Why the Philadelphia Eagles Would Be Foolish to Trade Mychal Kendricks

It's been one of the craziest stretches in the history of the Philadelphia Eagles, as head coach Chip Kelly has completely turned over the roster in the last few weeks.

He's released Todd Herremans, Trent Cole and Cary Williams. He's traded Nick Foles and LeSean McCoy for Sam Bradford and Kiko Alonso. He's allowed Jeremy Maclin to walk. And he's signed DeMarco Murray, Ryan Mathews and Byron Maxwell in free agency. 

The Eagles could have as many as 10 new starters in 2015, and Kelly may not even be finished making moves. The big one, of course, is whether he will be able to find a way to trade for his former college quarterback, Heisman winner Marcus Mariota.

But some of the under-the-radar speculation that has slowly been picking up steam among the fanbase is the uncertainty regarding inside linebacker Mychal Kendricks.

Kendricks, a second-round pick in the 2012 draft, has established himself as a Pro Bowl-caliber player and one of the better young playmaking linebackers in the National Football League. Just 24 years old, Kendricks has emerged as a force over the last year-and-a-half, and he's eligible for a contract extension this offseason that could keep him in Philadelphia for the next half-decade.

Yet don't be surprised if Kendricks doesn't receive that extension. In fact, don't be surprised if the team's best linebacker since Jeremiah Trotter opens the 2015 season wearing another uniform.

There have been too many warning signs that Kendricks' days with the Eagles could be numbered, and it's really a shame because No. 95 has quickly become a fan favorite for his play in the middle of the field. 

The most telling sign that Kendricks could be on his way out of Philly is the simple fact that veteran inside linebacker DeMeco Ryans is still on the roster. With Connor Barwin and Brandon Graham on the outside and Kiko Alonso and Mychal Kendricks on the inside, there's absolutely no reason for Ryans to remain on the team.

In fact, Ryans, who turns 31 this offseason, should be the most obvious roster cut on the team.

He's scheduled to earn $6.9 million in 2015, and for a team that has just $7.65 million in available cap space, per Over the Cap, this is an easy way to virtually double its available space.

Ryans is also coming off a second torn Achilles in the last half-decade, an injury that occurred in early November and could easily affect him until the start of the 2015 season.

His talent has been declining over the last few seasons, and he's now a major liability in coverage and isn't much of a force in the run game. In fact, the drop-off from Ryans to backups Casey Matthews and Najee Goode in the second half of the season wasn't as noticeable as many may have expected. 

Why in the world would a head coach obsessed with salary-cap space turn down an opportunity to practically double his available space just to keep a backup linebacker? Ryans could be the greatest vocal leader in the world, but he's not worth $7 million as a backup.

Could he possibly be on the roster because Kelly has a good idea that Ryans will be needed as a starter for the 2015 season? After all, he went out of his way to praise Ryans at the end of the 2014 season. He has never done that for Kendricks.

When the Eagles brought in Buffalo Bills linebacker Kiko Alonso to man the middle of the defense, it may have helped seal Kendricks' fate.

The possibility of trading Kendricks isn't just some unsubstantiated rumor. It was originally suggested by Philly.com's Jeff McLane in his offseason preview on March 4.

"It wouldn’t come as a complete surprise if Kendricks was part of another trade," McLane wrote. "He’s an ascending player, but he pre-dates Kelly’s arrival, doesn’t fall under Kelly’s big-people-beat-up-little-people preference on defense, and could be better suited to play outside linebacker in a 4-3 scheme."

"

Ray Didinger reporting on WIP some #Eagles coaches aren't as high on Mychal Kendricks as most fans. May be on the trading block.

— Brenden Peddigree (@brendenp2011) March 14, 2015"

He doesn't fit the prototypical build of a Chip Kelly linebacker. Kendricks is just 5'11", and while he's certainly strong and fast enough to man the middle of the field, he doesn't have the size the head coach requires. After all, Kelly has become famous for stating that "bigger people beat up little people." Just take a look at the other linebackers Kelly has brought in over the last two seasons. 

"

Kelly has acquired Barwin: 6'4 Jones: 6'3 Brahman: 6'5 Long: 6'4 Smith: 6'3 Alonso: 6'3 Acho: 6'2 Goode: 6'0 Kendricks is 5'11

— Jesus Zoidberg (@JesusZoidberg) March 14, 2015"

It's not that Kelly doesn't care about linebackers. He does. His first two moves of the offseason involved an inside linebacker. He brought in veteran Brad Jones as a depth signing and traded for Alonso.

In fact, those moves almost seem like a coach preparing to move on from a player he's not willing to pay. After all, it's not a coincidence that the Eagles have not yet approached Kendricks about a contract extension, per Philly.com's Jeff McLane, which should be a priority considering his stellar play on the field in 2014.

Now, trading Kendricks would be a mistake.

That's for sure. It doesn't matter how big Kendricks is. He's one of the Eagles' leaders on the defensive side of the ball.

His numbers over the last two seasons show that he's quickly becoming one of the more feared linebackers in the game. His calf injury in 2014 cost him four games, and while his turnovers dropped dramatically, his overall game improved, as evidenced by his Pro Football Focus rating. 

Year	Games	Tackles	Sacks	Turnovers	PFF Rating
2013	16	113	4	7	-6.5
2014	12	83	4	0	19.1

Kendricks, who deserves a four- or five-year contract extension worth $8 or $9 million per season, feels like a perfect trade chip for Kelly to either acquire a playmaking wide receiver or move up in the draft for Mariota.

Personally, it feels like trading Kendricks would be a mistake. Kelly chose to get rid of LeSean McCoy, DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin, placing faith in his offensive system to replace great players who may not have been the best scheme fits.

But on the defensive side of the ball—where talent is harder to find, considering Kelly's background as an offensive guy—it makes sense to find a way to work with the great players already on the team instead of moving on from a player just because he's a little on the small side.

Kendricks, with three years under his belt, has as much value, if not more, than a first-round pick. After all, every rookie is a crapshoot, but Kendricks is still young and is an established star with many years left in his prime. Which would you rather have: the 20th overall pick and a player with a 50-50 chance of being very good, or a young linebacker who has already proved to be very good?

But Kelly may be planning to eventually extend Alonso, who has two more years on his rookie deal, rather than pay Kendricks, whose rookie salary should end this offseason. It all comes down to how much money the head coach wants to commit at linebacker, and don't forget he's also paying Connor Barwin and Brandon Graham.

In the end, Kelly may see Kendricks as a strong but flawed player who can help him land a great player, a great draft pick or the ultimate prize of Mariota.