Re-Signing Mychal Kendricks Was Right Move at Right Price for Eagles

For the longest time this offseason, it appeared Mychal Kendricks and the Philadelphia Eagles were destined to go their separate ways. The club traded for Kiko Alonso, extended DeMeco Ryans, signed Brad Jones and drafted Jordan Hicks in the third round out of Texas, all while nary a peep was made about Kendricks' expiring contract. There were even rumblings of a possible trade.

Then in typical Chip Kelly fashion, the Eagles head coach and chief personnel executive surprised everyone by turning around and also awarding Kendricks a long-term extension. The new deal is for four years and is worth $29 million total, including $16 million guaranteed, according to Albert Breer of NFL.com.

And, frankly, that may have been a bargain. Had Kelly waited for Kendricks to reach free agency in 2016, the Eagles might've been priced out on the open market.

YR	GMS	TKL	SCK	PD	INT	FF
2014	12	83	4.0	3	0	3
2013	15	106	4.0	4	3	2
2012	15	75	1.0	9	0	0

Kendricks may be one of the most underrated playmakers in the NFL, a linebacker who is on the cusp of making his first Pro Bowl. The fourth-year veteran is one of only three players in the league with at least eight sacks, five forced fumbles and three interceptions over the past two seasons. The other two: All-Pros Julius Peppers of the Green Bay Packers and Lavonte David of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Kendricks is a force in every phase of the game. He can fight off blocks and fill holes in the running game. He can rush the passer. He can eat up large chunks of field in coverage.

RANK	PLAYER	TEAM	AVG. SALARY
1	Bobby Wagner	SEA	$10.75M
2	Lawrence Timmons	PIT	$9.5M
3	Navorro Bowman	SF	$9.0M
4	Brian Cushing	HOU	$8.75M
5	James Laurinaitis	STL	$8.3M
6	Daryl Washington	ARZ	$8.0M
7	Donald Butler	SD	$7.4M
8	Mychal Kendricks	PHI	$7.25M

It's only appropriate Kendricks' new contract would make him among the highest-paid interior linebackers in the NFL. His average salary of $7.25 million per season ranks eighth at his position, according to Spotrac. That seems like a steal.

So why was there every any doubt Kendricks would be re-signed in the first place?

Again, the many moves the Eagles made at linebacker seemed to suggest somebody was going to be the odd man out, and Kendricks was the only one of the bunch with only one year remaining on his contract. When Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported afterward that the club had not approached the 2012 second-round pick about a new deal, the writing appeared to be on the wall.

The plot thickened when Kendricks wasn't attending voluntary workouts prior to the draft. Then the trade rumors picked up. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reported the Eagles were shopping the 24-year-old for a draft pick, while Kendricks' name was recklessly floated in one imaginary Marcus Mariota trade rumor after another.

Matt Rourke/Associated Press

As if all of that weren't enough, Kelly seemed to take a dig at Kendricks' durability at the NFL owners' meetings, telling reporters he felt the linebacker played well "when he was healthy." Add in the fact that Kendricks is undersized at 6'0", 240 pounds, and Kelly typically prefers bigger players, and the momentum for his exit was mounting.

Fast-forward to the start of training camp. Kendricks was still in Philadelphia and Kelly announced he wasn't going anywhere. "You can write that in ink," the head coach said.

Nobody quite realized the other thing that would be written in ink a few short weeks later was Kendricks' signature on a contract from the Eagles. There's still a question of how all of this will work with Alonso, Ryans and Hicks all in the shuffle. Of course, it doesn't matter anymore, either.

The Eagles did the right thing by retaining a great player whose best days are still ahead of them, and at a reasonable price at that.