Whether Philadephia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly has a particular bias against certain players due to race is entirely debatable. What isn't debatable is that Kelly clearly has a bias against players brought to the franchise prior to his arrival. While Kelly's recent assertion that the team hasn't made an inordinate amount of changes to the roster since his arrival is true, there's simply no doubting that he's jettisoned some extremely talented and very high-profile players, especially since taking full control of the roster this offseason. Gone are DeSean Jackson, LeSean McCoy and now Brandon Boykin. Could stud linebacker Mychal Kendricks, phenomenally talented but a little on the small side, be next?
"League source tells me kendricks more than likely is staying as an insurance policy.. In case Demeco goes down , kendricks also could start," CSNPhilly.com's Derrick Gunn tweeted Saturday night after news of Boykin's trade to Pittsburgh broke.
Prior to his trade, Boykin and Kendricks represented presumed defensive starters leftover from the Andy Reid era seemingly faced with uncertain futures in Philly. Boykin, like Kendricks, does not seem to possess the size requirements Kelly prefers. Both players are shorter and thus, seemed like imperfect fits as long-term starters. With Boykin gone, the question then becomes what does the team do with Kendricks, a player who amassed 83 tackles, four sacks and three forced fumbles in just 12 games last season, but seems to be in something of a no-mans land where playing time is concerned after the addition of Kiko Alonso in the McCoy trade, the extension handed to Ryans - the "DeMeco" mentioned by Gunn above - and the drafting of Jordan Hicks in the third-round of the 2015 NFL Draft.
"Kendricks' contract is up at the end of the year. Are they going to turn down offers just to hang onto him for insurance and then got nothing when he walks in free agency? That seems fishy," Geoff Mosher of CSN wrote Sunday at the outset of Eagles training camp.
It does seem odd to suggest that Kendricks' continued presence on the roster can simply be pointed to as insurance in case the aging and slowed Ryans goes down again - Ryans missed the final eight games last season after tearing his Achilles, the second time an Achilles tear has cost him significant time. Kendricks, despite the team's offseason additions, is talented and likely has significant ability to impact the game in a number of ways. There's no question Eagles defensive coordinator Billy Davis could make use of Kendricks' unique skillset, just as he did last season, despite his lack of size.
There's also no question Kelly could likely get something of value for a guy who has proven to be a fairly consistent playmaker at the NFL level over the last couple of seasons. It seems most likely that the Eagles are simply going to hang onto Kendricks until the right value presents itself. Perhaps another team suffers an injury during training camp or the preseason and Kendricks' value suddenly skyrockets. Perhaps they wait until the offseason, potentially even apply the franchise tag, and then flip him for what they can.
In the end, Kendricks, like Boykin, McCoy and Jackson before him, seems destined for a short-lived Eagles tenure now that Kelly is calling all the lineup shots.
UPDATE, 1:15 PM: It seems we can put the Kendricks speculation to bed for now, as Kelly said that Kendricks won't be traded this offseason. "You can write that down in ink, not pencil," the Eagles head coach said, via PhillyMag.com.
