by Robert Williams
(Image via philadelphia.cbslocal.com)
It will be an interesting 8 to 9 weeks till the NFL Draft. The Philadelphia Eagles have a new Director of Player Personnel and several new position coaches. They also have NO General Manager (at least not in title). We can expect the Eagles not to be too aggressive in this free agency period and pick up role players for cheaper prices. The release of James Casey could be a sign of picking up a fullback. Does that mean the team will switch to a traditional way of getting the ball across the goal line? The NFL Scouting Combine is happening, which some people call “The Underwear Olympics”; slave auction with a homogenized element to it. It is just another way to evaluate players.
Top 8 Reasons why the Philadelphia Eagles should NOT trade for Marcus Mariota:
1.) They already have a QB; Nick Foles has established himself as the Philadelphia Eagles signal caller: He is 14-4 in his first 18 starts under Chip Kelly. He still has ways to go but I believe he can IMPROVE in time. Chip Kelly has to be more creative and less animated with his play calling. He needs to pound the ball to keep the defense honest. This takes pressure off of Foles and balances the attack on the defense.
2.) Chip Kelly had a Mariota “type” before and didn’t do well: Eagles fans forget about Michael Vick being the Eagles QB. He was 2-4 under Chip Kelly and had 5 turnovers in 6 games. The Eagles weren’t playing up to the standard of Chip Kelly. It wasn’t until Vick got injured and Foles took his place to lead the team to the playoffs. Plus Chip Kelly knows how to change his system to fit Nick Foles. It not only worked, it was better!
3.) Nick Foles has the support of the locker room: LeSean McCoy and others have already voiced their opinions on a potential idiotic trade. LeSean McCoy called Foles “OUR LEADER”. Trading a player that the WHOLE team supports will put in doubt the decisions that Chip Kelly will make throughout his tenure.
4.) Nick Foles balances out the madness of Chip Kelly: As people praise him as “offensive genius”, he still displayed some flaws in his strategy. The running game was non-existent in the first five games of the 2014 season; running virtually the same play, making the game awfully simplistic. Not including the passing situations in which Chip Kelly would call screens or obvious go to routes with Darren Sproles. Nick Foles forces Chip Kelly to play a pro-style system with a touch of “Kellyness”.
5.) The “Combo Meal” never worked: Most teams who trade away their future for one player hasn’t worked; See the Herschel Walker and Ricky Williams trades for starters. We already see what is happening to the Redskins. This savior complex is not only dangerous, but detrimental to a franchise and its future.
6.) The TEAM needs help elsewhere: The Eagles secondary is atrocious. 3 of the 5 starting offensive lineman are over the age of 30. The Eagles need younger pass rushers. Not including a more tone receiving corp. SPECIAL TEAMS. There are more positions to worry about than the quarterback position.
7.) Elephant in the room: The team doesn’t really have their front office in order. We cannot trust the front office. It is really scary that they tried to interview people for GM and nobody wanted the job. Plus Chip Kelly is just learning about the draft process and how to properly draft players. We can tell from the previous two drafts that he has a lot of LEARNING to do.
8.) Nick Foles Contract: This is Nick Foles’ contract year. Let him EARN his money!
Robert Williams, for War Room Sports
Tags: All's Fair in Sports and War, Chip Kelly, Football, Marcus Mariota, NFL, NFL Draft, Nick Foles, Philadelphia Eagles, Robert Williams, Sports Talk, War Room Sports, WRS