Here's a position by position look at what the Eagles offensive needs are going into the offseason. The defensive needs are coming soon.
| Quarterback |
| Pretty stable here. McNabb is locked up till the end of time and A.J. Feeley will be back. Second stringer Koy Detmer is a free agent but is likely to resign with the Birds. |
| Running Back |
 Duce Staley showed the NFL and the Eagles that his Lis Franc injury was fully healed in 2002, garnering the Eagles Offensive MVP award with a 1,000-yard rushing performance and continued excellence in the passing game. Staley, along with veteran Dorsey Levens and rookie Brian Westbrook carried the running load after Correll Buckhalter went down with a knee injury during minicamp. Buckhalter should be back in 2003 along with Westbrook, but Staley and Levens' Philadelphia futures are up in the air.
Despite his immense popularity in Philly Staley has a significant cap number in 2003 and with Buckhalter returning he could become a cap casualty. If Staley is retained then Levens' fate would be all but sealed. He provided some nice veteran presence but would be a luxury in '03. A trio of Buckhalter, Staley and Westbrook should keep halfback on the low priority list.
Fullback is a different story. Cecil Martin is a wonderful person and a popular Eagle but he is limited in his ability. He's not a particularly strong blocker, has no running skills, and is an average pass catcher. The Eagles should look to upgrade if they can.
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| Potential Draftees: Musa Smith, Georgia (2nd Rd.), Cecil Sapp, Colorado State (2nd Rd.), Dahrran Deidrick, Nebraska (4-5th Rd.) |
| Wide Receiver |
 Todd Pinkston proved he's capable of being a consistent deep threat by becoming Feeley's go-to guy. He's become a lot better at getting off the line and should continue to get better in 2003.
James Thrash regressed a bit when McNabb went down and didn't seem to get open very often. He'll continue to be a starter but the Eagles should start looking for someone to make him the third receiver. Freddie Mitchell's future with Philadelphia hinges on his training camp performance. Mitchell had a golden opportunity to take the third WR spot last season and played so poorly he ended up playing special teams. Andy Reid is praying his '01 1st rounder isn't a complete bust. Antonio Freeman, who was signed to be the third wideout, has a chance to be back in'03 if he can stomach another pay cut. Chad Lewis had another steady season but his dropped balls and inability to get down the seam are concerns. The Eagles saw the difference Jeremy Shockey made with the Giants and may look toget more athletic at tight end. Bottom line - the Eagles need another offensive weapon if they're going to take that last step forward.
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| Potential Draftees: Jason Witten, Tennessee (1st Rd.), Bryant Johnson, Penn State (1st Rd.), Brandon Lloyd, Illinois (1st Rd.) |
| Offensive Line |
 After a shaky start to the season the offensive line came together to provide strong pass protection and continued zeal for run blocking.
Tackles Tra Thomas and Jon Runyan, as well as guard Jermane Mayberry were All-Pros while guard John Welbourn and center Hank Fraley improved on their solid 2001 seasons. Depth is a bit of a concern along the line. Doug Brzezinski is valuable as a back up at guard and center while second round bust guard Bobbie Williams actually dressed this season but was far from making a contribution. Brzezinski is an unrestricted free agent and will probably be starting somewhere in '03. Free agent tackle Artis Hicks was on the Eagles practice squad is considered a development project. Center Scott Peters, a 2002 4th round pick, should be able to contribute next season. With suck a lack of depth the Eagles would be smart to look at some o-line help towards the middle of the draft. If not, Reid needs to find some veteran help through free agency. Former Eagle Ryan Schau, a versatile performer lost to the Texans in the expansion draft, is an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
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| Potential Draftees: Wayne Hunter, Hawaii (3rd-4th Rd.), Kevin Breedlove, Georgia (4th Rd.), Dustin Rykert, BYU (6th-7th Rd.) |
