Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald suggests that the Dolphins might place RE Jared Odrick on the trade block.
Odrick was drafted to play "five technique" in a 3-4 defense. The Dolphins are a 4-3 now, and Odrick lacks explosive ability requisite for 4-3 defensive ends. "He's not a fit for the scheme," Salguero writes. Odrick has cheap base salaries through 2014, is only 25 years old, and possesses an ideal skill set for the 3-4. He could likely bring back a second-day draft pick via trade.
Eagles C Jason Kelce (torn ACL) has been cleared to resume running.
Kelce is on pace in his rehab after going down in Week 2, and should be ready for the beginning of camp. It's possible he'll spend some time on the active/PUP list, but it would be very surprising if he opened the regular season on reserve/PUP. A svelte (for a center) 6-foot-3, 282 pounds, the third-year pro should help anchor new coach Chip Kelly's fast-paced attack in 2013.
According to ESPN's Trent Dilfer, new Chiefs coach Andy Reid "courted" Alex Smith last offseason.
"There was a courtship last year, to a certain degree," Dilfer said. "I don't know a whole lot. I just know there was a courtship. It was not even an inside source, you know what I mean? It was just kind of the scuttle in the offseason." Dilfer and Smith are close friends from their days as teammates in 2006-07, and Smith was available on the 2012 free agent market for roughly a week before signing a three-year, $24 million deal to stay in San Francisco. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday that the Chiefs were one of the teams already showing interest in Smith. The tea leaves suggest Kansas City is the early favorite to land Smith via trade, likely for a middle-round pick.
Just being in different positions in the offense, being able to come in to 2013 with a different look, no defense out there will have ever seen anything the Philadelphia Eagles have done," Jackson added. "If Chip Kelly’s able to bring that edge to the table where we can go out there and keep people off-guard, and people won’t know what we’re doing… I’m very excited about the opportunity."
New Philadelphia Eagles UPDATE: It appears that the Eagles are moving forward with one of the previously rumored candidates at DC.
Philadelphia area broadcaster Howard Eskin is reporting that Eagles are expected to name 49ers secondary coach Ed Donatell as their next DC, per the Bay Area News Group. They'll have to wait until after the Super Bowl to make this happen -- and Eskin has whiffed in the past -- but the move makes some sense, as Donatell has experience as an NFL DC previously, and has made Pro Bowlers -- as opposed to pro bowlers -- out of multiple Niner defensive backs in recent campaigns.
@howardeskin: 2 NFL sources and another report have #49ers DB Ch Ed Donatell likely 2 B #Eagles DC for C. Kelly. Kelly knew Donatell as DC at U of Wash
Eagles made Kelly one of 10 highest paid NFL coaches, giving him a 5-yr deal worth right around $32.5 million, an average of $6.5m per year.
"@AdamSchefter: Former Browns HC Pat Shurmur is expected to join Chip Kelly's coaching staff in Philadelphia, likely as Eagles' offensive coordinator."
Browns announce Ray Horton as their D coordinator.
Yahoo! Sports' Jason Cole has been told that $3 million of Michael Vick's $15.5 million salary for 2013 becomes guaranteed on March 11, not February 6 as previously reported.
If true, the later date allows the Eagles more time to think things over now that Chip Kelly is on board. It's thought that with Kelly now in town, Vick may be more willing to renegotiate his massive deal and stick around. The quarterback's departure from Philadelphia was once widely viewed as a lock, but it now seems to be less certain.