Porter: Chip The GM, Taking Unfair Criticism
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- It's seems to be the consensus opinion: Chip Kelly should not have, and never deserved, personnel control of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Kelly split debate on himself -- into Chip the coach and Chip the GM -- as soon as he became the NFL's third coach to obtain control of all personnel decisions in January of 2015. Kelly the coach, despite irresponsible reports of him losing the locker room and unwarranted uncertainty surrounding his job after a 4-7 start this season, has rebounded thanks to two straight wins to start the all-important month of December.
And while the venom being spewed at the 25-19 NFL head coach has cooled off (for now), Chip the GM -- albeit, in year one -- is still commonly getting criticized.
But just because the majority of fans, analysts, and/or beat writers believe it, doesn't make it true. When you break down all of Kelly's offseason moves -- and there were a lot -- you can see the logic behind each and every one.
In reality, Kelly has hit on seven moves and missed on three, while three others can rationally be debated.
The Good
Kelly made at least seven correct personnel decisions which include upgrading at QB, finding and molding a starting safety, and arguably discovering the league's best young defensive player in the draft.
1. TRADE: Nick Foles, a 2015 fourth-round pick, and a 2016 second-round pick for Sam Bradford and a 2015 fifth-round pick.
(The trade in simpler terms: Foles, a 2016 second-round pick, and 13 million 2015 cap dollars for Bradford.)
FOLES was benched after eight games (3-5) for undrafted free agent QB Case Keenum. Foles' 56.4-percent completion rate is 32nd among NFL quarterbacks and his 69.0 QB rating is also 32nd in the NFL. Foles threw for just 2,052 yards (187 passing yards/game is 31st), seven touchdowns, and 10 interceptions in 11 games played
All we heard about was how Foles was 14-4 as a starter under Kelly. So what? That's more of a testament to Kelly and his offense than Foles and his presumed talents. Frankly, Foles isn't talented enough and his 2015 season in St. Louis has proven that.
BRADFORD is playing some of his best football, as the Eagles gear up for their final three regular season games, and then hopefully the postseason. After a shaky start coming off of back-to-back ACL injuries, Bradford is starting to take command of the Eagles' offense.
In their last eight games that Bradford has started and finished, the Birds are 6-2 -- and one of those two losses was a 27-16 loss on the road against the undefeated Carolina Panthers. In his last four starts, Bradford has completed 80 of 123 passes (65-percent) for 898 yards, five touchdowns, one (controversial) interception, earning a 96.9 QB rating.
For the season, Bradford has thrown for 2,664 yards, 14 TD's, and 11 INT's in 11 games played. He has completed 63.2-percent of his passes (17th).
The verdict: Giving up a second-round pick and 13 million cap dollar for one season, in order to improve your talent level at the most important position in sports, is a no-brainer. Kelly knew it was a move that needed to be made and he understood the patience -- while some fans and critics may not have -- that would be required for Bradford in a new system, coming off of two consecutive season-ending injuries. Bradford has transformed into a leader for the NFC East contending Eagles on and off-the-field, and now serves as a potential long-term solution.
2. FREE AGENCY: Releasing S Nate Allen, Signing S Walter Thurmond
ALLEN unfortunately injured his knee in Week 1 and was placed on injured reserve, after signing a four-year contract with the Oakland Raiders worth $23 million.
THURMOND, a former fourth-round pick who is already on his third team in six seasons, signed a one-year deal worth $3.25 million with the Eagles. Kelly, Thurmond's coach at Oregon, converted the corner to safety -- where he has thrived. Thurmond has tallied career-highs in tackles (69), interceptions (3), sacks (2), and forced fumbles (2) playing alongside Malcolm Jenkins. The two have formed one of the NFL's best tandems at safety.
The verdict: Kelly may have rejuvenated Thurmond's career, one of his best offseason moves.
3. FREE AGENCY: Releasing CB's Cary Williams and Bradley Fletcher; Signing CB Byron Maxwell
WILLIAMS was benched by his new team, the Seattle Seahawks, in Week 11. Two weeks later, he was released. Prior to his release, Pro Football Focus had Williams rated 96th among 114 NFL cornerbacks.
FLETCHER played two games with the New England Patriots before being released on October 10th.
MAXWELL, as the No. 1 corner in free-agency, was signed by Kelly to an expensive six year, $63 million. The wealthy contract has certainly made Maxwell -- who has struggled at times -- a target for the naysayers. But to his credit, B-Max (2 INT's) has quietly answered the bell and performed nicely over the latter half of the season.
