams – plus agents – are in the same place. The destination that will likely gain the most steam is Jacksonville, although if there’s not a robust market, then a team might take a chance that Foles will become a free agent instead of surrendering a draft pick or a player to acquire him.

Teams in need of a quarterback will have a more complete evaluation of Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray and Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins this weekend after meeting them and watching them work out on Saturday, and that could affect what they plan to do at the position.

Foles is not the only high-profile roster decision coming up in the next few weeks. Whether it’s the contract situations of Peters, defensive tackle Tim Jernigan, or wide receiver Nelson Agholor or the upcoming free agencies of Tate, defensive end Brandon Graham, linebacker Jordan Hicks, cornerback Ronald Darby, or running back Jay Ajayi, the Eagles must return from Indianapolis with a better idea of what to do with these key decisions.

It will not be difficult for the Eagles to clear cap space, but it will be all but impossible to bring everyone back. The Eagles will need to move on from players who helped deliver a Super Bowl, and they’ll have a better sense of their plans after this week.

The trade block is full of notable names this winter. The biggest one is Pittsburgh wide receiver Antonio Brown, who has requested a trade. Also on the list of available players are pending free agents such as Pittsburgh running back Le’Veon Bell, Houston edge rusher Jadaveon Clowney (if he’s not tagged), and Dallas edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence.

The legal period for contacting free agents begins March 11 and free agency opens March 13 – trades can be officially consummated on the same day – but there’s always unofficial discussion in Indianapolis.