Upgrade/Downgrade: Making the Call on Philadelphia Eagles' Offseason Additions

It's been head coach Chip Kelly's first season as the guy with complete control of every move involving the Philadelphia Eagles, and it's been a totally wild ride. 

Kelly has completely turned over the team, parting ways with franchise cornerstones like Nick Foles, LeSean McCoy, Jeremy Maclin, Todd Herremans and Trent Cole. He's added big names like Sam Bradford, DeMarco Murray, Ryan Mathews, Kiko Alonso and Byron Maxwell. 

He's been wildly unpredictable, having shown that he's willing to trade any of the players currently on his roster—that's just not something you see a head coach do. 

It's still up in the air whether the Eagles have improved or not this offseason, and a lot depends on what happens at quarterback. Count me among the many who still think that Kelly plans to trade up in the draft for Marcus Mariota. 

While what happens at quarterback will likely shape the roster for the next half-decade or longer, let's take a look at five positions on the Eagles, analyzing whether the team has upgraded or downgraded at those spots this offseason. 

Sam Bradford vs. Nick Foles

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In one of the most shocking trades in franchise history, Kelly dealt quarterback Nick Foles, a second-round pick in 2016 and a fourth-round pick in 2015 to the St. Louis Rams for veteran quarterback Sam Bradford and a fifth-round pick in 2015.

Foles, who posted the third-highest single-season passer rating in NFL history in 2013 when he threw for 27 touchdowns and only two interceptions, experienced severe regression in 2014. He threw for 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions and missed the final eight games of the season with a broken collarbone. 

Bradford, on the other hand, hasn't been much better in St. Louis. After winning Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2010, he's experienced major injuries in three of the last four seasons, including a torn ACL in each of 2013 and 2014. He's never had even an average supporting cast, but he's also shown that he's not good enough to make plays without great teammates. 

Bradford, 27, could just be a pawn in an eventual trade for Kelly's Heisman-winning college quarterback, Marcus Mariota, or he could be the next Drew Brees, the future of the Eagles. The big question, besides whether he can actually play well in Kelly's offense, centers around his health. 

Bradford is about equal in talent level to Foles, but he's also a little older, more expensive and more injury-prone. The Eagles stayed about the same in talent at quarterback, but their overall quarterback situation— factoring money, injuries and talent—decreased this offseason. 

DeMarco Murray & Ryan Mathews vs. LeSean McCoy

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LeSean McCoy turned in the best season by a running back in Eagles history during Kelly's first season as head coach. He averaged more than 100 yards per game, collecting the 2013 rushing title. McCoy also benefited from a group of offensive linemen that made 85 of 85 starts during the season. 

But in 2014, McCoy suffered through a frustrating campaign, rushing for more than 1,300 yards but averaging just 4.2 yards per carry. He had three separate games with fewer than 25 rushing yards and he appeared to have noticeably lost a step.

Then again, McCoy had to deal with an offensive line on which Evan Mathis, Jason Kelce, Todd Herremans and Lane Johnson each missed significant time (the first three due to injuries and the fourth due to suspension).

Kelly decided to trade McCoy and his high salary in 2015 for a young stud linebacker, Kiko Alonso. In his place, he added the league's rushing champion from last season, DeMarco Murray, plus veteran Ryan Mathews. 

The combination of Murray and Mathews will make less money in 2015 than McCoy would have. Each of Murray and Mathews, both downhill runners, is also more Kelly's style of runner than McCoy, whose shiftiness and bouncing of runs to the outside isn't the best fit for the Eagles' head coach. 

Murray and Mathews have each struggled with injuries, but both will benefit from significantly fewer carries.

Murray carried 392 times in 2014, and his 497 touches, including the postseason, were the sixth-highest single-season total in NFL history.

Mathews, who has played all 16 games in an NFL season just once, will likely carry the ball just eight to 10 times per game. 

In all, the combination of Murray and Mathews is an upgrade over McCoy. 

