Dion Jordan And the OLB Market
Indianapolis — Just getting settled in here at the combine. It feels like the NFL has just taken over the city. There were several Eagles assistant coaches on my flight; sat across the way from a couple Philly scouts while grabbing a bite to eat downtown; even had a conversation with Juan Castillo at baggage claim. Coaches, agents and personnel men everywhere. It’s all happening.
We’ll have plenty of notes and nuggets to pass along in the coming days. Meanwhile, wanted to touch on a series of tweets from former Eagles director of pro personnel Louis Riddick that caught my attention while waiting for the plane to take off.
Keep an eye on teams with new GM’s/Coaching Staffs in terms of willingness to cut/trade players if they don’t fit what they want to do.
— Louis Riddick (@LRiddickESPN) February 19, 2014
Edge rushers. That is where the action will be.
— Louis Riddick (@LRiddickESPN) February 19, 2014
RT:@TSims2013: @LRiddickESPN Do you think this could happen with Dion Jordan, with Ireland now gone?>>>Absolutely.
— Louis Riddick (@LRiddickESPN) February 19, 2014
The Eagles are in the market for an edge rusher, as we know, and Dion Jordan has a fan in Chip Kelly. The 6-6, 260-pound Oregon product was selected third overall by the Dolphins in last year’s draft, one spot ahead of where the Eagles were picking. While they walked away happy with Lane Johnson, there’s little doubt that they would have selected Jordan if he was still available.
“Trust me, the guy that went number three we were considering very heavily, but didn’t get the chance to pull the trigger on that one,” Kelly said afterwards.
Kelly is not the only one within the Eagles organization that has eyes for Jordan according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, who had this to say back in January.
I’m told 1 thing Tom Gamble would’ve recommended if he interviewed for Dolphins GM was switch back to 3-4. Thinks Dion Jordan 3-4 stud.
— Armando Salguero (@ArmandoSalguero) January 15, 2014
To piggyback on previous Dion Jordan/Gamble tweet, Eagles have No. 22 in 1st rd. Wouldn’t surprise me if they try to trade that for Jordan.
— Armando Salguero (@ArmandoSalguero) January 15, 2014
Jordan played for Chip Kelly and Gamble loves him. Jordan in Miami was Jeff Ireland’s pick not new GM’s.
— Armando Salguero (@ArmandoSalguero) January 15, 2014
The new GM in Miami is Dennis Hickey. I suppose it’s possible that Hickey does not view Jordan as a fit and will try to move him. That doesn’t completely pass the smell test to me, though. Good pass rushers are very hard to find. And while Jordan managed just two sacks his rookie year and might not be an ideal scheme fit, do you give up on a player with so much potential that quickly?
There is also the financial side of things. If the Dolphins did trade Jordan, they would take a dead money cap hit of $10 million in 2014. (Thanks to friend of the site Sam Lynch with the assist on that one.) Not sure it all adds up.
Interesting, though, that Jordan’s name has been brought up in this context on a couple different occasions recently, and that there could be some edge rushers available on the trade market in the coming weeks. The Eagles will be following any developments closely, no doubt.