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Whoo, boy. Chip Kelly didn’t exactly leave a legacy behind in Philadelphia, did he?
News broke Monday afternoon that linebacker Kiko Alonso and cornerback Byron Maxwell are expected to be traded to the Miami Dolphins when the league’s free agency period begins next week.
In case you’ve forgotten (or, simply chosen to ignore) the many moves of Kelly’s tenure with the team, Alonso and Maxwell were just two of the splashier personnel moves made last offseason. Alonso was the other side of the LeSean McCoy trade which now looks like a total wash.
Maxwell was previously a member of the “Legion of Boom” with the Seattle Seahawks before leaving in free agency to sign a six-year, $63-million contract with Philadelphia, but was…slightly underwhelming in 2015-2016.
Meanwhile, reports out of Philadelphia suggest the team isn’t done trading.
Why might they do that, one wonders?
Let’s take a look at the tale of the tape:
| Games | Rushing | Receiving | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | G | GS | Att | Yds | TD | Lng | Y/A | Y/G | A/G | Tgt | Rec | Yds | Y/R | TD | Lng | R/G | Y/G | YScm |
| 2015 | 15 | 8 | 193 | 702 | 6 | 54 | 3.6 | 46.8 | 12.9 | 55 | 44 | 322 | 7.3 | 1 | 44 | 2.9 | 21.5 | 1024 |
| Games | Rushing | Receiving | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | G | GS | Att | Yds | TD | Lng | Y/A | Y/G | A/G | Tgt | Rec | Yds | Y/R | TD | Lng | R/G | Y/G | YScm |
| 2015 | 13 | 6 | 107 | 539 | 6 | 63 | 5.0 | 41.5 | 8.2 | 28 | 20 | 146 | 7.3 | 1 | 23 | 1.5 | 11.2 | 685 |
Dallas Cowboys
It doesn’t really matter what a member of the Cowboys says anonymously about Murray, because the market has already spoken. The Cowboys already decided that Murray was not worth $8 million in 2016.
– David Murphy, Philly.com
New England Patriots
Washington Football Franchise
With stalwart Alfred Morris reportedly not receiving a new contract offer before the start of free agency, Washington seems to be planning to lean on second-year man Matt Jones to carry much of the workload this coming fall.
However, Jones is…not exactly being handed the starting job on a platter.
In their offseason deliberations, Redskins coaches and talent evaluators must determine whether they believe Jones has the capability to improve upon his problem areas and grow to become a more well-rounded back in Year 2.
The likelihood of Washington making a trade for Murray is low, but as he seems to not care about signing with a division rival, it’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility for a fourth-round pick.
New York Giants
Here’s something worth noting: the Giants haven’t had a solid, big-talent starting running back since Tiki Barber. Hell, two years ago they started Peyton Hillis in a game. Peyton Freaking Hillis.
Remember him? Madden cover in 2012? No…? Well, can’t say I don’t blame you.
Now imagine how much damage Eli Manning and Odell Beckham, Jr. could do in new head coach Ben McAdoo’s offense if they actually had a running game defenses had to account for, for a measly third- or fourth-round draft pick?
I shudder to think.
Ultimately, the “right price” for Murray seems to be one that puts him somewhere he can be the clear starter in a system best suited for his particular skill set.
So, you know, exactly the same price for every football player ever. He’s grown too big for his proverbial stretchy britches, and may find himself out of a job entirely sooner rather than later if he believes one amazing (and amazingly injury-free) season should guarantee him a paycheck befitting an elite talent.
The Eagles will most likely not find a trade partner for Murray and instead release him; teams are less and less likely to make offseason trades for veterans when they can instead save by signing a waived player. This situation is no exception.