The Philadelphia Eagles made a major move with LeSean McCoy this past week and moving forward Chip Kelly could look at a Nick Foles trade if he wants to make a deal for Marcus Mariota in the draft and if that happens, teams like the Houston Texans and St. Louis Rams could be interest and this comes as the team may bring back Mark Sanchez and Jeremy Maclin in free agency.
The Eagles traded McCoy to the Buffalo Bills for linebacker Kiko Alonso and as free agency is set to begin, the team is looking to bring back Mark Sanchez and Jeremy Maclin. According to Pro Football Talk, the Eagles are looking to bring back Sanchez on a contract, as NJ.com reports that the sides have mutual interest in getting a deal done. Sanchez served as the backup for Nick Foles last season the report says that he likely will be in for that role again this year if he comes back.
UPDATE: Jeremy Maclin is reportedly signing with the Chiefs and Sanchez is returning.
Kelly has not been shy about his interest in Marcus Mariota and while the Eagles are pick number 20 in the first round, reports have the team thinking about trading up. NJ.com reported earlier in the offseason that the Eagles were plotting "multiple moves" to trade up for Mariota, who was quarterback for Kelly while he was at Oregon. According to CBS Sports, the Eagles and Browns are two teams that are "going to explore" trading up for Mariota. The Browns have the most picks of any team in the draft, while the Eagles have Foles and all of their picks.
The Eagles have Foles as a trade chip and NJ.com reported last month that the Houston Texans and St. Louis Rams could be interested in acquiring him. According to Philly Voice's Jimmy Kempski, there is "building evidence" that Kelly wants to get MAriota and he just showed last week that he is not afraid to make a big move. Kelly traded McCoy and the fact that he brought in a former Oregon player only makes the Mariota trade seem more plausible.
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Maclin and the Eagles are "not that close" yet in contract talks and it comes after the two sides could not reach an agreement before the franchise tag deadline. The team did not use the tag on Maclin and now he is set to hit free agency after having a career season with 85 receptions for 1318 yards and 10 touchdowns. Adding back Sanchez would give the team some insurance if Foles is traded and they can't get Mariota. Last season Foles had 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions last season while playing in eight games and that came after his fantastic 2013 season with 27 touchdowns and two picks.
Earlier in the offseason there were reports that Kelly was interested in signing Jake Locker, but bringing back Sanchez likely means that's off the table. Kelly felt comfortable inserting Sanchez in the starting lineup for Foles when he was injured last season and while he wasn't fantastic, he helped the Eagles finish with 10 wins despite missing the playoffs.
