Chip Kelly On Mariota, McCoy, Bradford
Eagles coach Chip Kelly hosted a press conference this afternoon and we’ve gathered all the highlights right here. All links to go the Twitter feed of PhiladelphiaEagles.com, unless noted otherwise:
- Kelly told reporters, including the staff of PhiladelphiaEagles.com (on Twitter), that he didn’t think that he needed to control the team’s personnel and said that it was a decision that the team’s owner had made. Of course, Kelly got control over the roster this offseason in a front office reshuffling that saw former GM Howie Roseman change roles. Kelly feels that the biggest difference in the draft this year will be having the final say over matters, something that he didn’t have over the last two years (link).
- The Eagles coach dispelled the notion that the Eagles will try and trade up for Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota (link). The Eagles have been heavily connected to Mariota for months now and speculation has only intensified as Kelly appears more driven than ever to fill the Eagles’ roster with Oregon alum. Kelly feels that Mariota is the best QB in the draft, but he’s unwilling to mortgage the future to land him and the team has too many other needs to address (link).
- Kelly considered the trade of LeSean McCoy for linebacker Kiko Alonso to be important because it allowed the team to go after cornerback Byron Maxwell (link).
- The coach claimed that the Bills leaked the news of the McCoy trade before he could call the running back to notify him, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com tweets.
- Kelly said it was “essential” to get Mark Sanchez back (link) and added that he never would have been able to acquire a quarterback of Sam Bradford‘s caliber had he not torn his ACL. The team has yet to have extension talks with Bradford (link). That’s not a big concern to Kelly, however, who said that everyone is essentially playing year-to-year and believes that Bradford has tremendous upside (link).
- The Eagles coach/exec claims that the Eagles were offered a first-round pick for Bradford on Wednesday morning (link). However, Bradford wasn’t brought in to be a trade chip, Kelly said, according to Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com (on Twitter).
- There were other teams involved in the Bradford sweepstakes, Kelly says (link). Meanwhile, the Eagles only spoke with the Rams about Nick Foles.
East Rumors: Revis, Mariota, Washington
The Jets had a significantly higher offer on the table for cornerback Darrelle Revis than the Patriots did, Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald tweets. Howe isn’t exactly sure of what the gap was, but the Pats apparently didn’t approach the five-year, $70MM pact that includes $39MM in guaranteed cash. Howe (link) was also told that the Patriots did not give Revis permission to explore his value from the competition before the official opening of free agency on Tuesday like they did with Browner. Here’s more from the AFC and NFC East..
- John Clayton of ESPN.com (on Twitter) is convinced that Washington will take quarterback Marcus Mariota if he falls to No. 5 overall.
- Sal Paolantonio of ESPN said on 97.5 The Fanatic that relative of Nick Foles relative said the quarterback is ecstatic to no longer be a member of the Eagles, Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk writes. “I just talked to a member of Nick Foles’ family. He is absolutely pumped, overjoyed he’s out of Philly,” Paolantonio said. Foles is now a member of the Rams following Tuesday’s trade.
- New Washington defensive lineman Stephen Paea says the Lions, Broncos, and Buccaneers were also in the mix for his services, as John Keim of ESPN.com writes.
- When asked if the Bills ever considered cutting running back Fred Jackson, GM Doug Whaley flatly said “no,” Mike Rodak of ESPN.com tweets. Whaley also said that he does not have a framework of a deal with fullback Jerome Felton, Joe Buscaglia of WGR tweets.
- Earlier today, we rounded up the latest on Cowboys free agent running back DeMarco Murray.
Eagles Re-Sign Mark Sanchez
WEDNESDAY, 7:08am: The Eagles’ two-year deal with Sanchez is now official, according to the team (Twitter link).
SUNDAY, 6:17pm: The Eagles are re-signing quarterback Mark Sanchez, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). The Jon and Sean Show were first to report the signing (via Twitter).
He will return to the team on a two-year contract worth $9MM with $5.5MM guaranteed, according to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports 1 (via Twitter). The deal has a maximum value of $16MM over the two years with incentives (via Twitter).
Sanchez played nine games for the team in 2014, with mixed results. He completed over 64% of his passes, averaging 268 yards per game with a 14 to 11 touchdown to interception ratio.
The signing has led some fans and pundits to strengthen the connection between the team and an interest in Marcus Mariota. The high salary for Sanchez and the starter incentives push Jeff McLane of Philly.com to opine that it might signal the end of Nick Foles as the team’s starter and instead point to a Sanchez-Mariota duo.
East Notes: Bills, Hoyer, Cromartie, Jets, Fins
According to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the Bills spent some time today weighing quarterback alternatives in case they weren’t comfortable with Matt Cassel‘s physical. Brian Hoyer and Matt Moore were among the potential options considered, sources tell Caplan. Ultimately, the Bills passed Cassel on his physical and the swap with the Vikings became official.
