By Paul Macrie, Sports Talk Philly staff writer 
The frenzy has ended, as the second and third wave of free agency continues around the NFL.
For the Eagles, they have likely concluded their pursuit of free agency shopping, though there is a chance they could sign a low-level free agent or two in the coming days or weeks. It is time to shift the offseason focus to the NFL Draft in late April — where the city of Philadelphia will be the host.
Howie Roseman and Joe Douglas appear to be attached at the hip nowadays as executive vice president of football operations and vice president of player personnel. The two had a joint press conference to discuss the free agent signings several weeks ago, indicating they are in the roster building process together.
Douglas' first free agency frenzy with the Eagles offered hints at which direction the team may head in during the draft. With the additions of wide receivers Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith, offensive lineman Chance Warmack and quarterback Nick Foles, it is clear the braintrust decided to address most of its offensive needs in free agency.
Though the team could still use a workhorse running back, it is high unlikely they will add a player such as Adrian Peterson or Jamaal Charles, who remain without a team. Charles' past connection with Doug Pederson in Kansas City makes a reunion between the two possible, but it doesn't make sense to go in that direction in the short-term.
Most of the significant needs remain on the defensive side of the football. With Ron Brooks and Jalen Mills the only two notable corners on the current roster, it is obvious the team needs major help at the position. It is starting to become likely the team will have at least one new starting corner via the draft in 2017. At this point, it is possible that both of the team's starting corners in September are draft picks from this year.
Team building begins from the offensive and defensive lines, and then the construction goes from there. The Eagles' offensive line depth has improved immensely since Roseman took back control of the front office, but the defensive line has been depleted a bit with the losses of Bennie Logan and Connor Barwin this offseason.
Destiny Vaeao and Beau Allen are currently the top two candidates to replace Logan at the defensive tackle spot opposite of Fletcher Cox, but adding a defensive tackle in the draft should be considered too. Allen is in line for an extension with the Eagles with his rookie contract expiring after the 2017 season. He has demonstrated at least two-down lineman ability, but it remains to be seen if he can play every down. He could rotate with Vaeao during the upcoming season, but a future draft pick could have a say in that as well.
The release of Barwin was always expected, but it won't be easy to replace his leadership on and off the field. The pressure will mount for Vinny Curry as he needs to be the player to step up on the defensive line. After a down year in 2016, Curry needs to be the player who flashed potential during the Chip Kelly tenure. Adding a defensive end or tackle early in the draft is a distinct possibility.
The linebacker position is currently status-quo after the Eagles opted to hang on to Mychal Kendricks, at least for now. With no definitive option to replace Kendricks, if he were to be released or traded, the front office opted to guarantee his $4.85 million salary for 2017 by keeping him past the March 10 deadline. A trade remains possible if the Eagles draft a certain replacement in the early rounds. Selecting a player such Temple's Haason Reddick or Alabama's Reuben Foster could allow the organization to part ways with Kendricks.
At safety, Malcolm Jenkins and Rodney McLeod are the shoe-in starters for the upcoming season, but adding depth never hurts. For instance, if the Eagles went with Jabrill Peppers in the first round, it wouldn't be a shock since he can play linebacker, safety and be a special teams star returner. The do-it-all athlete, is a type of player this organization should covet.
The pieces to the puzzle are starting to come together, but significant work remains for the Eagles this offseason. The NFL Draft is only 36 days away, and the build up will be big in the upcoming weeks, especially since it will be held in Philadelphia. It is an important draft for the team, in search of adding pieces around its blossoming quarterback in Carson Wentz.
In the weeks ahead, potential first-round draft targets will be discussed, as we did this morning and last week. The Eagles have many options, including trading down. Trading down could be an issue, but that will be specified further as the draft approaches.
For now, the organization will play the wait-and-see game with the leftovers in free agency, but it is possible they have made their final move until the draft.
