Chip Kelly has proven that he is not afraid to make unorthodox moves and ones that surprise even the most informed insider. Need proof?
As much speculation and rumor spinning has been going on this offseason, no one predicted the moves that he actually made. Some suspected a possible move involving LeSean McCoy, but did any have the Buffalo Bills as the trade partner? Did they have him doing a player for player straight up (which is extremely rare)? Was Kiko Alonso’s name ever mentioned before the trade information leaked? The answer to all of them is no.
Some thought moving on from Nick Foles made sense. Those same said he would be traded as a way to move up to draft Mariota, either for a draft pick or packaged with one of the Eagles’ pick for a higher draft pick. The Rams were rumored to be trading partners, having the 10th overall pick and needing reliability/depth at the quarterback position. The 10th spot would put Kelly within range to move up on draft day to nab his surrogate son. We had it all figured out. It all made sense. And then the story hit that Foles was traded to the Rams and immediately our suspicions were confirmed (in our defense, the initial report had the Rams’ 1st round pick involved). But quickly the details came out that Foles was traded, along with a future 2nd round pick, for Sam Bradford…
…FOR SAM “I CAN’T STAY ON THE FIELD, BUT GOT 50 MILLION GUARANTEED” BRADFORD. No one saw that one coming. About a month later, and some of us have yet to get a grasp on the move, with others warming to the move. When I say “warming to the move,” I mean that as opposed to think that it was the “worst trade in history,” which was a phrase often uttered. Until he takes a snap in Midnight Green, there will be speculation about the trade and whether or not Bradford will actually be the team’s starting quarterback. A player for player trade is rare by itself, but a QB FOR QB TRADE? Almost unheard of. Over half a dozen Eagles have been rumored to be on the trading block, with Kelly himself saying that “no one is off limits” and that they are “listening to offers” for any player. We will delve into these players, their worth, and possible landing spots, starting with the newly acquired Bradford.
Sam Bradford: Former 1st overall pick out of Oklahoma, said to be the “safest” pick in the draft and the best prospect in years. He played great under Pat Shurmer in his first year with the Rams, winning rookie of the year and playing all 16 games. Unfortunately every season since, he has finished on the team’s IR list, including back to back ACL tears on the same leg for the last two years. In limited time, he has shown promise, poise, and great accuracy, but with a propensity to getting injured, it is not clear whether he can be trusted to stay on the field. That said, his accuracy, defense reading ability, and progression reading seem to make him a good fit in Chip Kelly’s offense. If he can get the ball out and make quick decisions, it should limit the amount of hits he takes. It has been confirmed that the Browns have offered one of their 1st round picks (19th overall) to the Rams and then the Eagles for his services. So far it looks like this trade will not be taken, or else it already would have been. Unless he is simply another trade chip to move up for Mariota, which many still speculate, then he is worth around or even more than a mid-late 1st round pick because of his immense talent. That is not to brush aside the idea of him still being a trade chip to move up in the draft, even though Kelly stated “I am the only Chip here.” Kelly is too unpredictable to not take that with a grain of salt.
Value: mid-1st round pick
Chance of trade: low to moderate
Matt Barkley: Uber productive talent for the Trojans and was projected as a 2nd round pick but slide on draft day. Picked by the Eagles in the 4th round of the 2013 NFL Draft and has been stuck as the 3rd quarterback since. He was behind Mike Vick and Nick Foles, then Foles and Mark Sanchez, and now Bradford and Sanchez. He has barely made it on the field in the regular season and was a disaster when he was forced to. He hasn’t seen a sniff of playing time since and does not seem to be in the team’s short or long term quarterbacking plans. The team is reportedly looking for a mid-late round pick for him, meaning that he is of little to no value. The Eagles are probably better off dealing him to whatever team will offer a 6th or a 7th round pick and moving on.
