As the Eagles focus begins to shift away from veteran players and free agency and turns more towards the draft, one of the team's most glaring needs has quietly become the running back position.
While Ryan Mathews and Darren Sproles remain on top of the depth chart and give the team a couple of sturdy, proven presences to turn to, there are still significant concerns.
Both players have been in the league for some time now, and have accumulated a great deal of wear and tear. Mathews has had well-documented issues staying healthy throughout his career, while Sproles' skills and size have always limited him to serving a complimentary role.
The trade of DeMarco Murray was a necessary move to rid the locker of room of a personality that didn't fit the team, but it also removed a significant amount of talent and depth from the position, and actually made the Birds pretty thin in their backfield.
Mathews would be the team's featured back if the season began today, and as previously mentioned, his problems with durability have shown that he can't be counted on to handle such a role. And even if he were to stay healthy, the former Charger has a limited ceiling of just how good he can be.
Mathews is a decent runner, but struggles as a receiver out of the backfield. He dropped a number of easily catchable passes that cost the team some big plays a year ago. He's best suited to be a change-of-pace runner off of the bench; he's not a guy that defensive coordinators are scared of.
The Eagles need a younger, much more dynamic option at this position, and it may be one of their top priorities in the draft.
They'll have an opportunity to select one of the best talents in the draft with the eighth overall pick, and running back Ezekiel Elliott is likely to be on the board when the Birds go on the clock.
Elliott has all of the tools to be a star in this league. Some analysts consider him to be the best player in the draft, and he offers a very complete game, excelling in all areas from speed and power, to receiving and blocking.
Following Chip Kelly's moves over the last two years to gut the roster and remove the Eagles' top offensive talent, the franchise has been without any playmakers that defenses have much reason to fear or gameplan around. Drafting Elliot would not only solve the team's problems at running back, but it could potentially give the offense a special dimension that it has lacked for some time.
Denny Basens is a contributing writer for Eagledelphia. Follow him on Twitter, @DennyBasens
