The Philadelphia Eagles have made a trade with LeSean McCoy and that means Chip Kelly will be looking for a new running back and names like CJ Spiller, Mark Ingram, Reggie Bush and Ryan Mathews are potential free agent targets with Darren McFadden and Shane Vereen and this comes as the team may try and sign back Jeremy Maclin in free agency after dealing McCoy.
The trade with McCoy to the Bills was a surprise to many, but for those close to the situation, Kelly showing his power on the personnel side was not a shock. The Eagles reportedly wanted McCoy to take a pay cut or to restructure his contract and after that did not work out, they cleared his cap space by making a trade. Kelly acquired his former Oregon standout linebacker Kiko Alonso and that will only fuel speculation that Kelly will go after Marcus Mariota in the draft.
Kelly has control over the roster and now that McCoy is gone, the team likely will look at running backs on the free agent market and in the draft. According to Pro Football Talk, Mark Ingram could be a potential target for the Eagles, while CJ Spiller is another name that could come up, as he likely will not be re-signing with the Bills after the McCoy deal. ESPN.com reports that Spiller is a target for the Miami Dolphins, San Francisco 49ers, Arizona Cardinals and NY Jets this offseason along with the Eagles.
Ingram is hitting free agency from the Saints and he may not return, as the team has a very tight cap situation and he could price out of New Orleans. Reggie Bush was let go by the Detroit Lions and he could be a potential fit for Kelly's offense, as he likes to use running backs out of the backfield. Darren Sproles excelled last year and another name to look at is Shane Vereen, as he specialized in doing that for the Patriots, leading the team in receptions in the Super Bowl.
The biggest free agent concern for the Eagles is Jeremy Maclin and now that McCoy is on his way out, the team could afford to sign him. The Raiders, Browns and Bills all could target the receiver, while the Eagles opted to allow him to hit free agency after not using the franchise tag on him. Maclin is coming off of a career season and it followed his lost 2013 when he was out with a knee injury. The Eagles let go of DeSean Jackson last year and if Maclin leaves that would be a tough loss for the team. The team has Jordan Matthews and Riley Cooper on the roster and Maclin comes in after making 85 receptions for 1318 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Spiller is another potential option for the Eagles, as will not be signing back with the Bills after they traded for LeSean McCoy. According to Philly.com, Spiller is a "fit" for the Eagles, as he also can get out in space and be a receiver out of the backfield. Spiller is coming into the offseason after an injury and playing in just nine games for the Bills, rushing for 300 yards. In 2012, Spiller had his best season with 1244 rushing yards and 43 receptions for 49 yards. The Eagles could also look at the draft, as players like Melvin Gordon, Todd Gurley and Ameer Abdullah are coming out.
