Riley Cooper and Jeremy Maclin represent two of the biggest question marks facing Eagles general manager Howie Roseman and the front office this offseason.
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From Erik Hall on Facebook: Do the Eagles keep all 3 wide receivers in Jackson, Maclin, and Copper or look elsewhere? Could Eric Decker be an option if Denver doesn't resign him?
On the offensive side of the football, no position will garner more attention this offseason than wide receiver.
The Eagles certainly have options in Jeremy Maclin and Riley Cooper to pair with DeSean Jackson who has already hinted at seeking a restructured contract that offers more guaranteed money.
After all of the preseason controversy Riley Cooper brought on himself, he finished with a respectable 47 catches for 835 yards and eight touchdowns while emerging as Nick Foles' favorite target as the season wore on.
Even with the rapport developed with Foles, the Eagles are likely to let Cooper test the free agent market and he'll likely find a pay day that the Birds won't feel inclined to match, if a franchise can look past the baggage of last summer.
In Maclin's case, it's no secret that the five-year veteran would prefer to remain in Philadelphia and even said he would take a one-year deal from the team to do so. One of the reasons Maclin elected not to hold out last summer when seeking a new deal was because of his confidence to excel in Chip Kelly's high octane offense. His torn ACL likely diminished the market and it wouldn't be shocking to see him re-signed by the Eagles in the weeks leading up to the league year opening in March.
If the Eagles elect to allow boy Maclin and Cooper to walk, then Eric Decker would be a wise use of a portion of their close to $17 million in cap space. Decker will be the prize of the free agency class after hauling in 87 receptions for 1,288 yards and 11 touchdowns while catching passes from Peyton Manning.
The only way I see the Eagles being players in the Decker sweepstakes is if Maclin and Cooper wind up elsewhere.
Keep an eye on the NFL combine because as draft boards begin to take shape and depending on what other holes the Eagles fill in free agency, especially on the defensive side of the ball, it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility for Penn State's Allen Robinson or Florida State's Kelvin Benjamin to land in midnight green, even as a first-round choice.
Matt Lombardo is the Editor-In-Chief of Eagledelphia and also an on-air personality on 97.5 FM The Fanatic in Philadelphia. Join the conversation and follow Matt on Twitter.
