Philadelphia Eagles: Analyzing Latest NFL Draft Reports and Rumors
If Chip Kelly's 2015 offseason has shown anything, it's that the Philadelphia Eagles head coach is bold.
Kelly has traded away a Pro Bowl quarterback and the franchise's all-time leading rusher. He let another star wide receiver leave (although he did make an offer to Jeremy Maclin). He paid a king's ransom for cornerback Byron Maxwell. And he really made headlines with the signing of quarterback Tim Tebow, who hasn't appeared in an official NFL game since 2012.
"Eagles announced they officially signed QB Tim Tebow to a one-year contract.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 20, 2015"
So don't be surprised by anything Kelly does on draft weekend. This is a head coach who doesn’t care what anyone thinks of him, and he’s going to do what he wants to do.
That’s largely why Kelly was given complete control of all player personnel decisions this offseason. What he will do in 10 days remains to be seen, but here is the latest of what Eagles fans are hearing.
A Three-Team Trade to Get Marcus Mariota?
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Until draft day, rumors will continue to swirl regarding Chip Kelly, the Philadelphia Eagles and Marcus Mariota.
The latest would make quite a splash— per Geoffrey C. Arnold of The Oregonian, it would be a three-team trade involving the Tennessee Titans, San Diego Chargers and Eagles. The Eagles would get the Titans’ No. 2 pick, which they would then use to draft Mariota. Meanwhile, Sam Bradford would be shipped off to the Chargers (the Titans get Philip Rivers), along with their first-round pick and third-round pick.
Kelly has been openly vocal about how successful he thinks Mariota will be, and he would be by far the most athletic quarterback ever to run Kelly’s offense in the NFL. If Kelly could pull that trade off, expectations would be through the roof for the 2015 team.
Mychal Kendricks a Draft-Day Trade?
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It seems the Philadelphia Eagles are collecting a factory of inside linebackers. In addition to future Pro Bowler Mychal Kendricks, they restructured veteran DeMeco Ryans, traded for Kiko Alonso and signed Brad Jones. They also hosted Mississippi State’s Benardrick McKinney, a likely second-round candidate, and met with Miami’s Denzel Perryman at the Senior Bowl.
So is there room for all of these players?
CSN Philly’s Andrew Kulp takes a look at whether the team could trade Kendricks, a 2012 second-round draft pick and the possible odd man out. Kendricks is a highly athletic playmaker who is entering the final year of his rookie deal. He will likely command an extension in the range of $6-8 million per season, and Chip Kelly may attempt to package Kendricks in a deal to acquire Marcus Mariota on draft day.
Landon Collins a Likely First-Round Pick by the Eagles?
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According to Bleeding Green Nation, many of the experts believe the Philadelphia Eagles will take Alabama safety Landon Collins with the 20th pick in the first round of the NFL draft.
It’s likely these experts don’t know Chip Kelly’s defense too well—Collins just isn’t his type of safety.
Kelly and defensive coordinator Billy Davis prefer hybrid corner/safeties like Malcolm Jenkins, safeties who can line up directly over wide receivers if necessary.
Collins is more of the traditional in-the-box safety that stops the run. That doesn’t mean he’s going to be a bad player by any means. But the Eagles will likely look more at safeties like Eric Rowe, Adrian Amos or Damarious Randall rather than Collins.
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Will the Eagles Draft Evan Mathis' Replacement?
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Despite having a very good offensive line, the Philadelphia Eagles have one of the oldest units in the league. Left tackle Jason Peters and left guard Evan Mathis—arguably the two finest players—are 33 and 34 years old, respectively.
Mathis is due to make $6.5 million in 2015, and the Eagles can save $4.5 million if they release him. It seems illogical that the team would do so, considering Mathis has been one of the NFL’s finest guards for four consecutive seasons.
But a source tells CSN Philly’s Geoff Mosher that the Eagles may cut Mathis if they can’t find a willing trade partner. And so far, Philly.com reports that Mathis has been absent from voluntary team workouts.
Look for the Eagles to draft a long-term replacement for Mathis in one of the top rounds, whether he is on the 2015 roster or not.
Eagles Showing Serious Interest in a Number of Defensive Backs
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It’s no secret the Philadelphia Eagles need help at secondary, and they’ve hosted quite a number of defensive backs for pre-draft visits.
Per CBSSports.com, Chip Kelly has hosted 11 defensive backs for visits so far. Notable names include Connecticut cornerback Byron Jones, Utah corner/safety Eric Rowe, LSU’s cornerback Jalen Collins, Wake Forest’s Kevin Johnson and Arizona State’s Damarious Randall.
Conceivably, all five of those players could go in the first or second round to the Eagles. It’s also worth mentioning that Washington’s Shaq Thompson may be in the mix at pick No. 20.
"Washington S/LB Shaq Thompson is visiting with the #Eagles today, per a source. Versatile player that could be intriguing at No. 20.
— Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) April 20, 2015"
Thompson is a jack-of-all-trades defensive player who can line up at linebacker, safety or even nickel cornerback. He’s a versatile chess piece that head coach Chip Kelly or defensive coordinator Billy Davis will love utilizing.
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