DeMarco Murray continues to fall further and further into the shadows for the Philadelphia Eagles as his future in 2016 becomes even more unclear. The running back was the team's big free agent signing, but he has yet to live up to the five-year, $40 million deal he earned after leading the NFL in rushing in 2014. Meanwhile, Sam Bradford has been exceeding expectations in the last few games as he battles for a new contract. Will one return in 2016 while the other is at risk of heading elsewhere?
According to ESPN's Phil Sheridan and NFL.com's Albert Breer, there is a real chance that Murray plays elsewhere in 2016 as the running back continues to fall out of favor with head coach Chip Kelly. Murray has lost his starting job to Ryan Mathews while he averages just 3.5 yards per carry. He had two touches in the loss to the Arizona Cardinals while the offense ran the ball just 19 times between three running backs. According to Kelly, that has nothing to do with Murray and more to do with what the defense is showing.
We don't have any thoughts or plans going into it," Kelly said, via ESPN.com. "That's how the season has expressed itself. We would hopefully have enough carries to distribute to everybody. We would love to have 35 carries to distribute to our backs. We're not going to run it for the sake of running it. Average two yards a carry and say, 'At least we ran it enough, at least everyone got touches.' It's not about getting touches. It's about winning."
Releasing Murray would be admitting a huge mistake by the Eagles and the move is unlikely heading into 2016. Kelly does not like players who do not buy into his system. DeSean Jackson and LeSean McCoy are examples of that, but releasing Murray seems like a waste considering what he has proven he can do. It is unclear what the best path is for Murray and the Eagles. The team is wasting money keeping him on the sidelines, but Kelly is in no rush to play him.
Bradford's future is another mystery. The quarterback is playing on an expiring contract and lately he has proven worth an extension. According to Kelly, the team would not have traded for Bradford if they did not intend to keep him around. However, Bradford is looking to cash in come free agency and the Eagles might not be able to afford his demands. According to ESPN Insider Mike Sando, the franchise tag might be the best move which would cost the Eagles $20 million for one season. With Bradford's injury history, determining his worth is easier said than done. This would at least give the Eagles another year to figure out what kind of contract best fits Bradford while not losing him to the free agent market. While certain NFL sources like Ian Rapoport of NFL.com believe Robert Griffin III or Colin Kaepernick are ideal additions for the Eagles, keeping Bradford might be the favored move.
