Could Chip Kelly really do it?
Could the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles really ship out his All-Pro running back in LeSean McCoy if it meant the chance to trade up in the 2015 NFL Draft to acquire Heisman-winner and former Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota?
According to Mark Eckel of NJ.com's sources, that may very well be the case.
"It's going to take a lot to get up and get (Mariota),'' a source with another team said, per Eckel. "(Kelly) thinks McCoy can help get him to the top (of the draft). Either that, or he'll trade him somewhere else for picks and then use those picks (to trade up in the draft). He's not going to cut him. He's not doing that again.''
This is the first we've heard of McCoy simply being cut. There were reports recently that the team had asked the enigmatic back to restructure his deal, but those were quickly refuted. He is slated to make $10 million with a cap hit of $12 million for next season.
It's truly hard to envision McCoy being shipped out, even if it does bring back Kelly's former college signal-caller in Mariota.
McCoy is a known NFL quantity - a very well-known quantity, in fact. In his seventh NFL season out of the University of Pittsburgh, McCoy has four 1,000-yard seasons, an NFL rushing title, three Pro Bowls and two All-Pro selections to his name.
He also seems like a great fit for Kelly's scheme - though he does have a propensity to dance behind the line of scrimmage and Kelly may prefer a one-cut, stick your foot in the ground and go type of back.
He's only 26 and the Eagles don't have a ready replacement already on the roster - Darren Sproles is electric but not an every down back, and Chris Polk has shown flashes but can't seem to stay healthy.
All of these plusses, of course, also mean that McCoy would probably net a fairly large return should Kelly decide to deal him.
It's unlikely, but with Kelly finally at the helm of the personnel side of things for Philadelphia, this is bound to be an offseason of firsts.
