The talk -- for months -- surrounding the Philadelphia Eagles has been whether the franchise would trade the farm in order to move up in the 2015 NFL Draft and select Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota.
Following Tuesday's blockbuster trade of LeSean McCoy to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for linebacker Kiko Alonso, the talking points around the club have changed a bit. While the Eagles certainly need to add a running back, NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah thinks the front office will remain focused on improving on the defensive side of the ball through the draft.
"I think Chip Kelly believes his offense will work with whoever he plugs in and plays," said Jeremiah, a former scout for the organization. "I think he's going to try and collect talent on the defensive side of the ball. You add one nice piece in Kiko Alonso, and I think they continue to go defense in the upcoming draft to build up the roster on that side of the ball. Then they can fill in guys on offense."
Recent NFL.com mock drafts have the Eagles indeed going defense with the No. 20 overall pick. Most think Kelly and company will upgrade the secondary. Washington corner Marcus Peters is a oft-mentioned selection for the team, but there could be a number of options available if they choose not to trade up to grab Mariota.
"Could a Bud Dupree still be available out of Kentucky?" NFL media aanlyst Charles Davis said, referring to the pass-rushing prospect out of Kentucky. "An outside pass rusher that could also come off the edge and also line up with his hand in the ground -- those are the things they could be kicking out in the upcoming weeks."
Throw in a ton of salary cap space, and it seems clear either way that Philadelphia will sport a much better defense for the 2015 season.
You can follow Bryan Fischer on Twitter at @BryanDFischer.