Here’s more from around the NFL’s two East divisions:
- In Darrelle Revis and Buster Skrine, the Jets have already added two corners today, but they might not be finished. The club is still talking with Antonio Cromartie, who is known to be interested in playing for New York, per Brian Costello of the New York Post (Twitter link). Manish Mehta of the New York Daily news classifies the discussions as “serious,” suggesting a Revis-Cromartie reunion may be in the cards (Twitter links).
- While admitting that he talked to Frank Gore during the past few days, LeSean McCoy denied that he told the former 49er to back out of his deal with the Eagles and sign with the Colts instead, writes Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News. McCoy, rather, says he told Gore that he’d handle the ball a lot and called Chip Kelly a “mastermind.”
- Updating a previous item, the Dolphins have put an offer in to free agent cornerback Brice McCain, tweets Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. We heard earlier tonight McCain was in Miami, and it sounds like something could get done.
- Free agent quarterback Tyrod Taylor is paying a visit to the Bills, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Taylor, who has been the Ravens’ backup in recent years, would be in the mix with Cassel and E.J. Manuel if he were to sign with Buffalo.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
NFC Notes: Bradford, Eagles, Seahawks, Saints
Before the Eagles finalized their acquisition of Sam Bradford, there were other teams in the mix for the former first overall pick, says Peter King of TheMMQB.com (via Twitter). Per Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link), the Browns may have been one of those teams. However, no other club was willing to give up as much as Chip Kelly and the Eagles, who had eyed Bradford for weeks and believe he has the goods to be a franchise quarterback, according to Dave Spadaro of PhiladelphiaEagles.com.
As we recover from what’s been a surprising and hectic day of action around the NFL, let’s round up a few more leftover NFC items….
- Former Dolphins guard Shelley Smith, who was just cut by the team earlier today, already has a visit lined up with the Seahawks for Wednesday, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Seattle is in the market for some interior line help after trading Max Unger and losing James Carpenter in free agency.
- Appearing on SiriusXM NFL Radio today, Saints general manager Mickey Loomis acknowledged that the team will “obviously” look to add another tight end after trading Jimmy Graham, and added that he never asked Drew Brees to restructure his contract this offseason because it “wasn’t necessary for us” (Twitter links via Tom Pelissero of USA Today).
- The 49ers aren’t in the running for their own free agent cornerback Perrish Cox, writes Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle.
- Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com (Twitter link) suggests keeping an eye on linebacker Akeem Ayers as a potential free agent target for the Rams, and Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Twitter link) agrees that the club has interest.
Eagles Sign Byron Maxwell
TUESDAY, 6:17pm: The Eagles have announced the transaction (via Twitter), making it official.
SUNDAY, 3:54pm: Maxwell was clear to ESPN’s Josina Anderson by phone (Twitter link): “I’m going to Philly.”
3:49pm: In his article reporting Frank Gore’s signing with the Eagles, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the Seahawks are making a “last-ditch effort” to retain Maxwell.
3:02pm: After spending the past week clearing out cap space, the Eagles are close to landing one of their top targets. Philadelphia is nearing an agreement with free agent cornerback Byron Maxwell, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Jayson Braddock of KBME Houston was the first to report the deal, and says that it’s a five-year contract worth $53-54MM, with $25MM guaranteed (Twitter links).
Maxwell, widely viewed as the best FA corner available, ranked as the No. 9 overall free agent on PFR’s Top 50 list. The 27-year-old enjoyed his first season as full-time starter for the Seahawks, starting 12 games as Seattle made it second consecutive Super Bowl appearance. The Eagles were seen as the favorites to land Maxwell, although the Jets have also been listed as a possible suitor. In Philadelphia, he’ll join a secondary where the only other sure starter on the roster is safety Malcolm Jenkins.
The Eagles are also said to be targeting former Patriots safety Devin McCourty, who isn’t encumbered by the franchise tag. Philadelphia certainly has money to spend, having traded LeSean McCoy and his contract to the Bills and released Cary Williams and Trent Cole. Projected to be major players in free agency, the Eagles have almost $45MM in cap space to work with. Philadelphia has other concerns this offseason, as key contributors Jeremy Maclin and Brandon Graham are pending free agents. Both are sure to get hefty offers on the open market starting on Tuesday, and while Maclin looks more likely to return than Graham, the Eagles have the money to retain both.
The Seahawks, meanwhile, will lose their No. 2 corner for the second consecutive season, having seen Brandon Browner sign with the Patriots last March. Seattle reportedly has interest in adding Packers free agent Tramon Williams to their Legion of Boom, but the draft could be another avenue by which the club could add secondary talent.
