The last week in Eagles football has been a strange one. Seeing Todd Herremans go was sad, but we got over it. Cary Williams was next. Fans were happy about that one. Then, Trent Cole was released, which was rather shocking, especially after he had been willing to take a pay cut. After that, the most baffling move that was made was the trade of LeSean McCoy to the Bills. Though it made financial sense for the team, seeing McCoy dealt is not something anyone expected.
With those moves, Chip Kelly and the Eagles have freed up a good bit of salary heading into free agency next week and can look to find pieces to improve their roster. Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports broke down the McCoy trade for both teams and mentioned that after clearing McCoy's salary, along with Cole, Williams and Herremans, the Eagles now have the ability to be much more flexible with moves once free agency begins. Cornerback Byron Maxwell and safety Devin McCourty are at the top of the Eagles list, according to La Canfora.
Well, this decision, coupled with cutting guys like Trent Cole, Todd Herremans and Cary Williams, has created ample cash room. Not cap room – they already had plenty of that – but cap room in which to invest heavily in this year's budget with the cash out-lays earmarked for those veterans now gone. It sets the stage for Kelly to rebuild his secondary – he is very fond of Bill Belichick and watched Belichick take a revamped secondary to another Lombardi a few weeks back – and sources continue to tell me that corner Byron Maxwell and safety Devin McCourty are top targets for Philly.
Maxwell, known to be coveted by the Eagles for quite sometime now, though he has only been a full-time starter for the Seahawks for just one season. The 27-year-old is expected to land a contract worth at least $10 million annually. He's likely to get looks from plenty of other teams as he is valued as the best corner in free agency. Maxwell was a guest on Comcast Sportsnet Quick Slants this week and said the Eagles defensive scheme would be familiar to what he is used to.
"Their stye of defense is very similar to what we play in Seattle," Maxwell said. "Lot of man-press, cover 3. They allow their corners to play and get physical. Their scheme definitely fits me."
Meanwhile, McCourty is the best safety on the open market. After the Patriots opted not to put the franchise tag on him, McCourty hits free agency with numerous teams interested in his services. In five seasons with New England, he's intercepted 17 passes.
La Canfora also mentions that the Eagles have significant interest in Steelers defensive end, Jason Worilds. Last season for Pittsburgh, the 27-year-old tallied 7.5 sacks and, forced one fumble and had 41 tackles.
All of these moves over the past weeks have certainly increased the possibility of the Eagles taking a risk and trading up in the draft for Marcus Mariota. What this all has shown us is that whether we like or not, this is Chip Kelly's world and we are just living in it.
