Eagles Draft Rumors: Marshall, Hansen
- Oregon wide receiver Byron Marshall visited the Ravens and worked out for the Cardinals and Eagles, Wilson tweets. Marshall suffered an ankle injury that caused him to miss all but four games last season, but he is said to be healthy now. In 2014, Marshall cracked 1,000 receiving yards for the Ducks.
- Air Force defensive end/outside linebacker Alex Hansen is drawing late interest from the Chargers, Eagles, Ravens, Texans, Broncos, Rams, and Lions, Wilson tweets.
Eagles Extend OL Dennis Kelly Through 2017
11:37am: Kelly’s deal includes $225K in fully guaranteed money, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Caplan writes that Kelly will have $150K of his 2016 base salary guaranteed, and will get a fully guaranteed $75K roster bonus in 2017.
10:51am: The Eagles’ offseason of extensions continues. After locking up several high-profile players earlier in the offseason, Philadelphia’s latest signing won’t turn many heads, but the team has extended the contract of offensive lineman Dennis Kelly by a year, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
Kelly, whose deal had been set to expire at the end of the 2016 season, will now be under contract through 2017. According to Yates, the 26-year-old’s new one-year extension is worth $880K in new money. Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer adds (via Twitter) that Kelly will receive a $775K base salary in 2017, which will represent the minimum salary for a player with his NFL experience.
A fifth-round pick out of Purdue in 2012, Kelly started 10 games for the Eagles in his rookie season, spending time at right guard and right tackle. Since then, however, he has battled injuries and has played primarily as a reserve, starting just five of the 17 games he appeared in over the last two years.
With the Eagles having fortified their offensive line in the offseason by signing veteran free agents Brandon Brooks and Stefen Wisniewski, Kelly figures to return to a backup role in 2016 and will likely only be pressed into action if one or two starters suffer injuries.
Earlier this offseason, Philadelphia extended the contracts of quarterback Sam Bradford, tight ends Zach Ertz and Brent Celek, defensive end Vinny Curry, and offensive tackle Lane Johnson. The team also remains in discussions with defensive tackle Fletcher Cox about a lucrative new deal.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Agent Expands On Sam Bradford's Trade Request
Before re-signing him, the Eagles didn’t tell Sam Bradford they intended to draft a quarterback high in the first round, agent Tom Condon tells Sal Paolantonio of ESPN.com. And while Bradford is put off by the Eagles’ plan to draft his replacement, the former first overall pick also isn’t thrilled about the fact that the team gave up so many other assets to move up to the No. 2 spot.
Finding A Landing Spot For Sam Bradford
In the wake of the Eagles making the move to acquire the No. 2 overall pick with an eye towards drafting a franchise quarterback, incumbent starter Sam Bradford has reportedly been voicing his displeasure. “He’s hot,” one source told Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. “Who wouldn’t be? This is Philly saying, ‘We don’t see (you) as long-term answer.’ He’s mad and wants to show everyone who’s best.”’
Reports began to leak that Bradford might want out of Philadelphia, and yesterday, the news dropped that Bradford – via agent Tom Condon – had officially requested a trade. Bradford reportedly wants to find a team that will commit to him for the long term, but it’s easy to identify with the Eagles’ stance: Bradford agreed to a contract, and it was a only two-year deal at that, meaning Bradford never should have been under any illusion that he was viewed as the long-term answer in Philadelphia.
Still, if another club is looking for an answer at quarterback, Bradford might not be a bad option, especially financially. An acquiring team would only be on the hook for Bradford’s $7MM base salary in 2016, before becoming responsible for his $13MM base salary and $4MM roster bonus in 2017. The Eagles would take on $11M in dead money by trading Bradford in the near future, or, if they wait until after June 1, they’d be hit with $5.5MM in dead money in 2016, and another $5.5MM in 2017.
Philadelphia is reportedly unwilling to consider dealing Bradford at the moment, but that public stance might just be posturing on the Eagles’ part, perhaps in an attempt to drive up the price tag. Let’s take a look at some possible destinations for Bradford if the Eagles do relent…
- Denver Broncos — Denver is the most logical suitor for Bradford, given that the club has already inquired on his availability. Though there’s been no word on exactly what the Eagles were seeking in exchange, the Broncos reportedly found the asking price too exorbitant. That’s not to say a trade couldn’t eventually be worked out, especially given that Bradford makes a lot of sense for Denver from a financial perspective. General manager John Elway & Co. reportedly want fellow trade target Colin Kaepernick to agree to a $7MM base salary to facilitate a trade to Denver, while Bradford, as noted, is already locked into a $7MM salary for 2016.
