By Kevin Durso, Sports Talk Philly editor 
When you talk about the NFL Draft, which will be held in Philadelphia in just two months, and you think of the Eagles, the focus instantly shifts to the biggest names — Mike Williams, Dalvin Cook, Corey Davis, John Ross.
Notice a pattern? That’s the top running back and top three wide receivers in the Draft, all projected to go around or before the Eagles selection.
While some mock drafts have the Eagles going with a cornerback to shore up the defensive side of the ball, the Eagles need to give Carson Wentz any sort of weapon on offense may dictate the Eagles choice.
It would be one thing if the Eagles were in a position to significantly address offseason needs through free agency. They have the means to do it, as they will work to free up cap space for much-needed improvements.
That said, the Eagles face a steep price tag for any wide receiver they may bring in. Alshon Jeffery, the top free-agent wide receiver on the market this offseason, will demand in the $15 million per year. Kenny Stills is in the range of $12 million per year. DeSean Jackson, Pierre Garcon and Kenny Britt, three other pending free agents at the position, will like carry a similar price tag.
Is it really in the Eagles best interest to put all their eggs in one basket in free agency, essentially leaving them room for one significant move? Probably not in the second year of a very clear rebuilding process around their second-year quarterback.
With that in mind, the Eagles could certainly go to the wide receiver position in the first round. Yes, the Eagles could be heading down that road again.
The Eagles could also keep an eye on a player like Dalvin Cook, who would instantly become the team’s starting running back if Ryan Mathews doesn’t return as expected.
The Eagles may have a better chance of filling the running back void in free agency however, especially if they target players like Latavius Murray or Jamaal Charles — should he become available. At the very least, the Eagles have Darren Sproles and Wendell Smallwood to serve as respectable depth backs for another season.
Wide receiver is the more complicated position, since the Eagles both run the risk of missing out on all three top receivers with a first-round pick right in the middle and with no real game-changing name on the free-agency list other than Jeffery.
So while the Eagles may be better off focusing on making a key selection at cornerback and bolstering their offensive line in the draft, they could make additions through free agency for the bigger offensive positions. That said, the Eagles run the risk of spending a lot of open cap space for failed attempts to improve. It happens. Teams miss on signings all the time. But it’s a bitter pill to swallow when $15 million a year has been spent.
So the Eagles need to be cautious but aggressive with their free-agency approach while keeping in mind that the Draft is always in play to add a potential franchise player to compliment Wentz.
