One must go back to LeSean McCoy in 2014 to find the last time the Philadelphia Eagles returned their leading rusher from the previous season.

The Eagles cut DeMarco Murray after 2015. They cut Ryan Mathews after 2016.

The Eagles won’t be cutting their 2017 leading rusher, LeGarrette Blount. But the veteran rusher might not be back since he’s set to be a free agent in March.

Blount discussed his impending free agency, among other topics, in a recent interview with NFL Network.

.@LG_Blount coming back to the @Eagles?



"It's early, so we'll see. Obviously I like it a lot there. They like me a lot there. It's a mutual respect."



: @NFLTotalAccess pic.twitter.com/VhIOvcgNP6 — NFL Network (@nflnetwork) February 19, 2018

Q: Have the Eagles told you they want to bring you back? BLOUNT: It’s early. So we’ll see. Obviously I like it a lot there. They like me a lot there. It’s a mutual respect and a mutual agreement thing, about how we feel about each other. Obviously, you guys know how I feel about the guys, about the team. I love those guys. I can’t say enough about [running backs coach] Duce [Staley]. Just for the simple fact that how I was coached there. How good he helped me understand things. I feel like Duce is one the best running back coaches — one of the best coaches I’ve ever had in my entire life [period]. Obviously I want to be a part of that for a while, so we’ll see how it goes.

You can see the genuine enthusiasm Blount speaks with when he’s talking about Staley. That reflects well on the Eagles’ potential next offensive coordinator.

As for Blount’s future, it sounds like does have interest in returning.

Q: How you were you running backs able to coexist? BLOUNT: We knew that we had added a playmaker to our room with Jay [Ajayi]. A Pro Bowler. A guy that’s rushed for multiple 200 yards games. A hard runner. Make guys miss in space. We knew we added another playmaker to our room, so obviously we were going to welcome him with open arms. You know, they talked to me throughout the process of it happening. ‘We’re trading for Jay Ajayi, we just wanted to let you know.’ Like I said, that’s obviously another big thing for me, is the honesty in that building and how open they are. And how they feel like they don’t have to keep any kind of secrets from you. They just tell you how it is. Like I said, that’s a big respect thing. And like I said, Duce is the first person to reach out to me and be like ‘Hey, we traded for Jay Ajayi. I just wanted to let you know.’ So again, man, that’s why it’s a place that I love. I just hope to stay there.

I don’t doubt that Blount hopes to stay. That’s not the question here.

The question is if the Eagles want to bring Blount back. The 8-year veteran will turn 32 years old this season. With Philadelphia being so limited on cap space, Howie Roseman will have to manage his resources carefully. He might not be able to give Blount an offer that beats out other teams.

Whether he’s back or not, Blount will always be appreciated for his contributions. He ended up being a great locker room guy, which is apparent in his relationship with Corey Clement in the NFL Network interview.

Q: What does Clement need to do to take it to the next level? BLOUNT: I mean y’all seen him do everything. He can run the ball really well. He can catch it really well. He can block really well. He was a hidden gem in this past year’s draft. He was a hidden gem, so. Man, look at this! [laughs, realizes Clement is in studio with the interviewers] He was a hidden gem, man. He can do everything really well. Duce molded him into the player that he wanted him to become. Obviously he’s going to be a really good player in this league for a really long time. I told Duce this, and I was like ‘Man, listen. You molded him into what you wanted, what you need in your backfield. So just make whatever it takes, just keep him in Philadelphia as long as you possibly can. Or if you leave, just take him with you because you know you got exactly what you need in an all-around back with him.

You can also see the kind of respect Clement had for a veteran presence like Blount.

CLEMENT: Working with LeGarrette Blount has been a tremendous opportunity that any rookie possibly could dream of. Learning from a Super Bowl champ life himself really doesn’t come around a lot. Being in the room with him, I learned so much. Just from Week 1 to the Super Bowl. I feel as though we can keep growing, being on the same page as one another. Like he said, trust is really what got this running back room so close. Just being with somebody who worked so hard each day. Doesn’t take the foot off the gas. It’s something I’ll always admire, bro.

For more on the Eagles’ running back situation, check out our outlook on the position.