There’s absolutely no telling what Chip Kelly and the Philadelphia Eagles are going to do during the draft.
No one on their right mind would have predicted that Philadelphia was going to enter draft day with DeMarco Murray and Sam Bradford as its backfield tandem. Kelly, in his first season as the team’s head personnel man, has been about as unpredictable as it comes.
So when NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday that Philadelphia has put linebacker Mychal Kendricks and cornerback Brandon Boykin on the trade block, it likely wasn’t much of a surprise to many out there.
Two #Eagles defenders who teams believe could be had for the right price: DB Brandon Boykin & LB Mychal Kendricks.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 29, 2015
While neither one of these players are likely to be dealt for picks on Day 1, they could be moved on Thursday as part of a larger plan by Philly. We are talking about two valuable young players who still possess a ton of upside.
Kendricks, a second-round pick back in 2012, recorded 83 tackles, three passes defended and three forced fumbles in 12 games last season.
Boykin, a fourth-round pick that same year, played almost exclusively in the slot last season. He appeared in all 16 games, recording 41 tackles, nine passes defended and an interception. The former Georgia standout had a career season in 2013 with six interceptions. He’s seen as one of the better young cover guys in the NFL.
It’s being reported that Philadelphia wants a second-round pick in exchange for Kendricks. And while there’s nothing out relating to its asking price for Boykin, a Day 2 pick seems to make sense.
For the Eagles, this could all be part of a larger plan to trade up for Marcus Mariota. It could use these two assets to inch itself up from the 20th pick to select Kelly’s former pupil at Oregon. If so, deals for these two veterans would have to go down on Thursday.
There would be no shortage of interest in these two players should the Eagles continue to explore trade possibilities. In fact, and it’s pure conjecture, there are squads out there who have needs at both linebacker and corner. Could a package deal be in the works?
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