In the midst of one the craziest starts to an NFL free agency period there was one burning question that just wouldn’t go away.
What exactly is Philadelphia Eagles coach Chip Kelly thinking?
On a day featuring massive trades, shock retirements, a host of enthralling free agency moves and the return of Darrelle Revis to the Big Apple, Charles ‘Chip’ Kelly pulled off a positively baffling blockbuster trade for the ages.
He sent likely starting quarterback Nick Foles to the St Louis Rams for Sam Bradford.
Quarterback trades are rare, trades featuring starting quarterbacks like hen’s teeth.
There are a number of other draft picks and conditions involved, but I won’t bore you with any of the minor details.
The bottom line is Kelly swapped Foles, who is 14-4 since replacing Michael Vick, for Bradford, who is coming off his second straight season-ending ACL injury.
The NFL watching world responded with amazement. The trade surprised everyone and once a moment had passed for evaluation the move made even less sense.
Let’s excuse for a moment the fact that Bradford is older than Foles, that he has never had a season like the one Foles enjoyed under Kelly in 2013 and that he is far more expensive than Foles.
Foles surpassed Vick in 2013 and threw 27 touchdown passes and just two interceptions. He went to the Pro Bowl after the 2013 season and was named offensive MVP after the game.
Playing behind an injury-riddled offensive line in 2014, Foles’ numbers weren’t as good. He tossed 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, but his record was 6-2.
Meanwhile, Bradford’s record in St Louis was 18-30-1.
Selected no 1. overall in 2010 out of Oklahoma, Bradford has never even led the Rams to a winning season let alone the playoffs, making him a straight up bust at this stage of his career.
Bradford was set to make $13 million for 2015, while Foles was scheduled to earn $1.52 million in the final season of his rookie contract.
On paper the trade makes all the sense in the world for St Louis and none for the Eagles.
Let’s even pretend that Bradford hasn’t had a horror injury history, which includes the two ACL tears in the same left knee, a high ankle sprain and shoulder problems.
If you’re willing to ignore all that you can’t ignore that Bradford doesn’t even fit into Kelly’s spread-out, up-tempo style of offense.
He is not particularly mobile, once rushing for minus 18 yards in a college season and there is a question mark on his durability, making Kelly’s option routes, roll-outs and play-actions dicey calls.
Those who watched Bradford play in college will recall he has experience running a spread offense. But the idea that because he did it at Oklahoma means he will be able to run Chip Kelly’s offense is ridiculous. The offenses are not the same. And besides, that was six years ago.
So what was Kelly thinking? Is he a revolutionary thinker? Does he trust his offensive scheme so much that he figures he can plug any player in there and have success? Or is the Foles-Bradford trade part of a much bigger picture?
Kelly has been particularly trigger-happy since taking the head-coaching job in Philadelphia. He cut ties with the team’s best receiver since Terrell Owens, DeSean Jackson, traded star running back and NFL’s 2013 leading rusher LeSean McCoy to Buffalo and let receiver Jeremy Maclin leave for Kansas City.
All head-scratching decisions that frustrated those in Philly. The Jackson move came before last season, but the rest transpired in the last few weeks. So why is Kelly gutting the Eagles roster, specifically the offense, all of a sudden. Well, because Kelly has finally been given full control of personnel decisions, a level of power only currently granted to Super Bowl coaches Bill Belichick and Pete Carroll.
In January, Kelly won a power struggle with general manager Howie Roseman. Roseman got a raise and a new title, but this is now Kelly’s team from top to bottom.
And Kelly likes players who went to the school where he made his name – Oregon.
On Wednesday, defensive back Walter Thurmond became the 10th former Oregon Duck brought into the fold by Chip Kelly since he took over the team.
And there are some analysts who say Kelly is not done adding Ducks to his roster. In fact, persistent rumours suggest Kelly will attempt to trade up to select Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota at the 2015 draft.
Could Bradford, as well as the 20th overall pick and a few others, be used as a bargaining chip in order to convince Tampa, Tennessee, Jacksonville, Oakland or Washington to give up their spot?
It is unlikely. In fact, with Bradford’s injury history you could argue Foles was the more valuable asset. Why not keep him and attempt to use him as trade fodder?
The money left on their contracts makes Foles even more favourable. At this stage of his career, recovering form his second season-ending ACL injury, Bradford is as much an unknown quantity as Mariota or any of the quarterbacks in the draft.
No one knows what Bradford will be able to offer, at least with Mariota and co they have much more of an upside. Mariota is far more suited to Kelly’s offensive scheme than Bradford, but he is unlikely to still be on the board when the Eagles pick at 20.
So, what is Kelly hoping for? That he has the pieces to move up? That Tampa Bay will put all their faith in Bradford? That the Jags will give up on Blake Bortles after one season? That the Raiders will do the same with Derek Carr? It’s just not going to happen.
The Bradford-Foles trade and the other off-season moves prove Kelly believes his offense is so potent any player can be slotted in and the team will have success.
Using this logic, Kelly is strengthening the defensive side of the ball after giving up 400 points in 2014, good enough for 22nd in the NFL. Or maybe Kelly is thinking something else altogether. Who knows? Not me.
Hey, supercoach? Choose your own ultimate NFL team and compete with other players for cash prizes in daily competitions on any match. If you’re after the best odds on the NFL, PlayUp is your best bet. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.
The extraordinary episodes after his life as an American Football hero quite overshadowed the career of O.J. Simpson, who has died at the age…
The Kansas City Chiefs, steered brilliamtly at the end by star quarterback Patrick Mahomes, downed the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in overtime to secure…
San Francisco 49ers will make their eighth appearance in the Super Bowl after a stellar season from a team stacked with real talent across the whole line-up.
The Chiefs are no longer strangers to playing matches in February. What was once a multi-generational 50-year drought has become an almost yearly tradition.
Daniel Faalele and Mitch Wishnowsky have kept their Super Bowl dreams alive, with Baltimore and San Francisco winning the divisional round playoff.
Six-time NFL champion Bill Belichick has agreed to part ways as the coach of the New England Patriots, bringing an end to his 24-year…