Furthermore, if you look at the other 2015 free agent cornerbacks, none of them are exactly lighting the world on fire.
The verdict: Kelly certainly may have overpaid for Maxwell, but he's undoubtedly an improvement over what the Eagles had in Kelly's first two seasons. While detractors enjoy highlighting Maxwell's mistakes against top receivers, he has limited the production of No. 1 pass catchers like Odell Beckham Jr., Dez Bryant, and Sammy Watkins in three crucial Eagles' wins.
4. FREE AGENCY: Releasing OLB Trent Cole, signing OLB Brandon Graham
COLE, second on the Eagles' all-time sack list, was 32-years-old entering 2015, set to count $11.625 million against the Eagles' cap. Kelly knew that number was too rich for a declining player and let Cole go.
In Indianapolis, Cole has started just five games, tallying two sacks for a 6-7 struggling Colts team and a 29th ranked defense. The Colts are 28th in the NFL in sacks with just 22.
GRAHAM, 27, was signed to a four-year extension worth $26 million ($13M guaranteed). In his first year as a starter, Graham already has a career high 6.5 sacks in 13 games, to go along with three forced fumbles.
The verdict: Kelly knew when to move on from an aging player, a move that has paid off financially and competitively.
5. TRADE: CB Brandon Boykin for a conditional draft pick
BOYKIN, to the dismay of Steelers nation, has oddly not started one game with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He has one interception this season. Boykin, 25, was heading into the final-year of his rookie deal with Philadelphia.
The Eagles have often relied on safety Malcolm Jenkins, who played corner at Ohio State, to cover slot receivers. This has allowed Jenkins, something he says displays his versatility, to have his best season as a Pro (87 tackles, 3 FF's, 2 INT's, 1 TD).
The verdict: Boykin was a good player in Philadelphia, but Kelly knew the team wasn't going to overpay for a nickle corner after the 2015 season. Jenkins' season is making his three-year, $15.5 million 2014 contract with the Eagles even more impressive.
6. DRAFT: CB Eric Rowe (round 2), LB Jordan Hicks (round 3)
ROWE, who struggled to find the field early in the season, is now starting for the injured Nolan Carroll. The 23-year-old rookie corner has held his own over the last two games at the Patriots and vs. the Bills. Rowe is showing promise in a key role during the most important stretch of the Eagles' schedule.
HICKS was arguably the Eagles' best defensive player before tearing his pectoral in Week 9 against the Cowboys. In eight games, Hicks recorded 50 tackles, 1 sack, 1 FF, 3 fumble recoveries, and 2 INT's -- one of which was a game-changing, maybe season-saving, pick-six in Dallas. Hicks, one of the NFL's top draft picks of the 2015 season, was well on his way to winning defensive rookie of the year.
The verdict: The Eagles didn't even realize how devastating Hicks' injury was until he went out. Amazingly, the rookie linebacker was the Eagles' best defensive playmaker. And Rowe, who was thrust into a starting role at one of the game's toughest positions, is encouragingly holding his own.
7. FREE AGENCY: Signing RB Ryan Mathews
MATHEWS, 28, is showing why he is the former 2010 No. 12 overall pick. In 10 games, Mathews has accumulated 465 yards and five scores on just 87 carries (5.3 yards/carry). Equally as impressive -- from Kelly's perspective -- is Mathews' three-year, $11 million ($5 million guaranteed) contract, one of the league's most favorable running back deals.
Mathews has continued to fight the injury-bug this season, something that has hampered him during his six-year career, but the cheapness of his contract is baked into that equation.
The verdict: Great contract, great player.
The Controversial
The McCoy-Alonso trade is one Kelly has been buried for. Most critics, however, are ignorantly looking solely at 2015 on-field production to determine the success of that deal.
1. TRADE: RB LeSean McCoy for LB Kiko Alonso
MCCOY, 27, is playing well for the Buffalo Bills. Shady has 866 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 193 carries (4.5 yards/carry), plus 284 receiving yards and two more scores.
ALONSO, 25, was coming off an ACL injury and re-injured his knee in Week 2 causing him to miss five games. However, in six games since his return, Alonso has just 18 tackles, one for a loss, and no takeaways.
Financially -- regardless of the performance of McCoy and Alonso -- this trade still made sense. McCoy's 2015 cap hit was $11.9 million, while Alonso makes about $1.5 million in 2015 and 2016 combined, before becoming a free-agent.