Eagles, Rams Swap Nick Foles, Sam Bradford
6:14pm: More clarification, this time from Schefter: Philadelphia will give up its 2016 second-rounder in the deal no matter what, according to ESPN’s NFL insider. However, as noted below, the team will get a fourth-rounder back from the Rams that year if Bradford plays less than 50% of the Eagles’ offensive snaps in 2015. If he’s injured and doesn’t play at all, the Eagles get a 2016 third-rounder from the Rams.
So the picks initially announced by the Eagles are not conditional, and will definitely all change hands.
6:01pm: Continuing to try to clarify the compensation, Rapoport tweets that the Eagles get a conditional pick back if Bradford doesn’t play in 50% of the team’s snaps in 2015.
5:55pm: Unexpectedly, it’s the Eagles giving up a little extra draft compensation in the swap. Philadelphia announces (via Twitter) that it’s getting Bradford and a 2015 fifth-round pick from the Rams in exchange for Foles, a ’15 fourth-rounder, and a ’16 second-rounder.
However, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), the Eagles will get that 2016 second-rounder back if Bradford isn’t their starter. And Albert Breer of the NFL Network tweets that if Bradford doesn’t start eight games in 2015 for the Eagles, the team gets a fourth-round pick — if he gets reinjured, Philadelphia gets a third-round pick.
All in all, it’s a bit of a confusing swap, but the upshot is that the less the Eagles get out of Bradford, the less they’ll end up giving to the Rams.
5:18pm: The deal is now official, according to Schefter (via Twitter), though the draft pick compensation remains unclear. By all accounts, the Eagles will get extra compensation in 2016, and the two teams will also swap picks in 2015.
3:57pm: The teams will be swapping undisclosed picks in 2015, and at least one team will be sending out 2016 draft choices, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter).
3:04pm: The Eagles are on the verge of acquiring quarterback Sam Bradford from the Rams in exchange for Nick Foles and draft picks, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). While Albert Breer previously said on (on Twitter) that the Rams would be sending a second-rounder to Philadelphia, the report clarifies that the draft-pick compensation is still being worked out (Twitter link).
It was no secret that Chip Kelly and the Eagles were seeking a potential replacement for Foles, with the team linked to prospect Marcus Mariota. The team also recently re-signed quarterback Mark Sanchez, but it was assumed the veteran would be competing for a back-up role.
Bradford has battled injuries over the past two seasons, including an ACL injury that forced him to miss the entire 2014 season. In his last full season, the former first-overall pick threw for 3,702 yards, 21 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. During that 2012 campaign, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked Bradford 21st among 38 quarterback candidates.
Foles, a former third-round pick, had his breakout season in 2013, when he threw for 2,891 yards, 27 touchdowns and only two interceptions. A broken collar bone ended his 2014 season, and the 26-year-old finished with 2,163 yards, 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in eight games.
Eagles, DeMarco Murray Have Mutual Interest
The running back position has been one of the biggest stories of the Eagles’ offseason so far, and it appears it’s going to get even more interesting. According to ESPN’s Adam Caplan, the Eagles and the best free agent back available, DeMarco Murray, have mutual interest.
The Eagles are all too familiar with Murray from his four years as a member of the NFC East rival Cowboys, with whom he eclipsed the 1,000-yard plateau the previous two seasons. Murray especially dazzled in 2014, amassing NFL bests in rushing attempts (392), yards (1,845) and touchdowns (13, tied with Seattle’s Marshawn Lynch). Those numbers will certainly help Murray in his quest to earn a big contract, and it might come with a Philadelphia team looking to fill a big void in its backfield.
After a weeklong waiting period, the Eagles completed a trade that sent four-time 1,000-yard rusher LeSean McCoy to Buffalo for linebacker Kiko Alonso on Tuesday. McCoy spent the first six years of his career in Philly and made three Pro Bowls, but head coach and personnel czar Chip Kelly elected to move in another direction. That direction was supposed to lead Kelly to longtime 49er Frank Gore, but the 10-year veteran reneged on a deal with the Eagles and is leaning toward signing with the Colts.
Now, with the Eagles having dealt McCoy and swung and missed on Gore, they turn their attention to Murray. It’ll undoubtedly cost the Eagles a significant amount of money to sign Murray, whom other teams are chasing. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported Tuesday that the Cardinals, Jaguars and Buccaneers are possible landing spots for the 27-year-old, while Todd Archer of ESPN.com wrote that the Cowboys are still in play. Per Archer, the Cowboys spoke to Murray’s agent, Bill Johnson, on Monday night. Nevertheless, Murray has since become a free agent and he might end up trading one NFC East team’s uniform for another.
Bills Acquire LeSean McCoy
MARCH 10th, 4:00pm: The Eagles announced (on Twitter) that the deal is now official.
