It’s being called “The Purge,” but what it’s really been is a complete dumping of talent that it seems new Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson and general manager Howie Roseman could have actually used to make the team better. Instead, by trading off running back DeMarco Murray and linebacker Kiko Alonso and Byron Maxwell, the Eagles are demonstrably worse off than they were two days ago.
DeMarco to the @Titans? Yup.@RapSheet explains how it all went down. https://t.co/AWFpzDN4kP
— NFL (@NFL) March 8, 2016
I get that they hate Chip Kelly, but these trades just look petty. Roseman seems to be making a statement, and that statement is that any player that has Chip Kelly’s stink on him isn’t welcome in the Eagles football complex.
Alonso and Maxwell, both starters, were shipped over to the Miami Dolphins who’ve been very active over the last couple of days. They reportedly have a free agent deal in place with Buffalo Bills defensive end Mario Williams right now, which makes their transition tag of Olivier Vernon seem even more ridiculous than it already was.
Alonso saw action in 11 games last season, recording 43 tackles and an interception. Alonso played well when he was on the field, but knee issues kept him from playing a full 16-game schedule. You’d think that might justify Philadelphia moving on, but they cut the guy in front of him on the depth chart, DeMeco Ryans, a few weeks ago.
Maxwell had an outstanding season with the Eagles, giving up just two touchdowns all season and both of those were to Julio Jones in the opening game. He finished with 64 tackles, two forced fumbles, two interceptions and 10 passes defended. The Dolphins are getting a great player and, because they too seem to not know how to run a franchise, are reportedly considering cutting Pro Bowl cornerback Brent Grimes to free up some salary cap space.
Both CB Byron Maxwell and LB Kiko Alonso are at the Dolphins facility today to get their physicals, wrap up the trade.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) March 8, 2016
Murray’s problems with the Eagles were well-known, but they seemed all directed at Kelly and his inability to understand how to use one of the most dynamic playmaking running backs in football. Murray had a dismal season, averaging just 3.6 yards per carry and scoring six touchdowns, but he still managed to gain 1,022 all-purpose yards and add another TD as a receiver. None of the details of either of these trades have been released yet, but if the Tennessee Titans still have their first and second round picks, then anything else they traded for Murray makes him a steal.
As much as you’d think the Eagles could use these players this year, Pederson and Roseman obviously feels they need the draft picks. That should be bad news for Sam Bradford who imagined, I’m sure, that Pederson would try to make the Eagles a contender again this season, but instead seems content to toss 2016-17 away as a rebuilding year.
https://twitter.com/InsdeTheHuddle/status/707373933469765632
Bradford is the great mystery of all the nutty Philadelphia machinations. His trade was the signature move of Kelly’s final disastrous season and, for whatever reason, the Eagles and Pederson seem content to keep him around and are spending $18 million a season to do it. Of course, the original theory after Kelly made the trade for Bradford is that he was angling to work something out with the Titans for the No. 2 pick and Marcus Mariota. Maybe the fact that Bradford was Kelly’s second choice is enough to keep Roseman from having security escort him out of the building.
Philadelphia probably isn’t done. They’ve reportedly still got running back Ryan Matthews, their most productive runner last season, on the block looking for offers. With free agency opening officially Wednesday, what else do Pederson and the Eagles have in store? Can a Johnny Manziel or Robert Griffin III signing be far away? At this point, who can tell?
The Eagles finally have the cap space after the trades to do whatever they want. After the three players were traded Philadelphia now has around $26 million in space, but a lot of that will go to signing a rookie class. And if the Eagles got picks for these players, and they most assuredly did, then that class could be massive.
Tuesday, almost silently, the Eagles signed free agent cornerback Leodis McKelvin who was recently cut by the Buffalo Bills after two injury-plagued seasons. It’s the sanest thing they’ve done all offseason.
https://twitter.com/JoshPaunil/status/707274195051405312
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