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Philadelphia Eagles: Green And Silver Linings

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I have been ranting about almost everything Chip Kelly has done from the McCoy trade to the DeMarco Murray signing and how little sense it has made. Everywhere I go, I have had to answer for the Eagles; at work, at home, in the shower, with a talkative yet no less annoying cat, and it hasn’t stopped. Until now. So, let’s go ahead and take a break from dissecting everything and commenting on how damn crazy it all seems. Instead, let’s forget all the madness (and logic for now), and take look at some of the positives from the past 10 days.

 

Kiko’s flying delivery service.

Again, were removing injury risks and loss of players from this. With that said (again), Kiko Alonso is one of the best young linebackers in the league with a very high ceiling. It’s possible he may have slipped under your radar in 2013, but he was quietly the most fun defensive player to watch. He was literally flying around the field. No, seriously. Google Buffalo’s game in Cleveland and I guarantee “flying tackle” will be the first thing that comes up. Go ahead, I can wait…awesome, right? At age 24, Alonso has a level of awareness that you normally only find in veterans and/or elite players. This is a large dose of speed for Philadelphia’s already quick linebacker corps, making it probably the fastest in the league. This injection of youth and intelligence helps solidify an effective foundation on defense for years to come. Mychal Kendricks, Connor Barwin, Brandon Graham, and now Kiko Alonso are all guys you can build your defense around.

 

Maxwell house. Good to the last Drop.

Philadelphia’s biggest weakness in 2014 was their secondary who, not only fell apart towards the back-end of the season, but clearly cost them a ticket to the postseason. Not being a bunch of schmucks, the Eagles were aware of this as well as they went into free-agency with defensive backs in their crosshairs. Target acquired: Byron Maxwell. A key piece in the “Legion of Boom,” Maxwell hit a market that is in high demand for good cornerbacks. Hell, any cornerbacks. Add the outstanding playoff run Maxwell had and the CB had his pick of just about any team. Didn’t take long for Maxwell to make his choice. I think his exact words two days before free-agency even began were “I’m going to Philly.” Maxwell recognized the type of coverage the Eagles run and their strong desire to win. His savvy, physical style is welcomed to a team that desperately needed playmakers in the secondary. The NFC East will be boasting one of the best collection of receivers in its division and now the Eagles will be able to keep up.

 

What’s better than beating Dallas? Taking their talent.

Since the Eagles decided to ship out their star running back (staying positive, staying positive)…the rumors were flying that DeMarco Murray would sign with Philadelphia. Murray himself did nothing to confirm or deny this. He actually made everyone wait nearly 48 hours from the time free-agency started to silence those rumors. Seriously, with the way teams were making moves and players were coming and going, two days felt like a long time to see where a top-tier running back would land. Chip Kelly might not have secured Frank Gore, but he did manage to land a younger set of legs who happened to be the previous year’s rushing leader and take a weapon away from a rival. DeMarco Murray’s style suits the way Chip Kelly wants to move forward with his offense. Murray isn’t a dancer in the backfield and he takes whatever the defense gives him. He isn’t the all-purpose-type that McCoy was, but that’s what Darren Sproles is for, right? Right. Murray does give the Eagles another dimension in a backfield that now houses three and a half different types of runners (the half is because Chris Polk is a similar runner to Murray). DeMarco Murray is one of those backs that punishes you for trying to tackle him. Not only will this help to keep Philly’s weaker drives alive, but this should eliminate their glaring red-zone deficiencies. The guy might not be the rushing leader in 2015, but he can easily have the most touchdowns of any running back. I’m just going to note that for my fantasy team.

 

Sleeping beauty…?

Sam Bradford is…hmmm. Bradford can…geez. Look, there isn’t really much to write about Sam Bradford. If we look at his rookie year, then we can see the reasons why St. Louis drafted him. And if you look even further back to his college days, then it’s a no-brainer. Bradford has (had?) a big arm and has (had?) good footwork. During any of his healthy time in with the Rams, Bradford was never surrounded by even a decent offensive line nor much surrounding talent (I still say STL doesn’t know how to utilize Tavon Austin). At this stage, Philly doesn’t have much for Sammy to throw to either, but he will have a solid o-line and talented lineup of running backs. Chip Kelly knows how to get the most out of whatever QB he has. You have to imagine he can bring out Bradford’s potential. Fingers crossed.

 

The deep end of the pool.

More than anything, the Eagles have had “depth” on their minds. At least, I am pretty sure that’s what they have on their minds. It’s either that, or they are collecting players like cards. “Depth” is the way to win currently. With injuries always being a factor (now more than ever in Philly) teams are only as good as the next man up. Philadelphia’s backfield was already effective, but the addition of Ryan Mathews gives Chip Kelly the three-pronged attack he has wanted. Like a running back trident.

Possibly Philadelphia’s smartest move was reuniting Byron Maxwell with former teammate, Walter Thurmond. Once Thurmond hit the open market it only made sense to obtain both players. Maxwell and Thurmond started in Seattle and were original building blocks that led to a once-in-a-generation-type defense. Say what you want, but Seattle knows how to groom defensive players.

Speaking of defense, other noteworthy additions are Brad Jones (former Packer) who will give the team depth at OLB and the re-signing of Brandon Graham who had a monster year while stepping in for DeMeco Ryans in 2014.

 

I might not have been, or be, a fan of all these moves, but it isn’t hard to find the silver linings around them. Chip Kelly didn’t sign some guys off the street. He went out and got players who, at the very least, were very effective at one time in their career. Sure, it seems incredibly arrogant to bring in all of these risks and that maybe Chip Kelly is building a fantasy team (he better at least win in his league), but imagine if it really works. Not only will Chip Kelly have improved the team for 2015, but put together a solid foundation for the next few years…mind blown.

Maybe Chip Kelly is building a fantasy roster. Hope he wins his league.

Author: Michael Beaudwin

Michael Beaudwin is a NFL Writer and Analyst for The Runner Sports follow him on Twitter @MichaelNerdFL

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