What They’re Saying About The Eagles

Here is a roundup of what the national media are saying about the Eagles this week.

KC Joyner of ESPN lists DeMarco Murray as one of his impact additions of the 2015 offseason:

Chip Kelly is a run-first coach anywhere on the field and doubly so when it comes to plays at or inside the 10-yard line. During his six seasons of calling plays at Oregon, the Ducks led the nation in rushing touchdown percentage on plays that started at or inside the 10-yard line (44.7 percent).

This has not been the case with the Eagles. Philadelphia’s 3.7 rushes per touchdown ratio is tied for 16th over the past two seasons.

That number should improve dramatically with the addition of Murray to the backfield. Over the past two years, Murray has tied for second in rushes per touchdown (2.7) at or inside the 10-yard line by converting 19 of his 52 carries into scores.

In a roundtable discussion on SI.com, Bette Marston names the Dallas Cowboys as the team she believes won’t repeat as a division winner in 2015:

Dallas’s offense took a hit when Murray, who led the NFL with 1,845 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns last season, signed with the Eagles in free agency (Jerry Jones thinks that the team won’t miss him). While [Dez] Bryant, who finished with 1,320 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns, will likely turn into the focal point of their offense, the Cowboys will certainly struggle to replace Murray’s production. Right now, the Cowboys plan to use Joseph Randle and veteran Darren McFadden, but the two running backs have never come anywhere near Murray’s 2014 level of production. Bryant will still be a headache for defensive backs around the league, but the Cowboys’ offense won’t be on the same level without last year’s power running game.

Across the division, Eagles coach Chip Kelly stole the off-season storylines with his show-stopping (and sometimes head-scratching) moves, signing Murray in free agency after trading away top back LeSean McCoy, letting top receiver Jeremy Maclin walk in free agency and swapping quarterbacks with the Rams. It’s clear that Kelly is gunning for the playoffs, and the Cowboys should be worried. Without their top running back and forced to lean on a wide receiver who hasn’t yet signed his franchise tag, Dallas’s perch atop the NFC East may be short-lived.

While some of the Eagles offensive players were working out in San Diego, Tim Tebow was promoting his ministries in Tennessee, according to Brian Wilson of The Daily News Journal:

An announced crowd of more than 2,000, including several with jerseys and memorabilia from his days as a University of Florida quarterback, listened to Tebow and other speakers as part of the God’s Purpose for America event at Middle Tennessee State University Saturday afternoon.

Conservative author and filmmaker Dinesh D’Souza, Nashville-based talk show host Phil Valentine and Family Action Council of Tennessee President David Fowler also spoke at the event that the Mt. Juliet-based Music with a Purpose sponsored.

While other speakers talked about how their faith ties into the U.S. political system, Tebow spoke about his ministry through stories about his upbringing and experiences as a college and professional quarterback.

Ryan O’Halloran of Jacksonville.com reports on Kelly’s interest in hiring Jaguars director of player personnel, Chris Polian:

“It kind of came out of the blue. I wasn’t expecting it,” he said recently. “It was quick getting the information and then getting up there. But I enjoyed it very much, the chance to sit down, talk and present my ideas to Chip.”

Polian said the initial interview included Kelly and members of the Eagles’ front office, followed by a one-on-one meeting and “subsequent conversations” with Kelly.

“We were able to talk and get a little bit of his philosophy and how he wanted to set the organization up and what he was looking for,” Polian said. “To just talk about ideas of how you move an organization forward was pretty cool.”