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Peter King was on Sports Illustrated Draft Live this afternoon and made a striking comment. King, who is known for his league insight, announced that "Chip Kelly likes Geno Smith...but he really likes Nick Foles." The quote is interesting for many reasons. For one, King openly ripped the Eagles during their coaching search, so one would think he is not on really great terms with the organization. Second, if it is true, it means Foles may be the guy Chip wants to groom and that he is just letting everyone speculate otherwise. Third, it could be that the Eagles are trying to hustle other teams into trading for the former Arizona Wildcat.
Among fans and sports writers, there still seems to be a bit of mystery surrounding Foles' future with the team, so it is notable when a popular NFL "journalist" makes mention of such things. While some fans may think he is nothing more than a backup, statistically Foles performed pretty well despite his situation (no McCoy, no Jackson, one starter on the offensive line, a constantly fumbling running back and a defense that could not sustain leads). It will be interesting to find out if Kelly watched the tape and fell in love with Foles' leadership, tenacity and resiliency. Then again, this could all just be a smokescreen to draft Geno Smith or get another team to trade for Foles, himself.
Either way, it is the first notable nugget on Foles this offseason. While it only creates more questions, the Eagles are likely to tip their hand (maybe just the slightest) in the next five days. If the Eagles grab a quarterback early, it could mean the team wants to trade Foles on Day 2. If the Eagles pass on one on Thursday and Friday, it could mean "anything goes" in training camp.
No matter what happens, the next few days are sure to have their surprises, laughs and disappoints, which will add up to a memorable draft weekend.