The Philadelphia Eagles are officially rebuilding. The team announced it has fired head coach Chip Kelly in an effort to move in a different direction after yet another year of missing the postseason. Now the Eagles have plenty of player personnel questions to answer with their starting quarterback playing on an expiring contract and their high-priced running back unhappy. While Bradford admits he does not know what the future holds, DeMarco Murray predicts he will be back in 2016.
Murray played a part in the firing of Kelly as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported he told owner Jeff Lurie he had lost confidence in the head coach. Murray's 2015 season was a disappointment. The running back went from the NFL leading rusher to No.4 on the depth chart as a lack of production plagued him all season. While being unhappy with his role on the Eagles, Murray was rumored to be eyeing a trade from the franchise, something he denies happening.
"I'm signed here for four more years," Murray said, via NJ.com. "So, I'll be back here."It's tough. Obviously you go through things in life ... Either they make you or break you. I've been going through a lot of stuff in my life. Great things I can handle and bad things I can handle."
Murray is owed $9 million in guaranteed money in 2016 while being a $13 million cap hit if released. The running back is going nowhere. Instead, he must fit into the system in Philadelphia with both Ryan Mathews and Darren Sproles on the roster. Offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur still believes Murray can fit in with the Eagles and the schemes they run. However, with Kelly out, Shurmur might be gone as well.
"He's made comments that he likes to run the ball when the quarterback runs under center," Shurmur said, via NJ.com. "I think he has pretty good instincts as a runner. He catches the ball well and he's good in pass protection. I think there a lot of things that show he is a fit."
While Murray is predicting that he will be back with the Eagles, Bradford is not making the same call. The quarterback played this season on an expiring contract after getting traded from the St. Louis Rams. He is looking to cash in this offseason after rejecting a contract from the Eagles prior to the year beginning. Bradford has stated earlier in the year that he would like to return to Philadelphia next season, but now he is saying that everything is uncertain following the firing of Kelly.
"I still enjoy the guys on this team," Bradford said, via ESPN.com. "I enjoy the city. I enjoyed my time here. Obviously, I think a lot of it depends on who they hire as a head coach now and what type of offensive system he wants to run. The future is uncertain. Chip was great to me. It's tough to lose him. But we're focused on this last game. After that, I can sit down and think about what the future holds."
There are no guarantees with Bradford. The players have stated they want him back, but if the Eagles are not willing to shell out the money then he could be headed elsewhere this offseason.
