ESPN First Take - Darren McFadden Signs with Cowboys & DeMarco Murray Signs with Eagles
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What is Chip Kelly doing?
Thats a question that has been asked many times over the last week after the polarizing coach traded his starting quarterback and running back for two players coming back from ACL injuries.
Coming on the heels of the team releasing several veteran starters, the football world was starting to question the sanity (and motives) of the former Oregon coach after the trades.
Many people surmised the frantic maneuvering was part of a grand scheme to land Oregon QB Marcus Mariota, based entirely on the fact Kelly had coached him in college. One analyst suggested Kellys personnel decisions may be influenced by race, despite a wealth of evidence suggesting otherwise.
Kellys approach to this offseason was not based on an emotional tie to a certain player or even a staunch commitment to his offensive system. Kelly has taken a scientific approach to football. Theories are tested, and if they prove successful, Kelly implements them into his program. If something isnt working, he cuts the cord.
The Eagles roster before Kelly put an ax to it was not working.
Even at 10-6, Philadelphia was a deeply flawed team. Some of those flaws were easy to diagnose. The Eagles gave up 72 passes of 20 yards or more in 2014, by far the most in the NFL. They also led the league in giveaways with quarterbacks Nick Foles and Mark Sanchez throwing a combined 21 interceptions.
Both Foles and Sanchez had problems protecting the football in 2014. (Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)
Other flaws were not so obvious. Like LeSean McCoys league-leading 125 carries for zero yards or fewer. Or Nick Foles wayward accuracy on downfield throws limiting the offenses big play potential.
All of these problems contributed to the Eagles late-season collapse. And nothing was likely to change without significant improvements.
With under $20 million in cap space heading into the offseason, the Eagles did not have the financial flexibility to address all of those issues. With about $5 million needed to sign draft picks and money needed for re-signings or in-season pickups, Philadelphia was looking at around $10 million (remember that number) to make upgrades.
So Kelly went to work.
It started with release of linebacker Trent Cole for $8.4 million in savings. Then cornerbacks Cary Williams and Bradley Fletcher were shown the door for a combined $10.2 million in cap relief. Guard Todd Herremans was next to go, providing another $2.7 million in cap space.
Then came the LeSean McCoy trade, which was painted as a my-way-or-the-highway move, like the DeSean Jackson release the year before it. But just like the decision to cut Jackson, parting ways with McCoy was a financial decision, as Kelly explained in his press conference Wednesday:
The opportunity with LeSean came up and it was offered, you got an outstanding young linebacker at a position we have a huge need at The result of it is the money that was freed up. They way we looked at it was we got Kiko Alonso and Byron Maxwell for LeSean McCoy. The bottom line is that every decision you have to make is governed by money.
After the trade, the Eagles had acquired a talented young player on a modest deal and were up to nearly $50 million in cap space.
Byron Maxwell, the top corner on the market, was the first to sign at about $8.7 million a year. Next came his teammate in Seattle, Walter Thurmond, on a one-year, $3.25 million deal.
The Eagles had upgraded their secondary and filled a need at linebacker, but after losing McCoy and Jeremy Maclin, who signed with Kansas City, the offense needed attention.
Kellys next move took everyone by surprise: Philadelphia sent Foles and a 2016 second-round pick to St. Louis for Sam Bradford and a fourth-rounder.
The Eagles had given up a high draft pick for an injury-prone quarterback with a big cap hit. Kelly was undoubtedly taking a risk. But turn on Bradfords tape and you see the makings of a franchise QB. Bradford has a big-time arm, good accuracy and sees the field clearly. And now hes going from a rough situation in St. Louis to a system that made Mark Sanchez look like a competent NFL starter.
Bradford has the rare ability to deliver a strong, accurate throw while taking a hit in the pocket. (Courtesy of NFL Game Rewind)
Bradford has one year left on his rookie deal, so Philadelphia isnt making a long-term commitment unless Bradford earns it.
Worst-case scenario: The Eagles take a one-year flyer on Bradford. Best-case scenario: Kelly finds his quarterback. If he stays healthy, Bradford is, at the very least, an upgrade over Foles.
Next up was finding McCoys replacement. After striking out with Frank Gore, Kelly signed Ryan Mathews, a downhill runner whose value had been hurt by injury problems in San Diego.
Then out of nowhere, reports of DeMarco Murray expressing interest in Philadelphia surfaced. A day later, the NFLs leading rusher had walked away from the Cowboys to sign with their division rivals.
Murray and Mathews will make a combined $12.5 million in 2015 or only $1.25 million more than the Eagles were set to pay McCoy before the trade. Two good backs for the price of one.
Coming into free agency, the knocks on Murray were a heavy workload and a statline supposedly inflated by a dominant Cowboys line. But Murray has 527 fewer career carries than McCoy and has now gone from Pro Football Focus second-highest graded run-blocking line in Dallas to to the only line graded higher in Philadelphia.
Murray shouldnt have a problem adapting to Kellys system; the Eagles and Cowboys employ a similar zone-blocking scheme in the run game. And he will do a better job of keeping the Eagles in favorable down-and-distances. McCoy had the third-highest rate of runs for zero or less yards, while Murray had the ninth-lowest rate, per ESPN Stats and Info.
Murray may not be the electrifying talent McCoy is, but his north-south style is a better fit for Kellys offensive philosophy. McCoys east-west running style had caused Kelly to sour on the 26-year-old, according to the MMQBs Peter King.
Murrays downhill running style should serve the Eagles well. (Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports)
The Eagles have yet to replace Maclin. But they have to 20th pick in a draft deep on playmaking wideouts.
Lets say Philadelphia takes a receiver with their first-round pick. Well give them Oklahomas Dorial Green-Beckham. That gives the Eagles a skill position rotation of Green-Beckham, Riley Cooper, Jordan Matthews, Brent Celek, Zach Ertz, Murray, Mathews and Darren Sproles, with only one of those players making more than $5 million a year.
On the other side of the ball, the Eagles have upgraded their secondary and linebacking corps while maintaining a good defensive line.
And Kelly made all of these improvements with just an $8 million increase in payroll. Safe to say he made the most of that $10 million he had to work with at the start of the offseason.
Not to mention, the six players he sent packing were an average age of 29.5. The six he brought in average out at 26.7 years old. Fewerthan two months into the offseason, Philadelphia is younger with fewer holes.
What is Chip Kelly doing?
Hes making the Eagles better. One calculated move at a time.
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