Eagles reportedly ‘in love’ with Ezekiel Elliott, in play with 8th pick if QBs off the board

The draft is just over two weeks away and the Eagles, amongst other teams, have been the focal point of the rumor mill for the better part of the offseason. In addition to having their named attached to the top quarterbacks in the draft, the Eagles have also been linked to the top running back in the class: Ohio State's Ezekiel Elliott. The former Buckeye has put to test the notion that the running back position is de-valued towards the top of the draft and the Eagles are one of the teams with a vacancy in the backfield. 

According to CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora, Elliott has caught the eye of Philadelphia's brass and could be one of their top targets when their name is called on draft night.

If the Eagles stay at No. 8, and especially if two quarterbacks are gone by then as widely expected, then I continue to hear running back Ezekiel Elliott is the pick. They are in love with him, they have done extensive work on him, they have parted with accomplished veteran running backs LeSean McCoy and DeMarco Murray the past two years, they need an identity on offense and they are going to be limited at the quarterback position no matter who wins the job. So a run game is imperative. This kid has a top-10 skill set and is plug-and-play and I don't see him getting past Miami at No. 12. This very well could be the second straight year we see a back go in the first 10 picks. While I have been skeptical that the Eagles would actually move up, again, to land another quarterback, some other executives believe GM Howie Roseman is deadset on making a huge splash in this draft, which could well include drafting a passer very high. We shall see.

La Canfora would appear as a guest on SportsRadio WIP's 'The Mike & Ike Show' to elaborate on his comments. 

"If they stay at eight, I've heard considerable amount of buzz that he could very well be in play there. Duce Staley's a big fan of his, they've done a lot of work on him. Obviously, that's a position where Shady McCoy and DeMarco Murray are no longer in the building. Let's face it, this is not an offense that, as it sits today, looks incredibly prolific. They're going to need to run the football, no matter who the quarterback is…I wouldn't be shocked if it turns out that, if they are still there at eight that Ezekiel Elliott is in play."

Elliott is reportedly in town Wednesday on an official visit with the Eagles. 

According to his Snapchat, Ezekiel Elliott is on his way to Philadelphia for a visit with the Eagles

— Bill Landis (@BillLandis25) April 12, 2016

The ever-changing world of sports journalism continues to amaze.

Somers Price is a contributor for Eagledelphia.com and can be followed on Twitter @somersprice