Value: late round pick at best
Chance of trade: moderate (only because no team has shown interest)
Brandon Boykin: 4th year cornerback out of Georgia, selected in the 4th round. Boykin has been the team’s slot corner since his drafting, and has held that roll admirably. He lead the team in interceptions (6) in the 2013 season and is one of the best defensive playmakers the Eagles have. Unfortunately because of his size (5’10” and ~180lbs), Chip Kelly has kept him as a slot corner exclusively and has yet to start on the outside. This greatly diminishes his value, at least for the Eagles, because Kelly has made it clear that his outside corners are 6’ and up. That said, the coach claimed that Boykin has been given a chance to compete on the outside, but since he never played, that would lead one to assume that he was beaten out by Bradley Fletcher…right. Whether or not this is true, his star potential and drive to start make him an attractive young DB for another team. It seems likely the Eagles wouldn’t spend big money on a exclusively slot corner, because of the lack of versatility and percentage of playing time, and Boykin has voiced his opinion that he wants a chance to start. He is also entering into his last season on his rookie contract and will be looking for a sizeable contract in a year. Put this all together and we’ve got a player on the trading block. The Dolphins has been confirmed to have interest, both of their starting corners are sub-6’, but we do not have any details. Dion Jordan’s name has been thrown around, but Kelly has already shot that idea down.
Value: mid round pick or a late rounder plus a “scheme fit” player
Chance of trade: high (likely to be a draft day trade as a way to move up in a round)
Evan Mathis: 33 year old all-pro guard that has been ranked in the top 10 (for offensive guards) by Pro Football Focus each of the last three seasons. Last offseason, Mathis spoke out about wanting a new, more lucrative deal. This makes sense because he has outplayed his contract, which still allots him upwards of 6 million for the remainder of the deal, and he has the infamous Drew Rosenhaus as his agent. Kelly has made it clear that a new deal will not happen, but that Mathis and Rosenhaus can talk with other teams to see if anyone is interested. If a team is interested in acquiring him and will give him a better contract, than Kelly will trade him for the right compensation. Seeing as he is a prime candidate to decline because of his age, the Eagles could look to move him to get some value out of him before there isn’t any left. That said, Kelly has said that he wants him back and is not “seeking a trade.” Because of his age, his value has been speculated at around a mid round pick. If Kelly is only offered a 6th or a 7th, then he will probably just keep him another year and then possibly cut him.
Value: mid round pick
Chance of trade: low (if it didn’t happen last offseason, I see no reason it would this time)
Mychal Kendricks: Another pro-bowl caliber talent that appears to not be a scheme fit for Chip Kelly. Kendricks always seemed to be around the ball last year for the inside linebacking position opposite DeMeco Ryans. He has amazing range, sideline-to-sideline speed, covering ability, and sure tackling. Kendricks has been one of the only consistent play makers for the Eagles defense over past couple years but along with the other, the aforementioned Boykin, he may be traded this offseason. He has had some injury problems, always seeming to get injured at the worst time. But compared to the players Kelly is investing in he is an iron man, missing four games last year. Kelly made a point to mention his injuries during his most recent press conference, which seemed like an unnecessary slight. In the McCoy trade, Kiko Alonso was acquired and Ryans has been extended, which means the Eagles have three starting caliber linebackers for the ILB position. Kendricks is a bit undersized at a hair under 6’0”, which, again, is a bugaboo for Kelly. He is entering the last year of his rookie contract and has not been contacted for an extension, making him another piece to be moved to get value out of him before he leaves next year.
Value: mid round pick
Chance of trade: high (same as Boykin)
Vinny Curry: The third player in a row that has been very productive, is in the last year of his rookie contract, hasn’t been contacted for an extension, seems to be undersized and a misfit in Kelly’s defense. The defense end for the Eagles had 9 sacks last season, while playing less than 40% of the snaps. Curry has been the pass rusher in rotation with Cedric Thornton as the run stopper. It is believed that Kelly doesn’t want one-dimensional players, like the pure pass rushing Curry, so he is another potential trade chip.
Value: mid to late round pick
Chance of trade: low to moderate (no rumors have surfaced and he has not really been shopped)
Like I said before, nobody knows what Kelly is going to do. He could keep all these guys and trade Fletcher Cox/Ryan Mathews or he could trade a bunch of them for draft picks to move up and acquire Mariota. This is speculation season, but this is a lay out of Kelly’s possibilities and the general consensus on the situation on each player. Keep an eye on these guys up until and during the draft, Chip may have some tricks up his sleeve.
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