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Eagles Notes: Kelly wants to keep McCoy, Maclin, but 'we'll look at everything'

Eagles coach Chip Kelly said Monday he would like both LeSean McCoy and Jeremy Maclin to return in 2015 but conceded that there could be tough decisions ahead.

Jeremy Maclin. (Jeffrey G. Pittenger/USA Today)
Jeremy Maclin. (Jeffrey G. Pittenger/USA Today)Read more

Eagles coach Chip Kelly said Monday he would like both LeSean McCoy and Jeremy Maclin to return in 2015 but conceded that there could be tough decisions ahead.

"We are going to have a long, full process for this whole thing," Kelly said of roster evaluations. "But do I want LeSean back? Yeah. Do I want Jeremy back? Yeah. Is that the reality? I don't know. . . . What if someone gives us 17 first-round draft picks for LeSean? . . . We'll look at everything."

The two high-profile players face uncertain futures with the team. McCoy's future in Philadelphia is seemingly more secure because he is under contract, although he has a salary-cap number of $11.95 million.

Maclin will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason and is in line for a lucrative long-term deal. The Eagles could place the franchise tag on the wide receiver, which would likely keep him in Philadelphia for one season.

"I'm in charge of the roster in terms of who our 53 are, so I have to weigh in on that," Kelly said of financial considerations. "But I also know there are other factors, salary cap, money, and the numbers and all those other things. But I have to tell them who I want and who I don't want."

Changes at LB?

One position to watch this offseason is right outside linebacker, where Trent Cole has a cap number of $11.625 million next season and Brandon Graham will be a free agent.

Cole, the starter at the position, just finished his 10th season with the team. The 32-year-old joked that he does not need to clean out his locker because he'll "be back." Cole said he would restructure his deal to stay with the Eagles.

"I want to do whatever I can to make things work, and hopefully it results in me being here," Cole said. "If it ain't, I just move on."

If Cole stays, it's unlikely Graham would return. The former first-round pick emerged as a key rotational player on defense this season.

"I feel like I deserve to at least get a shot at just being a starter," Graham said. "Just give me a chance to be out there. If I lose my job because I'm not playing well, then so be it."

'We need DeMeco'

Inside linebacker DeMeco Ryans will be coming off a ruptured Achilles tendon injury next season, but Kelly was effusive about the defensive leader. Ryans has a cap number of $6.7 million, but it sounded as if Kelly plans on having him back if Ryans returns healthy.

"We need DeMeco," Kelly said. "I'm a big DeMeco fan. As a group, he really sets the tone for everybody on the defense side of the ball. So it's just a matter of getting DeMeco healthy again."