Notes: Trades Still Possible For Kendricks, Mathis?

After the draft, Chip Kelly was pretty adamant in his assertion that Mychal Kendricks was not going to be traded.

With Evan Mathis, he was far more open, explaining that Mathis has been on the block for two years, and the Eagles have not received an offer.

Since the draft, Kendricks has shown up for offseason workouts, while Mathis remains missing. The question now is: Will both guys be on the field when the season starts in September?

Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com believes the answer is no:

These two dudes will be dealt, I believe. Above and beyond anyone else on this list. Chip Kelly has turned the page on Mathis it seems and at some point, whether it is this week or next week or week two of the preseason, someone will give him a late-round pick for Mathis, even though he has a big contract. Some contending team will lose an offensive lineman and Mathis can still play. As for Kendricks, he is clearly the odd man out in the inside linebacker situation as Kelly was calling all around the NFL trying to pawn him off for a second-round pick in the week leading up to the draft. Of course he couldn’t get that — Kendricks is going into his contract year and that’s a steep price under the circumstances — but Kendricks has been an impact player and Kelly could get a 2016 fourth-round pick for him, I’m sure, and at this point trying to bring him back into that locker room might not make much sense.

In the past, it’s seemed that when Kelly turns the page on a player, he’s not overly concerned with value. At inside linebacker, the Eagles have Kiko Alonso, DeMeco Ryans and third-round pick Jordan Hicks. The feeling here is that Kendricks is a young, talented, play-making linebacker. But if Kelly feels otherwise, maybe he still makes a move.

Losing Mathis would put the Eagles in a major hole. They already have a question mark at right guard, and the roster is thin along the offensive line after the Eagles got no help there in the draft. But La Canfora’s point is a fair one. If a team loses an offensive lineman in the summer, and Mathis is still available, maybe something gets done.

It’s also possible that these two players are connected. In other words, maybe the Eagles look to add an offensive lineman rather than a pick in a deal that involves Kendricks.

VEGAS ON THE EAGLES

Bovada recently released its latest Super Bowl odds, and the gambling community seems to like what Kelly has done this offseason.

The Eagles are 18/1 to win the Super Bowl. That ranks fourth in the NFC, behind only the Seahawks (11/2), Packers (7/1) and Cowboys (10/1). Overall, the Eagles rank seventh (the Patriots, Colts and Broncos all have better odds).

The Eagles are 10/1 to win the NFC and 7/4 to win the division. The Cowboys are the favorites in the NFC East at 13/10. The Giants are third (3/1), and Washington is last (14/1).

Before free agency, the Eagles were 20/1.

ESPN.com, meanwhile, is not as bullish on the Eagles. The writers over there have the Birds 11th in their power rankings:

The offensive additions made headlines for Chip Kelly, but the Eagles signed or drafted a combined six cornerbacks this offseason. Only three teams allowed more passing touchdowns than Philly in 2014.

One more gambling note: Nelson Agholor is 14/1 to win Offensive Rookie Of the Year. Seven players have better odds. His over/under for yards is 700.5, and his over/under for touchdowns is 4.5.

LA’EL COLLINS UPDATE

LSU offensive lineman La’el Collins will make his first free-agent visit to the Dallas Cowboys, per La Canfora.

If you’re wondering about the possibility that the Eagles look into adding Collins, we wrote about that here.

THE TURNOVER ON OFFENSE

Chase Stuart of Football Perspective has some interesting notes on the Eagles’ turnover on offense this offseason:

Remember that both McCoy and Maclin each topped the 1300 yard mark in rushing and receiving yards, respectively. And the Eagles ranked in the top five in both points and yards. That makes this sort of turnover pretty much unheard of. Let’s start with this: getting rid of a 1200 yard rusher is pretty rare, although both the Eagles and Cowboys did it this year. Before that, though, the last team to do it was the 2010 Jets, who let Thomas Jones move on to Kansas City after rushing for 1,402 yards in 2009. Before that you have to go back to 2006, when Jones (Chicago to the Jets) again qualifies, Tiki Barber retired, and Travis Henry was cut by the Titans despite rushing for 1,211 yards.

The ’06 Titans are one of just two teams to have a 1200-yard rusher leave and the top receiver (regardless of production) leave. That’s because Drew Bennett moved on to St. Louis after the season. The only other team only qualifies on a technicality: the ’98 Colts, who traded leading rusher Marshall Faulk and leading receiver Marshall Faulk.

The whole breakdown is worth a read. Obviously, what Kelly has done is unconventional. And no, I don’t think he really cares about that.