Jeremy Maclin was hoping to be the star of the Philadelphia Eagles this season. However, an ACL tear ended that dream for the wide receiver as he sat out for the entire year. Instead, DeSean Jackson continued his dominance while Riley Cooper emerged as a true star thanks to quarterback Nick Foles. With several contracts expiring, the Eagles have to make some crucial decisions.
According to Philly.com, Maclin has not interest in free agency and wants to return to the Eagles in 2014 and many years after that. When healthy, Maclin has proven he can be deadly. In his four years with the team, he has put up 258 caches while setting team records in the process. He has a total of 3,453 yards and 26 touchdowns. However, the "what have you done for me lately" NFL mentality certainly does not work in his favor.
Maclin was not missed this season as Jackson, Cooper and Jason Avant picked up the slack. With $20 million available in cap space and several players looking for money, Maclin could be forced to agree to a one-year deal, something he understands could happen.
"I'm a realist, so I understand that that's a possibility," Maclin said, via Philly.com. "It was frustrating personally, but at the same time, I was really happy for these guys. I was happy to see Riley step up as a playmaker in this league."
Maclin is right, Cooper did step up in a big way with 835 yards and eight touchdowns as he displayed a great deal of chemistry with Foles. Cooper will also be looking for a new contract with Philadelphia rather than hitting free agency. Cooper started all 16 games thanks to the Maclin injury and began to emerge as the No. 2 threat. After a dramatic preseason, does Cooper stay?
"I want to be back," Cooper said, via ESPN.com. "I'm hoping the Eagles come into play and I'm here. It's a first for me. I don't know what it's like. I know I'm not on a team. I want to be here. It's such a great group of guys."
Financially, things could get sticky for the Eagles. The team is also dealing with new contract demands from Jackson who is under the impression he deserves a new deal after just signing an extension that has three years remaining on it. General manager Howie Roseman is confident that team can work things out to retain both Maclin and Cooper, but no word on Jackson.
"I think the future is bright for Jeremy Maclin," Roseman said. "This isn't an open buffet, [where] you can have anything you want. That would be a beautiful thing. Jeremy's worked extremely hard, and he's extremely determined to come back."
