5 Biggest Changes Philadelphia Eagles Must Still Make This Offseason

It's hard to believe the general pessimism surrounding the 2014 Philadelphia Eagles. 

After all, this is a team that won 10 games—just like the previous year—despite a slew of key injuries and a first-place schedule. However, it's hard to overlook the severe regression at so many positions on the offensive side of the ball, especially quarterback, running back and the offensive line.

And when you remember that the Eagles were 9-3 and fighting for a first-round bye heading into December, the 2014 season has to be viewed as an epic failure. Three straight losses knocked the Eagles out of contention for a bye, out of contention for a division title and out of contention for a playoff spot.

The 10-6 finish equals the same record as the previous year, but missing the postseason doesn't sit well with a fanbase that has grown accustomed to winning over the last decade and a half. 

Look at the Seattle Seahawks and the Green Bay Packers, and it's obvious that the Eagles have some work to do before they're one of the NFC's elite teams. There are holes on both sides of the ball, as well as at least one major front office decision to be made. 

The following five slides will highlight, in chronological order, the five most important things the Eagles need to do this offseason.

Hire General Manager

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It's been about three weeks since the Eagles had an epic power struggle that ultimately cost general manager Howie Roseman his job. Well, sort of. Roseman is still with the team, but he is now the vice president of football operations, a role that will no longer include scouting. 

It's Chip Kelly who has complete control over everything on this Eagles team, specifically the entire 53-man roster. 

Although Kelly is still the alpha dog for the Eagles, the team still needs to hire a replacement for Roseman. The GM search has been quite time-consuming, as the Eagles have interviewed at least two candidates: Eagles assistant director of player personnel Ed Marynowitz and Jaguars director of pro personnel Chris Polian.

They've also been linked to Lions vice president of pro personnel Sheldon White, Dolphins director of college scouting Chris Grier, Packers director of player personnel Eliot Wolf and Seahawks director of college scouting Scott Fitterer. 

There's some speculation on how much power the GM will really have. If he's just going to be a yes-man for Kelly, it could be difficult for the Eagles to find a candidate for the job. But it's been close to a month, and the Eagles are reaching the point where they really need to fill the position so they can begin preparing for the 2015 offseason.

Re-Sign Jeremy Maclin

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Last season, the Eagles made the extremely controversial decision of releasing three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver DeSean Jackson. The move looked iffy at the time, but it looks even worse after Jackson turned in a great year with the Washington Redskins, including a pair of 100-yard games against the Eagles.

The Eagles absolutely cannot lose another great receiver this offseason, and that's what Jeremy Maclin became over the last 16 games. The former first-round pick caught 85 passes for 1,318 yards and 10 touchdowns en route to his first Pro Bowl selection.

Getting him signed to a long-term deal has to be one of the biggest priorities for the Eagles this offseason. Maclin, who will turn 27 this spring, has at least half his career left.

The Eagles have the cap space to ink him to a four- or five-year deal worth close to $10 million per season. He deserves to be the focal point of the offense with whomever the Eagles decide is their quarterback of the future.

Extend Fletcher Cox and Mychal Kendricks

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If this article was written one year ago, there would have been four Eagles players who were right in line for a contract extension after the 2014 season: defensive end Fletcher Cox, linebacker Mychal Kendricks, quarterback Nick Foles and cornerback Brandon Boykin. Those are your first-, second-, third- and fourth-round picks from the 2012 draft. 

Now, there are just two players who deserve to be extended this offseason: Cox and Kendricks. 

Cox emerged as one of the best defensive linemen in the National Football League, rating as a top-five 3-4 defensive end, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). He was named a second-team All-Pro. Just 24 years old, Cox should be signed to a five-year deal worth close to $10 million per season. 

Kendricks, also 24, missed five games with a calf injury, but he built on his late success from the 2013 season, establishing himself as one of the better inside linebackers in the NFL.

A true playmaker who has the range and speed to make plays from sideline to sideline, Kendricks is also one of the best pass-rushers on the team. He deserves a four- or five-year deal worth about $8 million per year.

Because of his disappointing 2014 season, there's no reason for the Eagles to extend Foles. He's not a free agent until after the 2015 season, so the Eagles have one more year to evaluate the former third-round pick. 

As for Boykin, there really doesn't seem to be any hope for him remaining in an Eagles uniform beyond the 2015 season. He's one of the best, perhaps the best, nickel cornerback in the NFL, but the Eagles continue to find ways not to start him.

At this point, Boykin would be foolish to remain in Philly—if the Eagles even wanted to bring him back—as another team will undoubtedly give him the chance to start.

Fix Secondary Through Draft And/or Free Agency

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Ask any Eagles fan the biggest need for the team heading into the offseason, and he or she will tell you it’s the pass defense. It’s pretty obvious that three of the starters (Cary Williams, Bradley Fletcher and Nate Allen) need to be replaced if the Eagles want any chance of competing in a packed NFC.

Throughout the 2014 season, the Eagles found themselves torched by a number of mediocre quarterbacks, including Kirk Cousins, Austin Davis and Zach Mettenberger. 

According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Fletcher allowed 1,072 passing yards, the highest total in the league, as well as nine touchdowns, second-most in the NFL.

Yet despite his struggles, defensive coordinator Billy Davis continued to keep Fletcher in the starting lineup, refusing to play nickel corner Brandon Boykin (six INTs in 2013) or veteran free-agent acquisition Nolan Carroll (65.0 passer rating allowed with Miami in 2013). 

Williams found himself the victim of a number of costly pass interference penalties, while Allen, despite collecting seven turnovers, never really found his groove after signing a one-year deal last offseason. 

Only Malcolm Jenkins, who recorded interceptions in three straight games in September, had a solid year and deserves to be brought back in 2015. 

Whether it's through the draft or free agency, the Eagles absolutely need to fix their secondary this offseason. It's a pretty weak safety draft class, with only Landon Collins worthy of a first-round pick, which is why the Eagles really need to go all-in on a player like Patriots safety Devin McCourty. 

At cornerback, the Eagles can make a push for Seattle corner Byron Maxwell, arguably the top free-agent corner in the league, or they can strive for a number of mid-range options, like Kareem Jackson, Chris Culliver or Antonio Cromartie. 

But the Eagles simply cannot go into another season with mediocrity in their defensive backfield, not if they want to compete for a Super Bowl title. 

Figure out Quarterback Situation

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It's been two years of the Chip Kelly era, going on year three, and we still have absolutely no idea who is Chip Kelly's long-term option at quarterback.

Is it former Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota, Kelly's quarterback at the University of Oregon? Trading up in the top of the first round would likely cost the Eagles up to three or four first-round picks, but if Mariota can play as well in Kelly's system as he did in college, the Eagles could be Super Bowl contenders pretty quickly.

If not Mariota, the Eagles have to decide whether or not Foles is the guy. A third-round pick in 2012, Foles threw for 27 touchdowns and two interceptions in 2013 before regressing in 2014.

He also missed the final eight games of the season with a broken collarbone—his third straight season with an injury. Foles is a free agent after 2015, so the Eagles essentially need to know if he's the guy within the next 16 games. 

It makes a lot of sense to draft a quarterback, possibly in the second or third round, in this year's draft. The Eagles are rumored to be fascinated with UCLA's Brett Hundley, whom Kelly had originally recruited to Oregon a few years ago. 

The Eagles really need to start preparing for the future before this season starts, because nobody has any idea what will happen with Foles this year.