Over the past two seasons, no running back has more rushing attempts than fifth-most cap space this offseason.

Much of that money can be used for things like re-signing “rumblings” of interest in Mark Ingram have been thrown out into the world.

Two names, though, were the first to be thrown around on Tuesday night: DeMarco Murray and C.J. Spiller. On the surface, both suggestions make sense. Murray just came off a season that netted him Offensive Player of the Year, and signing him away from the Dallas Cowboys would appear to be a shot to weaken a division rival. Spiller is a now displaced free agent due to the trade that sent McCoy to Spiller’s former team.

Both of those backs also come with their own drawbacks. Kelly just jettisoned a 26-year-old overpaid back with the most carries over the past two years, so it’s unlikely the Eagles will pay a premium for similar back who’s five months older. Before his shoulder injury ended his season, Spiller was worth -0.2 NEP per attempt, the fifth worst rate among 79 running backs with at least 40 carries.

A more likely free agent signing for the Eagles could be an overlooked back like Frank Gore, or an underlooked one like Roy Helu. While it’s fun to try to replace a start with another, that shouldn’t be a route the Eagles are expected to go.

The Draft

Without an inclusion of draft picks in the return for McCoy, it seems more likely the Eagles will be using their current picks to replenish the roster instead of making a run to trade up for Marcus Mariota. There should be a ton of value at running back in this year’s draft class. Like the approach to free agency, we shouldn’t expect a flash to be made. Philadelphia will probably look elsewhere with the 20th pick than Todd Gurley or Melvin Gordon. The Eagles could start looking in the second round for a back, where options like Boise State’s Jay Ajayi -- who ranks highly in athletic measurables -- or Nebraska’s Ameer Abdullah come in play.

The decision to trade away LeSean McCoy left a big hole in the backfield for the Eagles. It also left multiple options for that hole to be filled. There’s no one answer for what Philadelphia should do, and there’s no saying there’s only one thing the Eagles will do. The Eagles made a major move to create the need in the backfield, and the move to fill it is almost guaranteed to not be as big. That also doesn’t mean they won’t be better off.