Morning Phil-Up: LeSean McCoy Showing Why He’s An Ex-Eagle
By Denny Basens
Chip Kelly’s moves as a general manager have been highly criticized and questioned throughout the off-season, but one move that I was OK with was the trade of LeSean McCoy.
I didn’t mind the Eagles moving on from McCoy at all. Getting rid of Shady helped free up a ton of cap room, and the Birds were even able to pick up a decent prospect for him, which is pretty rare in any trade for the NFL. Also keep in mind that running back is one of the easiest positions to find decent talent, and getting rid of a guy who may have been a locker room distraction was just fine with me.
LeSean McCoy Shows Why He’s An Ex-Eagle – Philly.com
Ever since being traded, LeSean McCoy has spent the few months ranting, raving, and taking shots at Eagles’ head coach Chip Kelly to anyone that will listen.
McCoy’s comments have painted him in a childish, bitter, and unprofessional light, and it’s becoming more apparent why he’s no longer a member of this franchise.
Chip Kelly has put a high priority on building a winning culture with character guys, and the more selfish, me-first players had to be weeded out. While McCoy may have plenty of good football left in him, he clearly began to grind on Kelly in a similar way that DeSean Jackson did back in 2013.
Scouts’ Take: Personnel Men Analyze Chip Kelly’s Draft – CSNPhilly
Three NFL Scouts spoke to CSNPhilly.com and offered their takes on Chip Kelly’s draft.
The three scouts all liked the Nelson Agholor pick, projecting him to be an upgrade over Jeremy Maclin and expecting him to put up big numbers in Kelly’s offense.
The reception was not as warm for Eric Rowe, who the scouts credited for his versatility, but raised some concern about his footwork and ball skills.
Jordan Hicks drew some very mixed reactions, with only one of the scouts agreeing that he should have been selected in the third round. One scout didn’t even believe Hicks should have been drafted, while the third scout had him as fourth or fifth-round pick.
The only member of Kelly’s later round picks to draw some consistent interest from these scouts was Randall Evans, of which two of the scouts were intrigued by.
53-Man Roster Prediction: Tebow Makes It, Kendricks Doesn’t – NJ.com
With all of the Eagles’ major off-season moves now complete, Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com took a look at the team and put out his early thoughts on what the 53-man roster could look like at the end of August.
The projected 53-man roster had some notable surprises on it, among them being that Tim Tebow would make it as a third quarterback, Mychal Kendricks would be traded, and that Jaylen Watkins would be a surprise cut.
I agree that Tebow has a good chance to stay. I don’t think Kelly is at all high on Matt Barkley (Howie Roseman pick?) and will be intrigued by the packages he can come up with for Tebow. It wouldn’t surprise me to see Kendricks dealt, but at this point I feel it’s more likely that he stays on for the final year of his deal. I don’t see the Eagles releasing Watkins. Watkins is currently the early favorite to start at safety next to Malcolm Jenkins, and given the lack of depth at the position it would really be shocking for me to see him let go.
JaCorey Shepherd Could Be Late-Round Steal For Eagles – Bleeding Green Nation
JaCorey Sheperd was one of two defensive backs selected by the Eagles in the sixth round of last week’s draft, and some believe that Shepherd could turn out to be a steal for the Birds.
Shepherd not only has good size, but also can play either the slot or on the outside. If he impresses in training camp, he may be a talent worth hanging on to and developing.
I view Shepherd as a longshot to make it at this point. The Eagles have a lot of bodies at the cornerback position right now, with Byron Maxwell, Eric Rowe, Brandon Boykin, Nollan Carroll, and Walter Thurmond, not to mention fellow rookie Randall Evans. If Shepherd is going to make the team, he’s going to have to at least beat out Thurmond, it’d be tough for the Eagles to carry six corners.