Eagles News: Brent Celek's replacement could be in the 2015 NFL Draft

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Over-under on former Andy Reid players being whacked this offseason by the Eagles: 11.5 - PhillyVoice
The Eagles traded for Kiko Alonso and re-signed DeMeco Ryans to a contract extension. That leaves starting ILB Mychal Kendricks' future with the team in doubt. In 2014, the Eagles suffered a number of losses at ILB during the season. They lost Ryans to an Achilles tear mid-season, Najee Goode for the season Week 1, and Kendricks missed four games. That has led some to ponder the idea of simply keeping Alonso, Ryans and Kendricks for depth purposes, but the Eagles are in decent shape at ILB, in terms of depth. Goode will return this season, and the Eagles added Brad Jones as a free agent signing. Kendricks is in the final year of his contract, and if you can flip him for a valuable asset at another position before he bolts in free agency in a year, then go ahead ahead do it if it makes your roster better as a whole. I would lean toward Kendricks being on another roster Week 1.

Twitter Mailbag: On QBs And Marcus Peters - Birds 24/7
I’d imagine the hope is that the 27-year-old Sam Bradford plays at a high level and solidifies the quarterback spot moving forward. But given his injury history and contract situation (his current deal is up at the end of the year), it would be smart of Kelly to have a contingency plan. The question is whether this draft will allow him that luxury. The consensus seems to be that there is a pretty sizable drop-off after Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston. Kelly didn't give any indication that he disagrees with that sentiment. Asked about this QB crop at the owners meetings, he said: “I think there’s two really good ones. Two really good ones." How does he feel about the signal-callers beyond that?

Philip Rivers to Tennessee Titans? GMs debunk senseless rumor - NFL.com
The Philip Rivers-to-Tennessee rumor has me scratching my head. Frankly, I'm stumped. I simply don't get it. I cannot comprehend it. I don't see the logic anywhere. So let me get this straight ... A team that has visions of winning double-digit games and making the playoffs is going to trade its quarterback to a rebuilding team for the second overall pick?

Yell at Eliot: Am I 'stupid' for thinking Eagles' Mark Sanchez is a better trade piece than Sam Bradford? - NJ.com
So is it really that stupid? On the surface, the idea of the backup having more trade value than the starter might be. But upon closer review, it might not be. Let's compare the two quarterbacks:

Eagles Draft Preview: Preparing for life without Brent Celek? - The 700 Level
Don’t measure Celek by the numbers. 2015 was the eight-year veteran’s least productive season since ascending to starter in ‘09, but that’s partly because he’s used primarily as a blocker. In fact, he’s one of the best blocking tight ends in the league. However, Celek is due $5 million next season, so if his play starts to slip, he may not see the final year of his deal. Ertz is the heir apparent, but his limitations as a blocker keep him No. 2 on the depth chart. The 2013 second-round pick is improving in that aspect, but it may never be his bread and butter, nor should it. Burton excelled on special teams as a rookie, racking up seven tackles and blocking a punt. He’s incredibly versatile, as we saw in Week 6 when he carried the ball five times in the fourth quarter to help ice a 27-0 shutout over the New York Giants.

25 Years Ago There Was a Trade the Eagles Could Try to Emulate - EaglesAddict
If Chip Kelly truly wants Marcus Mariota he could try emulating a trade that transpired 25 years ago. Back in 1990, the Colts traded for the No. 1 overall draft pick to get QB Jeff George. Just like this year, there were only two highly regarded QB prospects in that draft…George and Andre Ware…and the Colts had their sights set on George. What was the deal? Well, I’m glad you asked…

DeMeco Ryans: Rotation imminent at inside linebacker - CSN Philly
“I definitely see some type of rotation,” Ryans said. “We play our base defense with two linebackers on the inside. I don’t see [why] we [couldn’t] possibly add some more kind of schemes or we could possibly have three ’backers on the field, where me, Kiko and Mychal are all out there together. That would be a nice mix-up. We definitely have a lot of pieces to play with. [Defensive coordinator] Billy [Davis] can draw up a lot of different schemes and utilize all of our talents.

NFL draft and conventional lack of wisdom - Daily News
AN AMUSING thing to do in the weeks leading up to the NFL draft is to go back and review what people were saying about it 1 year ago. The website WalterFootball.com is an invaluable resource for this endeavor thanks to its copious note-taking during the NFL's smoke-blowing season. What follows are a selection of reports from national media outlets during the run-up to the 2014 draft. We recommend reading them out loud, followed by the words, "And, this year, Chip Kelly will do anything to land Marcus Mariota."

Mayock: Eagles A 'Buzz' Around NFL - PE.com
Mike Mayock is in the bunker. Today he is watching cornerbacks, safeties and maybe running backs if his eyes can stay open. Two weeks away from draft weekend and Mayock is going through the prospects one more time, checking and cross checking what he has already seen.

The 2015 NFL Draft's 5 safest players - SB Nation
There are a few players in the draft that you can absolutely bank on being solid, at the very worst. There is value in certainty and players like Indiana's Tevin Coleman have it.

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