MARCH 3rd, 6:19pm: Spiller told the NFL Network (on Twitter) that the Bills called him and thanked him for his service with the team. Unsurprisingly, the pending free agent will not be asked back after the acquisition of McCoy. Spiller then went on to intimate that he’d be interested in joining the Eagles, as Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News tweets. “I’m going to a team that wants me to be there…. I’m pretty sure that Chip (Kelly) has my agent’s phone number”
6:15pm: There will be no draft picks or other players involved as it’s a one-for-one deal, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). He adds that Alonso wanted out of Buffalo. La Canfora (link) expects McCoy to make noise about wanting an extension and/or declining to report and the Bills are already bracing for that possibility.
For his part, Rosenhaus (on Twitter) hears from the Eagles that there is no trade at this time. “I just spoke with the Eagles organization and there is no trade for LeSean at this time. There have been discussions but nothing finalized,” Rosenhaus tweeted.
5:46pm: The Bills have notified linebacker Kiko Alonso that he will be traded to the Eagles for running back LeSean McCoy, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The trade will become official next week.
Although McCoy was not the electrifying playmaker in 2014 that he was in 2013, he still had a very productive season in terms of traditional stats, with 1,319 rushing yards and a 4.2 YPC average. The advanced metrics, meanwhile, show a much sharper contrast between the two campaigns. In 2013, McCoy was rated as the very best tailback in football according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), racking up a 27.3 overall rating which was more than 8 points higher than the runner-up, Jamaal Charles. In 2014, however, McCoy was near the bottom of all qualified tailbacks with a fairly terrible -9.3 grade thanks in large part to his poor showing in the passing game. 
Alonso, 25 in August, didn’t see the field in 2014 after tearing his ACL in July of 2014. After being selected in the second round of the 2013 draft, Alonso finished second in voting for Defensive Rookie of the Year after totaling 87 tackles, four interceptions, and two sacks. The 23-year-old was one of only three linebackers to play 100% of his team’s snaps and many thought he should have been the choice for DROY over Jets defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson. Alonso played middle linebacker in a 3-4 defense in 2013 but was slated to be moved to the weak side in the Bills’ 4-3 scheme in 2014. PFF (subscription required) rated Alonso as the ninth-best inside linebacker in the NFL in his rookie season. Because Alonso spent the year on the NFI (non-football injury) list, he’ll only be a restricted free agent after 2016.
The shocking deal figures to have major ramifications for both clubs. The Bills will probably move on from running back C.J. Spiller this offseason after acquiring one of the league’s top backs in McCoy. Also, without Alonso, the Bills will certainly be in the hunt for a starting linebacker. That’s a position that could theoretically be filled by Rex Ryan‘s old friend David Harris and the two have been connected for months now.
Alonso has two years left on his contract at $746K and $942K while McCoy also has two years left on his contract at $6.9MM and $7.6MM. In total, McCoy will count for $10.25MM against the Bills’ cap once the deal is official. Many assumed that the Eagles would push McCoy to restructure his contract, but as of Monday those discussions had yet to take place. The tailback is the only running back with an eight-digit cap hit in 2015.
The deal reunited Alonso with former Oregon head coach Chip Kelly in Philadelphia. Kelly shared his fondness for his former pupil last year, as Phil Sheridan of ESPN.com (on Twitter) notes. “I take extra pride in that I got the opportunity to coach Kiko. Extremely dedicated, driven person,” the coach said.
McCoy, for his part, didn’t hear from the Eagles about the trade and only learned of it from agent Drew Rosenhaus right around the time it broke, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (on Twitter).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Extra Points: Hartline, Murray, Browner, Bush
The latest from around the league…
- Brian Hartline‘s decision ultimately came down to the Browns and the Patriots, the receiver tells Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal (Twitter link). Hartline ended up signing a two-year pact with Cleveland yesterday.
- Cowboys owner Jerry Jones says the club wants to re-sign DeMarco Murray, emphasizing that Dallas is still in negotiations with its free agent running back (Twitter links via Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram).
- The Panthers don’t seem to be showing much interest in edge rusher Derrick Morgan, tweets Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer.
- The Titans have interest in cornerback Brandon Browner, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (via Twitter). Browner isn’t expected to take a pay cut to remain in New England. Browner is receiving a lot of interest around the league, but he could still return to the Patriots, per Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (Twitter link).
- Jahri Evans is still a candidate for release in New Orleans, and if the Saints do cut him, expect the Bills to be in on the veteran guard, says Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
- Most observers expected free agent receiver Michael Crabtree to depart San Francisco, but the 49ers do have interest in re-signing him, according to Dianna Marie Russini of NBC 4 (via Twitter).
- Having been cut by the Lions earlier in the offseason, running back Reggie Bush is considering a return to the Saints, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. According to Rapoport, the Patriots and Eagles are among the other teams in play for Bush.