Philadelphia Eagles: Reassessing Draft Needs After First Wave of Free Agency
The first wave of free agency was anything but boring for Philadelphia Eagles fans, as head coach (and newly appointed general manager Chip Kelly) made arguably the most shocking move of the offseason.
"Get to know our newest quarterback in the #Eagles Nest, Sam Bradford: http://t.co/jsxx3aOF1d pic.twitter.com/ozOzchxSoO
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) March 10, 2015"
Not only did the Eagles give away a Pro Bowl quarterback in Nick Foles, but they did so for a quarterback with a $13 million base salary in 2015 and coming off two consecutive torn ACLs—and St. Louis got a second-round pick from the Eagles in 2016, according to ESPN.com's Phil Sheridan.
It’s beyond perplexing, to the point that one can’t help but wonder whether Kelly wants to use Bradford as part of a trade package to move up in the draft and acquire Marcus Mariota. After all, Bleacher Report's Jason Cole reported earlier this month that several teams would rather take a chance with Bradford rather than either Jameis Winston or Mariota, and Kelly says he has already received trade offers for Bradford.
"""Eagles HC Chip Kelly said his team was offered a first-round pick this morning for his QB Sam Bradford.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 11, 2015"
Of course, Kelly vehemently denies his interest in Mariota, but then again, he also endorsed Foles as his quarterback "for the next 1,000 years," per NFL Media's Albert Breer (h/t NFL.com's Chris Wesseling).
The next six weeks will reveal if anything will happen. If Kelly is doing to get Mariota, he’ll probably try to pull off a blockbuster trade before draft day. And if he really wants to build his franchise around Bradford, he’s going to need to make the team much better, starting with free agency. The following positions are crucial in getting upgraded.
Wide Receiver
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Chip Kelly better have a plan at wide receiver, because he’s now lost DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin in consecutive seasons, each of whom was coming off a Pro Bowl campaign.
Jackson was shockingly released, while the Philadelphia Eagles were outbid for Jeremy Maclin, according to reports compiled by Bleeding Green Nation's Brandon Lee Gowton. The Kansas City Chiefs officially announced the signing of Maclin Wednesday.
Regardless of what happened, that leaves just Jordan Matthews, Josh Huff and Riley Cooper as viable options at receiver. That’s a dangerously thin receiving corps, and Kelly will need to spend a first-round draft pick on a receiver if he wants Bradford to succeed.
Arizona State’s Jaelen Strong is a big, strong receiver who will probably be available when the Eagles pick 20th. Dorial Green-Beckham will likely be there, and while the talent is there, Kelly will have to take a chance regarding Green-Beckham’s character. Other options include Auburn’s Sammie Coates, Central Florida’s Breshad Perriman or Stanford’s Ty Montgomery, all of whom possess the size Kelly covets in his receivers.
Safety
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The Philadelphia Eagles really could have used the services of All-Pro safety Devin McCourty via free agency, because the draft class is awfully thin at safety.
Outside of Alabama’s Landon Collins, there’s no surefire first- or even second-round prospect.
Louisville’s Gerod Holliman is a ball hawk (14 interceptions in 2014), but he also misses an incredible amount of tackles. TCU’s Chris Hackett is a mid-round prospect. So is Virginia’s Anthony Harris.
The Eagles could take a leap of faith that one of those players can turn into a promising contributor in the future, but the team may be looking at another year of Nate Allen and Earl Wolff vying for starting spots opposite Malcolm Jenkins.
Right Guard
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When Chip Kelly released veteran guard Todd Herremans, it opened up a slot on the offensive line.
The Philadelphia Eagles may go with backup Allen Barbre as a 2015 starter, given that he was signed to a three-year contract extension last year. They could go with Andrew Gardner, who played well in a limited role in ’14, or Matt Tobin, who was a preseason star.
But given the ages of both Jason Peters (33) and Evan Mathis (33), it makes sense for Kelly to target some younger offensive linemen. Lane Johnson is the future left tackle, and Jason Kelce is entrenched as the starting center, but a versatile lineman who can play both tackle and guard would be ideal for the Eagles.
A mid-round prospect like Ty Sambrailo or Ali Marpet would likely suffice.
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Cornerback
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The Philadelphia Eagles may have overpaid for Byron Maxwell, but they did get a tall, physical corner with the talent to become a No. 1 cornerback. Opposite Maxwell, the Eagles may go with Walter Thurmond, whose signing they officially announced Wednesday; they may go with Brandon Boykin, but they may also need to address the position via the NFL draft.
Rookie cornerbacks typically struggle in the National Football League, so even if the team does draft a corner in the first round, he may be a backup initially. That would allow either Thurmond or Boykin to start, the other to play in the nickel role and the rookie to play as a fourth cornerback when necessary.
There’s also Nolan Carroll and last year’s fourth-round rookie, Jaylen Watkins, in the mix, which does give Philadelphia a sort-of logjam at the cornerback position. Either way, another young corner to groom is probably necessary, especially since Watkins showed little to nothing as a rookie.
Running Back
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The Philadelphia Eagles traded away running back LeSean McCoy for a promising young linebacker, but what that did was open up a void at running back.
The team ranked fourth in rushing attempts in 2013 and seventh in 2014, so you know Chip Kelly is going to want to run the football. And if he’s really planning on entering 2015 with Sam Bradford as his starting quarterback, he’s going to need a top-flight running game to take the slack off of Bradford.
The team did agree to a deal with ex-San Diego Chargers back Ryan Mathews on a three-year deal, adding him to a backfield that also includes Darren Sproles and Chris Polk.
"Eagles and former Chargers RB Ryan Mathews officially have reached agreement on 3-year, $11.5 million deal that includes $5M gtd, per source
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 11, 2015"
Considering Mathews’ extensive injury history, the Eagles could still use another back. Will it be DeMarco Murray? Reports indicate that Murray has reached out to Philadelphia, according to ESPN's Ed Werder, and new Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford stated that he is attempting to recruit Murray as well.
If the Eagles sign Murray, that’s a fine backfield. If they don’t sign Murray, they could still use a draft pick to come in and compete for a spot, especially with it being arguably the deepest running back class ever.
Quarterback
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Is quarterback a need or isn't it?
Chip Kelly can't possibly look at Sam Bradford as a long-term quarterback, can he? Is Bradford part of a trade chip in Kelly's quest to get Marcus Mariota? Is Bradford a one-year rental while Kelly drafts a quarterback to groom?
No one knows.
The NFL draft will ultimately reveal Kelly's long-term plan. He'll have to consider Mariota. He'll have to consider UCLA's Brett Hundley. He'll probably even consider Baylor's Bryce Petty or Oregon State's Sean Mannion or anyone who may be a good signal-caller to run the offense.
Whatever Kelly ultimately does, it will probably be something we don't expect.
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