2015 Philadelphia Eagles Offseason

The entire NFL community knew when Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly traded Lesean McCoy that this 2015 offseason would not be forgotten, and up to this point it has not. Eagles fans have seen most, if not all, of their team traded, released, or just not resigned. Jermey Maclin and McCoy accounted for 44% of the Eagles' total offense, and both are gone. What is behind Kelley’s master plan? This writer will explain every offseason move and give a prediction for the draft and the season.

As many Eagles fans know, the defense was flat out terrible. The only bright side was strong play from the defensive line of Bennie Logan, Fletcher Cox, and Cedric Thorton. The enitre Eagles defense needed work, and Kelly relized that. In so doing, he released Cary Williams and Trent Cole. He also did not resign Bradley Fletcher, a cornerback who had a very mediocre season.

On March 8, 2015, the Buffalo Bills annoced that the Eagles have traded McCoy to Buffalo for previously-injured middle linebacker Kiko Alonso. This move was without any previous knowledge and happened completley by suprise. Eagles nation was outraged because from just looking at the two players, the Bills clearly get the better deal. In addition, taking a closer look, the Eagles dealt McCoy and his heavy contract, opening up an enourmous amount of space for free agency time. Overall, Alonso is also a strong player at middle linebacker (if healthy); he is coming into his third season and was a nominee for DROY.

Another huge splash was the offseason signing of former Seattle Seahawks cornerback Byron Maxwell, who was called by many the best secondary player in free agency. Altogether, the Eagles made an amazing jump from last year's defense to this year's.

Last year, the Birds saw their offense soar in some parts and crash in most. To many, the Eagles' offense played really well last season with highlights in Maclin, McCoy, and -- of course -- great play from their offensive line. On March 8, the Eagles lost one of their biggest parts in McCoy, who last year ran for over 1,000 yards.

Another huge part of the 2014 Eagles season was wide receiver Maclin, who caught over 1,000 yards and 10 TD’s. Unfortunatley, the Eagles felt Maclin was asking for too much money, and Kelly did not resign him. This opened up even more cap space for what Kelly had planned for his offense.

On March 10, 2015, the Eagles decided to deal QB Nick Foles, a fourth-round draft pick, and a seconed-round draft pick in 2016 for St. Louis Rams QB Sam Bradford, and a fifth-round draft. This was another move out of nowhere as Foles was coming off a season-ending injury and was replaced by veteran QB Mark Sanchez.

The Eagles' offense was missing something even as the frenzy of free agency was winding down. Then, rumors sparked that both Ryan Matthews (former San Diego Chargers RB) and DeMarco Murray (former Dallas Cowboys RB) would be visiting the Eagles' facility. Murray was a roomate with recently-aquired Bradford at Oklahoma, and Bradford persuaded Murray to at least consider coming to Philadelphia. On March 15, Murray offically signed with the Eagles for a five-year, $42 million dollar deal. Overall, the Eagles' offense still needs some work, but it should have another successful year if everyone stays healthy.

Kelly annouced that he will not “mortgage” the future of the Eagles to sign Oregon QB Marcus Mariota. This news is some of the best news Kelly has given Eagles fans, showing he is not all in on Mariota and is willing to take a step back. The Eagles should use their first-round draft pick and select Landon Collins, an All-American strong safety from Alabama who has the same play style and build of Seahawk Kam Chancellor.

Another huge hole in the Eagles 'current team is at wide receiver. Sammie Coats, Auburn WR, fits Kelly’s system perfectly and has amazing power, speed, and vision. Coats has also been compared to NFL great Terrell Owens, who had a successful career as an Eagle among other teams.

The 2015 Philadelphia Eagles team looks nothing like it did last year, yet there is sense of renewal in the air, and everyone is excited for the season.