By Tucker Bagley, Sports Talk Philly staff writer 
The Kansas City Chiefs raised more than a few eyebrows a couple days ago when they announced the release of former Eagle wide receiver Jeremy Maclin.
The veteran wide receiver turned out to be a cap casualty with his release opening up enough money for the Chiefs to sign their top three draft picks. But with the wide receiver now looking for work, it led to some speculation a reunion could be in the cards for Maclin and the Eagles.
While the Eagles did have interest in re-signing Maclin during the 2015 offseason, that might as well be an eternity ago. Jeffrey Lurie, Howie Roseman and the rest of the Eagles brass have turned the page and need to keep their eyes forward.
Despite considering themselves a rebuilding team, the Eagles have filled many holes on their roster with veteran this offseason. Chris Long and Tim Jernigan were brought in to help out the fledgling pass rush, Patrick Robinson was signed to add depth to the Birds cornerbacks, and Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith were added to shore up an abysmal receiving corps.
But at some point the Eagles need to move past these veteran stopgaps and band-aids. Both Doug Pederson and Roseman have insisted time and time again the team is building their roster through the draft because that is how championship rosters are built.
As Carson Wentz matures into a franchise quarterback, the Eagles need to find players to mature with him, guys like Derek Barnett, Sidney Jones, Shelton Gibson and Mack Hollins, not Maclin.
This isn't a slight on Maclin, who is still a fine wide receiver, despite averaging just 44 yards per game last season. In fact, he would probably be second on the Eagles depth chart, behind only Jeffery. And with Jeffery and Smith both dealing with question marks of their own, adding a guy of Maclin's pedigree could go a long way toward solidifying that group.
But the Birds don't exactly have the money to truly entertain a player of Maclin's caliber and after huge spending sprees in each of the last three seasons, the Eagles need to start saving to re-sign these younger players they are hoping can become franchise cornerstones.
Nostalgia is a powerful drug. It certainly won't destroy your life, but it could easily destroy a football team.
Fans got excited about the prospect of DeSean Jackson re-joining the Eagles earlier in the offseason and nabbing Maclin at a discount price could bring back similar feelings. But the Eagles need to move past the Andy Reid and Chip Kelly eras for good. It's time for Roseman, Pederson and Wentz to create their own legacy, good or bad.