- New York Jets — Though they continue to insist that Ryan Fitzpatrick is their preferred quarterback option, the Jets aren’t expected to re-sign the veteran signal-caller before the draft. New York could consider someone like Paxton Lynch at pick No. 20 overall, or perhaps Connor Cook or Christian Hackenberg on Day 2 of the draft, but another option might be targeting Bradford, who could act as a stopgap while the club waits for Bryce Petty to develop. Of course, Bradford wants out of Philadelphia because he doesn’t want to act as a bridge QB, so the Jets would have to do some convincing, assuming they even have any interest.
- Buffalo Bills – General manager Doug Whaley and the rest of the Bills’ front office has seemed oddly non-committal towards incumbent starter Tyrod Taylor, especially considering how well the 2015 free agent signee played last season. Buffalo has taken visits with some of the draft’s top quarterbacks, and was originally thought to be linked to Bradford last year (though those reports were later disputed). If the Bills aren’t sold on Taylor, it’s possible that Bradford could appeal to them if they consider 2016 a must-win season. This is entirely speculation, but since the Broncos coveted Taylor last offseason, and already inquired on him earlier this month, might a three-team trade sending Taylor to Denver, Bradford to Buffalo, and draft picks to Philadelphia work for everyone?
- San Francisco 49ers — Chip Kelly has a familiarity with Bradford, having traded for him last year as head coach of the Eagles. Bradford would immediately start in San Francisco, especially if the 49ers are able to ship Kaepernick to Denver. One issue, however, might be the difficulty of Kelly and GM Trent Baalke negotiating a deal with Philadelphia — as Mike Klis of 9NEWS noted this week, Eagles de facto GM Howie Roseman likely has no interest in helping out Kelly, given the pair’s troubled work history. It’s also not clear whether Bradford would want to reunite with his old head coach.
- Cleveland Browns — Having been involved in the Bradford sweepstakes a year ago, might the Browns have interest again this time around? It’s doubtful, but not because Cleveland doesn’t need a quarterback. The Browns are embarking on a full rebuild with an eye towards the future, and Bradford seems to be a better fit for a win-now club. Rolling with Robert Griffin III and a draft pick seems to be the far likelier scenario for Cleveland.
If Bradford continues to sit out Eagles workouts, he could quickly present a distraction that the Eagles front office would seek to mitigate. As such, it wouldn’t be completely shocking if Bradford is dealt during the upcoming draft weekend. If not, his presence on the Eagles’ roster is certain to remain a key NFL storyline in the coming weeks and months.
Eagles Sign DT Mike Martin
- The Eagles announced (on Twitter) that they have signed defensive tackle Mike Martin to a one-year pact. Martin worked out for Philly on Monday, according to Caplan (via Twitter).
Latest On Sam Bradford, Trade Request
After a report surfaced on Monday suggesting that Sam Bradford – or his agent – had asked for a trade out of Philadelphia, agent Tom Condon appeared on SiriusXM NFL Radio confirming as much. According to Condon, the Eagles haven’t given him permission to seek out possible trades for Bradford, and his client won’t be at voluntary workouts (Twitter link via Alex Marvez of FOX Sports).
As Condon explained, Bradford was “very happy” with the contract he signed in March with the Eagles, but became less thrilled about his situation when the team also added Chase Daniel and traded for the No. 2 overall pick (Twitter link via SiriusXM NFL Radio).
“From our perspective… Sam wants the opportunity to try to go some place and not only be the starter, but be the starter there long-term,” Condon said, per Josh Paunil of PhillyMag.com. “He doesn’t view himself as somebody that’s a stop-gap kind of quarterback and he wants to go some place and take a chance on being with a team for a long time and I can’t blame him for that.”
Here’s more on the Bradford situation, which we’ll be monitoring closely this week:
- As we heard yesterday, in spite of Bradford’s trade request, the Eagles aren’t seriously considering trading the former first overall pick, a source tells Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Of course, in these situations, a team is generally always willing to trade the player if the price is right, but the Eagles appear just as willing to move forward with Bradford on the roster.
- The Bills and Browns were among the teams to express interest in Bradford last year, and could join the Broncos among the potential landing spots for the veteran signal-caller if the Eagles do decide to make a move, says Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). As Cole notes, the $11MM signing bonus that was part of Bradford’s new contract makes a potential trade very tricky for the Eagles, since it will be hard to extract fair value.
