Eagles Wake-Up Call: Did Chip Rush the Foles Trade?

Today’s question comes from reader Gavin, via e-mail:

My personal thoughts on the trade aside (I’m sure you can guess what they are), I don’t get the timing aspect of this. What was the rush to get this deal done? To my knowledge, there were no salary cap changes/implications/deadlines on the immediate horizon for either Nick Foles or Sam Bradford. I can’t grasp a logical reason as to why this deal had to be made now, and not closer to, or on draft day.

I think the question depends on how you look at Chip Kelly’s motivation to make the deal. If you think he wanted to unload Foles, then I agree with you. The timing was a little strange, especially when you consider what Kelly said afterwards.

“We didn’t talk about anybody else,” Kelly said. “St. Louis was the only thing that we dealt with with Nick.”

If that’s true, then I think the Eagles made a mistake. Given how many QB-needy teams exist around the league, why not shop Foles around a little bit to make sure you get the best deal?

The answer, of course, could be that Kelly really wanted Bradford. And if that’s the case, then I understand the timing on a couple different levels.

Number one, there have been multiple reports that the Rams were talking to other teams about Bradford – specifically, the Browns. If Kelly really wanted Bradford, then it’s understandable why he pulled the trigger when he did. If he hesitated, the Rams might have settled on another deal.

The second issue is Bradford’s cap number ($12.895M). It’s a monster salary for 2015, and having it on their books shaped some of the things the Eagles did in free agency. If Kelly waited until the draft, it’s possible the Eagles might have spent money elsewhere and not had the cap room to take Bradford on.

Overall, though, it’s fair to question the patience of the Kelly/Ed Marynowitz partnership. Are they correctly assessing the market with these moves? Are they making sure they’re maximizing resources at all turns? Or are they simply aggressively targeting players they like, even if the decisions could prove costly down the road?

We’ve gotten hints in the past few weeks about the mindset of Kelly when it comes to personnel. After the draft is when we can all take a big-picture look at exactly how he plans on operating.

WHAT YOU MISSED

An All-22 look at the good and bad of Sam Bradford.

T-Mac on the hole that remains for the Eagles at safety.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING

Frank Gore talked to ESPN’s Josina Anderson (via the Colts Web site) about his change of heart:

“When I knew I wasn’t going back to the 49ers, my first option was I wanted to be with a great quarterback,” Gore told Anderson. “I feel that you have to have a great quarterback to have a chance. Luck is a young quarterback and he does everything. He can throw. He can run. He’s physical. He’s a leader.

“With that being your team, you’ve got a great chance to win. I don’t know how many years I’ve got left, two, three, but I want to have the opportunities to get back and chase that trophy I really want before I leave.”

A couple notes on Baylor QB Bryce Petty:

Eagles QB coach took Bryce Petty to dinner tues night.

— John McClain (@McClain_on_NFL) March 18, 2015

Spoke with an NFL personnel man who was at the Baylor Pro Day yesterday and he believes Bryce Petty could now go as early as the 2nd round

— Lance Zierlein (@LanceZierlein) March 19, 2015

COMING UP

We’ll provide your fix the next couple of days before heading to Arizona for the owners meetings on Sunday. Someone remind McManus to pack his sun block.