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The Eagles have a lot of work to do this offseason. It's not like Chip Kelly completely left the cupboard bare, but there are a number of roster holes that Philadelphia will have to address. The Birds will have an opportunity to upgrade their roster in the offseason through free agency and the 2016 NFL Draft. Philadelphia should have ample cap space to work with and it also owns nine draft picks. The question is: what is the Eagles' biggest need? Which one position do the Eagles need to upgrade the most?
The answer should be obvious: quarterback. Whether you want Sam Bradford back or not, he's going to be an unrestricted free agent. It's possible he might not want to be back. Signs arguably point to a Bradford return being more unlikely than not. Even if Bradford is back, the Eagles are still going to need to address the position. Mark Sanchez can easily be cut to save money. The Birds need to find a young quarterback to develop at some point in the near future. This year's draft could be the opportunity to find a developmental prospect.
Another big obvious position of need is the offensive line. The tackle positions seem to be set with Jason Peters and Lane Johnson set to start. Peters will be 35 next January, however, so it's certainly time for the team to start thinking about the future. When it comes to guard, the Eagles need two new starters. The Birds haven't drafted an offensive line since 2013 so it's probably time to fix that this offseason. There are options in free agency and the draft.
Despite Walter Thurmond being a bright spot for the Eagles in 2015, the team might have a need at safety. Thurmond is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent. He doesn't seem optimistic that he'll be back. If that's the case, the Eagles will need another new starter next to Malcolm Jenkins.
A position like running back is a sneaky need for the Eagles. DeMarco Murray looked like he was toast last season. There are reports he's unhappy in Philadelphia, though he publicly shot those rumors down. There's not a lot of great depth behind Murray. Ryan Mathews is a talented player but he can never stay healthy and has fumbling issues. Darren Sproles could potentially be a cap casualty since he's making a lot of money to be a No. 3 running back.
The Eagles could use more talent at wide receiver despite investing so many high picks into players like Nelson Agholor, Jordan Matthews, and Josh Huff. Depth is needed at cornerback with Nolan Carroll and E.J. Biggers set to be free agents. And does the team trust Eric Rowe as a starter? He showed promise down the stretch. The linebacker situation is interesting because Philadelphia has some talented players who didn't live up to expectations last season in Mychal Kendricks and Kiko Alonso.
Other positions are more settled. The Eagles don't really need to add another tight end after locking up both Zach Ertz and Brent Celek this offseason. Defensive end features three players making starting money with Brandon Graham, Connor Barwin, and the recently re-signed Vinny Curry in the mix. Fletcher Cox and Bennie Logan project as the team's starting defensive tackles in Jim Schwartz's 4-3 scheme.
Philadelphia's player personnel department has a tall task of trying to fix this team. It's up to executive vice president of football operations Howie Roseman, senior direct of player personnel Tom Donahoe, and new head coach Doug Pederson to get it right. It's hard to feel great about that group, especially considering it's being paired with an undermanned personnel department. For Eagles fans, there's no other choice but to hope it works out.
So ... which position do you want to see the Eagles attack first and foremost?