- Mike Klis of 9NEWS is extremely skeptical that the 49ers will become a viable suitor for Bradford, suggesting (via Twitter) that Howie Roseman would have no interest in helping Chip Kelly.
Broncos Inquired On Sam Bradford
The Broncos reached out to the Eagles to inquire on Sam Bradford, Mike Klis of 9NEWS reports (via Twitter). However, according to an NFL source, Philadelphia’s asking price was just too lofty.
Earlier today, we learned that Bradford has requested a trade from the Eagles. However, the Eagles have yet to give Bradford and his representatives permission to seek a trade. Bradford is ostensibly upset with the Eagles following their trade up to the No. 2 pick in the draft with the intent of selecting a quarterback. Of course, that deal came just six weeks after the Eagles re-upped Bradford on a lucrative two-year contract.
The Broncos, meanwhile, are searching for answers at quarterback after losing Brock Osweiler to free agency and seeing future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning announce his retirement. Denver has Mark Sanchez in place as a Plan B, but they are searching hard for a better starting candidate. The Broncos’ have had extensive trade talks with the 49ers regarding Colin Kaepernick, but those have effectively been frozen as the quarterback is unwilling to take the pay cut that is being requested of him.
Since the Eagles have already paid out Bradford’s $11MM signing bonus, he would represent a very affordable option at quarterback for Denver. The Broncos, or any team acquiring the former No. 1 overall pick, would only be on the hook for $7MM in 2016.
Bradford, acquired a year ago by Chip Kelly‘s Eagles in a trade with the Rams, had his ups and downs in 14 starts for Philadelphia in 2015, but his overall numbers have been solid. The Oklahoma product set new career-highs with a 65.0% completion percentage, and 3,725 yards passing. He also tossed 19 touchdowns and 14 interceptions, leading the club to a 7-7 record in his starts.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Sam Bradford Wants Out Of Philadelphia?
1:22pm: While a trade request has been issued, the Eagles have not given Bradford permission to speak to other teams, tweets Mike Klis of 9NEWS. Howie Roseman reiterated to John Clark of CSN Philly today that Bradford is the Eagles’ starting quarterback and there’s no plan to move him.
11:18am: Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links) backs up Schefter’s report, writing that Bradford’s agent, Tom Condon, asked for a trade. According to Rapoport, the Eagles were “blindsided” by the trade request, but haven’t changed their view that Bradford is their starter, so it will be interesting to see how this stand-off plays out.
10:24am: Contrary to Robinson’s report (noted below), Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets that the Eagles have been informed Bradford wants to be traded and won’t be showing up for any more of the club’s offseason program.
8:55am: In the wake of the Eagles’ trade for the No. 2 overall pick, at least one report suggested that Sam Bradford may ask for a trade upon recognizing that his odds of a long-term future with the team had dwindled significantly. However, two sources close to Bradford tell Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports that the quarterback has not asked to be traded and has no plans to do so.
According to Robinson, it’s still within the realm of possibility that the Eagles could move Bradford during or after the draft, but the more probable scenario involves the former No. 1 overall pick heading into the 2016 season as the team’s starter. And Bradford intends to embrace that challenge if he remains in Philadelphia, despite being upset about the lost draft assets that could have fortified the roster around him, sources tell Robinson.
Although the Eagles intend to use their No. 2 overall pick on a quarterback – likely Carson Wentz – the plan is to essentially redshirt that QB for his rookie season, so Bradford figures to remain atop the depth chart, with Chase Daniel as his backup.
As Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News observes, Bradford may not have a long-term commitment from the Eagles, but he didn’t have that anyway, even before the trade up to No. 2. Bowen suggests that de facto GM Howie Roseman has no intention of trading Bradford, so the best-case scenario for both sides would be to smooth things over and focus on the incumbent starter having a good season in 2016. In that scenario, the Eagles would have multiple options for 2017, and Bradford could potentially parlay a strong performance into a longer-term deal elsewhere.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Eagles Hosted Blake Countess For Visit
- The Eagles brought in Auburn cornerback Blake Countess for a pre-draft visit last week while clubs were still permitted to host prospects, according to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (Twitter link).
Stanford's Kevin Hogan Meets With Eagles
- Stanford quarterback Kevin Hogan visited the Browns, Chargers and Ravens, tweets NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. The Eagles, Buccaneers, Titans and Raiders also visited the signal-caller at school.
- The Browns have a variety of holes on their roster, leading Mary Kay Cabot to write that the team could trade back again. After having dealt the second-overall pick to the Eagles, Cabot believes the organization could use the eighth selection to acquire more picks.
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