The verdict: Kelly traded an aging running back whose best days are behind him, for a potentially ascending 25-year-old linebacker -- a more salient position -- and approximately 11 million 2015 cap dollars (plus even more money saved in 2016). While you may disagree with how Kelly used the extra cap dollars (see: Murray, DeMarco), the thought process behind the McCoy-Alonso trade still makes perfect sense.
2015 cap numbers: Murray ($5M), Mathews ($2M), and Darren Sproles ($4.1M) = $11.1M < McCoy's $11.9M
2. FREE AGENCY: Releasing G Todd Herremans
HERREMANS, 33, was another one of the veteran, tenured, but declining players that Kelly intelligently released this past offseason. Herremans started just two games for the 6-7 Indianapolis Colts and is now a backup. The Colts are 28th in the NFL averaging just 89.3 rushing yards per game. They have allowed 31 sacks this season, t-18th in the NFL.
Herremans was set to make $4 million in 2015 and 2016 with the Eagles. By releasing him, Kelly saved almost $8 million cap dollars.
The verdict: Herremans was a great Eagle, but another foresighted move by Kelly can be understood. Still, many have fairly questioned Kelly's reluctance to replenish the offensive line, relying on backups. Andrew Gardner was Herremans' original replacement, but a foot injury cost Gardner his season. Matt Tobin has stepped in to fill the role.
(UPDATE: Herremans was cut by the Colts hours after this story was published.)
3. FREE AGENCY: Releasing G Evan Mathis
MATHIS, 34, was unexpectedly released by Kelly after a reported contract dispute. The aging Pro Bowl guard was set to earn a base salary of $5.5 and $6 million in 2015 and 2016, respectively.
Mathis is starting for the 10-3 Denver Broncos, who are tied for 17th in the NFL averaging 99.3 rushing yards per game. Denver has allowed 32 sacks, t-20th in the NFL.
Allen Barbre has replaced Mathis for the Eagles.
The verdict: The Eagles could sure use Evan Mathis, but this was a long-term financial decision. Mathis is 34-years-old and was making about $4 million more than his Barbre, who is three years younger. Nevertheless, Mathis is still playing at high level.
The Bad
Signing DeMarco Murray to a five-year, $40 million contract was Chip Kelly's only egregious offseason move. At least Nelson Agholor allows for upside and growth.
1. FREE AGENCY: Signing RB DeMarco Murray
MURRAY, 27, led the NFL with 1,845 rushing yards in 2014 with the Dallas Cowboys. Kelly, after trading away an aging and expensive running back of his own, went out and contradicted his decision by signing Murray to a five-year deal worth $40 million ($21M guaranteed).
Production-wise, Murray certainly hasn't lived up to his contract, rushing for just 603 yards on 174 carries (career low 3.5 yards/carry).
The verdict: Kelly did not need to spend a boatload of money on Murray. Next season, Murray has a base salary of $7M, a cap hit of $8M, and the Eagles will lose $5M if they cut Murray -- which is incredibly unlikely.
2. DRAFT: Selecting WR Nelson Agholor to replace WR Jeremy Maclin
MACLIN, who Kelly insists he wanted to keep, decided to test the free-agency waters and eventually landed with his hometown team and former coach -- the Kansas City Chiefs and Andy Reid.
Maclin, 27, signed a massive five-year deal worth $55M with the Chiefs, a contract many felt was too large for an above-average -- but not elite -- receiver. J-Mac has 72 catches for 935 yards and five touchdowns in 12 games this season.
AGHOLOR was the Eagles' first-round pick and hopeful outside replacement. Agholor's four-year rookie deal worth $9.4M total ($1.7M 2015 cap hit) is advantageous to the Eagles. However, the USC standout has underwhelmed on the gridiron, catching just 19 balls for 225 yards and one touchdown. Agholor, who caught his first career TD last week against the Bills, missed three games due to injury.
The verdict: While no one is giving up on Agholor after 10 games, he certainly isn't providing the immediate production other recent first-round wide receivers have provided. Maclin was expensive, but it's hard not to dream about this year's offense with J-Mac -- a vocal Chip Kelly supporter and character guy -- in it.
3. FREE AGENCY: Signing WR Miles Austin
AUSTIN was signed a one-year deal worth $2.3 million. Kelly took a shot on a cheap, veteran free-agent to help mitigate the Maclin loss. Obviously it didn't work, as Austin has already been cut.
Chip Kelly, both the coach and GM, has taken a ton of heat despite evidence of success. Kelly is just two wins away from his second division championship in three years to start his NFL career, in spite of below-average quarterback play.
Sometimes, we don't know what we've got until it's gone.