Kiko Alonso vs. DeMeco Ryans

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The 2015 Eagles might have the best set of linebackers in franchise history, with Connor Barwin and Brandon Graham on the outside, and Mychal Kendricks and Kiko Alonso manning the inside. 

It's Alonso, recently traded to Philadelphia from the Buffalo Bills for All-Pro running back LeSean McCoy, who might be the best of the four. 

In 2013, Alonso was one of the best rookies in the NFL, collecting 159 tackles, four interceptions, two sacks and two fumble recoveries. But he suffered a torn ACL right before training camp in 2014, eventually missing his entire sophomore season.

Alonso will have had 14 months to recover before the start of the 2015 season. That should be more than enough time, especially in a generation when players quickly recover from injuries that used to be career-threatening, like ACL tears.

Alonso will replace veteran DeMeco Ryans in the middle of the defense, and while Alonso hasn't proven to be the leader that Ryan is, he's a significantly better player. He's terrific in coverage, a very good pass-rusher and solid against the run. Ryans, on the other hand, struggled in coverage. He's also recovering from his second torn Achilles in the last five seasons, and at age 31, he's likely declining in ability. 

Alonso, just 24, has two more years left on his rookie deal and will be given every chance to solidify himself as one of the best linebackers in the National Football League. 

Byron Maxwell vs. Eagles

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Despite his reputation as a poor cornerback, Cary Williams wasn't really as bad as he was perceived to be in Philadelphia.

He allowed five touchdown passes and an 89.5 passer rating in 2014, plus seven penalties, but he played well the previous season. He intercepted three passes and allowed an 80.6 passer rating during his first season as a No. 1 cornerback in the National Football League. 

With Williams now in Seattle, the Eagles looked to the free-agent market for the top available player at the position. That would be Byron Maxwell, whose six-year, $63 million contract stands as the second-largest in Eagles free-agency history. 

The pressure on Maxwell will be tremendous, especially in a division featuring three dominant No. 1 receivers: Dez Bryant, Odell Beckham and DeSean Jackson.

Maxwell has never been a No. 1 cornerback. In fact, he comes from the Legion of Boom, where he was the fourth-most important starter in the league's best defensive backfield. Now he's the most important starter on one of the worst secondaries in the game. 

Maxwell, just 27, is younger and more talented than Williams. He still has his best years ahead of him, and although he commits way too many penalties, he's tremendous at not allowing big plays. In fact, he's allowed just four touchdowns while intercepting six passes over the past two seasons.

Maxwell stands as a big upgrade over Cary Williams, even if he was vastly overpaid by the Eagles in free agency. 

Walter Thurmond vs. Bradley Fletcher

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Bradley Fletcher was one of the worst starting cornerbacks in the National Football League in 2014. He was beyond awful—so bad that the Eagles finally benched him in Week 17 against the New York Giants.

But by that point, the damage had already been done, as Fletcher allowed 1,072 passing yards, the most in the NFL, as well as nine touchdowns. Against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 15, Fletcher allowed three touchdown passes to Dez Bryant in a game that the Eagles lost 38-27, costing them any realistic chance at a second straight division title. 

Fletcher, a free agent, was not pursued by the Eagles before signing a one-year deal with the New England Patriots. His replacement, Walter Thurmond, was signed by the team during the first week of free agency. 

In fairness, Thurmond is not necessarily the starter at outside cornerback opposite of Byron Maxwell. Kelly says that Thurmond, Nolan Carroll and Brandon Boykin will compete for the No. 2 starting job. 

Thurmond, while unproven and inexperienced as a starter, really can't be any worse than Fletcher. He played very well as Seattle's nickel corner in 2013, allowing zero touchdown passes and a 74.6 passer rating, per Pro Football Focus. 

Considering that Fletcher, in the season's final month, was the biggest reason that the Eagles missed the playoffs, Thurmond is definitely an upgrade at the position.