Eagles Showing Significant Interest in LSU RB Derrius Guice

PHILADELPHIA (973espn.com) - The Eagles are not being shy when it comes to their interest in LSU running back Derrius Guice.

Members of the organization went down to Baton Rouge today to speak with Guice and will work him out in advance of a scheduled top-30 visit to South Philadelphia early next week.

That's significant due diligence on a player that is believed to carry a first-round grade from Howie Roseman and Joe Douglas and also could be around at No. 32 when the Super Bowl champions are scheduled to select on April 26.

Most NFL personnel people have first-round grades on anywhere from 20 to 23 players, that according to three different league scouts who have discussed the upcoming draft with 973espn.com.

Furthermore, while not a glaring need, the Eagles could use some help at running back after losing LeGarrette Blount in free agency to Detroit.

Jay Ajayi and Corey Clement are penciled in as the top options in the backfield right now but Ajayi has a chronic knee issue that is always a concern while Clement is still largely unproven even if he excelled in a limited role last season as an undrafted rookie.

"Having another running back, you don't know Jay Ajayi, in terms of long-term, what you have there," NFL Network Draft analyst and former Eagled scout Daniel Jeremiah said on a conference call earlier this week. "And they showed last year having a bunch of guys you could roll through there was valuable."

-John McMullen covers the Eagles and the NFL for 973espn.com. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen