By Tucker Bagley, Sports Talk Philly staff writer 
Just four seasons ago, the Eagles seemed to be set up for great success with their running backs. LeSean McCoy headlined a group of young, talented backs that also featured Dion Lewis, Bryce Brown and Chris Polk.
But then Chip Kelly came in and blew everything to smithereens, leaving the Eagles with a huge question mark in their backfield, the likes of which the Birds haven't seen since before they acquired Herschel Walker in 1992. Since that season, the stability in the Eagles' backfield has been remarkable as Walker gave way to Ricky Watters, who passed the torch to Duce Staley, who was replaced by Brian Westbrook, who was let go to make room for McCoy.
Now, with a pair of veterans and a slew of young players at running back, the Eagles will face some interesting decisions in 2017.
Who's Here?
The Eagles currently have six running backs listed on their roster: Ryan Mathews, Darren Sproles, Wendell Smallwood, Kenjon Barner, Byron Marshall and Terrell Watson.
Who Stays?
Of that group, only Sproles and Smallwood are locks to be here for Week 1 of 2017, although a lot of the young guys will probably get a chance to prove themselves in free agency.
Sproles has proven time and time again that he is a game-breaking weapon, which is something the Eagles do not have when he isn't dressed. In theory, the Eagles could cut Sproles and save $4 million, but his presence on the field is worth his price tag. Usually, a 33-year-old running back would be winding down his career, and Sproles's days are surely numbered, but he has yet to show any signs of slowing down.
Smallwood seems like the guy who will get first-crack at becoming the Birds' bell-cow back in 2017. The rookie showed flashes of being a complete running back, but he really struggled to remain healthy. Barring injury, he will be back and taking a lot of snaps.
Who Goes?
Mathews has one year left on his contract, but he's become too much of an injury concern to carry on the roster. The Eagles can save $4 million for cutting him and all signs point to him being finished as an Eagle, which is a shame. When he was healthy, Mathews was as good as any running back in the league. While DeMarco Murray struggled in 2015, Mathews averaged 6.1 yards per carry before a concussion slowed him down.
Barner may be the biggest surprise here, given his success when on the field, but it really seems like Doug Pederson and the rest of the offensive coaching staff have something against him. Barner was tremendous in the preseason and he averaged 4.8 yards per carry and 8.4 yards per catch in the regular season. Nevertheless, the Eagles were unable to find consistent snaps for him. As a restricted free agent, the Eagles will probably hold onto him for a bit and explore some options, but the team has made their feelings clear.
As for the others, Marshall had a decent game in Week 17, but he doesn't seem like anything more than a third back in a good offense. Watson has a tremendous life story, but outside of being able to grind out tough yards, he's rather useless. Maybe he latches on as a short-yardage back, but the Eagles would probably rather fill their depth chart with guys who have potential to be great and not one-trick ponies.
Who's Available?
This is where the fun begins. CBS Sports has three running backs projected to go in the first round: Dalvin Cook, Leonard Fournette and Christian McCaffrey. Of those three, Cook would be my top choice. He can block, he can catch, and oh boy, can he run.
Fournette may not be a good fit, and quite frankly, I just have too many questions regarding his health and ability to use a precious first-round pick on him. McCaffrey would be an interesting pick, as he is a tremendous receiver and could replicate the role Westbrook played in Andy Reid's offense.
Another guy, who would be available in later rounds, is Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon. Yes, it would be a tremendously controversial pick given his past, but the Eagles have made it obvious they are willing to overlook off-the-field issues if they think you can play. Mixon ran for over 1,100 yards and caught five touchdowns in 2016. He'd be an impressive dual-threat running back paired with Carson Wentz.
I don't expect the Eagles to make a huge splash in free agency by signing a big-name running back, they've seemed to learn from that mistake, but taking a flier on an undervalued veteran such as Jacquizz Rodgers or Rex Burkhead may make sense if any of the young guys falter.
The Eagles need to get younger and more-talented at running back if they want to progress.
We talked about the future of the Eagles quarterbacks on Monday.
