Now that the Super Bowl has been played and free agency is approaching in a month, the Sports Events Guide NFL department will be looking at the top three needs for each team. Today, the Philadelphia Eagles are the focus. The Eagles have the 20th pick in the 2015 NFL Draft and a few key players will hit the free agency market this year, most notably Jeremy Maclin.
Philadelphia Eagles 2015 Offseason: Top 3 Needs
Cornerback
Cornerback is by far the biggest need the Eagles have and it haunted them throughout the 2014 season. The Eagles finished 31st in the NFL against the pass and both cornerbacks struggled mightily. The duo of Bradley Fletcher and Cary Williams was laughable at times, but fortunately for the Eagles, Fletcher is a free agent and Williams is a likely cap casualty. Brandon Boykin is a solid slot corner, but serious work must be done to fix this position.
If a solid cornerback is available in the first round of the draft, the Eagles will snatch him up immediately. They will also likely target at least one cornerback in free agency, including an immediate starter. Brandon Flowers, Antonio Cromartie, and Byron Maxwell are three potential names to look out for.
Safety
Malcolm Jenkins is a solid starter at one safety position, but the other spot is wide open. Nate Allen, the 2014 starting safety, is a free agent, but he isn’t very good anyway. Additionally, there is no veteran depth at the position currently.
The Eagles might target two safeties in free agency this year. They definitely need one starter, but they might also look for a solid veteran to provide depth. Drafting an impact safety is another option, but it would be very surprising if Landon Collins slipped to them. This draft is weak at safety after Collins, so a solution probably won’t be found during the draft.
Quarterback
Quarterback is the most important position in the game, and a big question mark still remains for the Eagles. Nick Foles struggled last season before getting injured and Mark Sanchez proved that he wasn’t the solution. Foles had a stellar season in 2013, but after last season, his spot isn’t locked up yet. Additionally, Mark Sanchez is a free agent, so a backup quarterback is needed as well.
The Eagles would love to be able to take Marcus Mariota, but that would involve a great deal of luck. He would have to slip past a few quarterback-needy teams and the Eagles would have to make a huge trade offer in order to move up and select him. The odds that Mariota ends up in Philadelphia are slim and there isn’t a quarterback in free agency that the Eagles value more than Foles. However, the rumors are swirling and maybe the Eagles could use Foles as one of the pieces in a trade for Mariota. Until they make a decision about the most important position, quarterback will be a need that is worth mentioning.
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