Monday Musings: Dolphins, Titans dealing for Eagles' flops defines dumb
The Dolphins and Titans trading for Chip Kelly's free-agent flops is the new dumb and dumber. Elsewhere, the Broncos can't let Brock Osweiler get away.
Anybody who plays poker knows what chip dump means.
Now we have the NFL version.
With Howie Roseman back in power calling the personnel shots for the Philadelphia Eagles, he didn't take long to dump some of Chip Kelly's main acquisitions from last spring, an offseason that saw Kelly call the shots after his coup to oust Roseman.
The Eagles agreed to trade both cornerback Byron Maxwell and linebacker Kiko Alonso to the Miami Dolphins for draft picks Monday, while sending DeMarco Murray to the Titans, ending all three players' Eagles tenures after a year. That's if all three pass their physicals and Miami can re-work Maxwell's contract. The moves would then become official at 4 p.m. ET Wednesday, the start of the new league year.
The moves to acquire Maxwell and Alonso last year by the Eagles were questionable when they were made -- you can look it up if you don't believe I felt that way -- but after one year Roseman is doing the smart thing and admitting Kelly's mistakes. That's easy to do when they aren't your mistakes.
The Eagles fired Kelly after the season and Doug Pederson is now the coach, but this is a clear move that Roseman didn't think too kindly of Kelly's personnel moves. It also should be a reminder to all teams out there that the job is too big for one man.
Kelly the coach got himself fired by Kelly the general manager. You need separation of powers, with a general manager and a coach. Not one man doing both.
Maxwell signed a six-year, $63 million contract last spring as a free agent from Seattle, where he played second fiddle to Richard Sherman. The Eagles gave him $25 million in guarantees to be their No. 1 corner, a move that was met with a lot of skepticism in the NFL personnel community. He is set to have a base salary of $8.5 million, which is why Miami wants to re-work the deal.

The Eagles also traded to get Alonso from the Bills in exchange for running back LeSean McCoy. Alonso was coming off ACL surgery and was again bothered by injuries in 2015. He started just one game. That's not much return for investment -- or for giving up on McCoy and then paying DeMarco Murray, who did little last season.
Chip Kelly GM Grade: A big, fat F.
The Dolphins also have decided to release corner Brent Grimes when he refused a pay cut, which is why they likely are willing to make the deal for Maxwell. But I just don't think he's that good.
Dolphins defensive coordinator Vance Joseph came from Cincinnati where his corners played a lot of man coverage, both press and off-man. Maxwell is not good in press-man coverage, but is OK as an off-man player. He also did a nice job in Seattle's Cover-3 zone schemes, which is how he got paid.
Joseph has already said he wants to be aggressive on defense, which would mean man coverage on the back end. That can be a challenge for Maxwell. If Alonso is healthy, he is a solid coverage linebacker, which Miami needs. Health is the major issue.
These are strange moves from my standpoint for Miami. They gave up draft picks to get average players. Why do it?
As for the Murray trade, what are the Titans thinking? Did they watch him last year? There are a ton of backs in this year's draft, and every year we see guys burst onto the scene that get taken in the later rounds, making veteran backs even less valuable.
When will these teams learn that backs are complementary players, not players who decide titles anymore?
Draft, beat them up, and draft another.
Yet here we have the Titans making a deal with the Eagles for Murray. New coach Mike Mularkey is a run-first coach who has to remember that he has Marcus Mariota as his quarterback.

I don't buy the crap that a running game will take the pressure off Mariota. Build it around him, and then let the running game be the complementary part of the offense.
The Titans have it wrong.
Run, run and run some more doesn't win in the NFL. Get pass rushers to go with that passer and then take your chances. Giving up anything for Murray is a waste.
Happy trails, Peyton
I thought Peyton Manning's retirement speech was just as expected: Well-planned, with a lot of emotion from a guy who loves the game. Manning's love for football truly came through during his speech, which is why I expect him to run a team someday. The competitive drive, plus his insatiable appetite for football information, will make him a star in a front office. Like John Elway, he will have big-time success if he chooses to take that path, which I think he will at some point.
Timing is everything in free agency
In texting with some general managers Monday, the theme most said was the strongest on the first day of the period to talk with free agents was an easy one: $$$$$$.
There is a lot of cap room and early indications are that some players are going to get deals that will exceed what the value truly is for those players. That's the good news for the players. Hitting the market at the right time is a good thing.
Don't be shocked to see deals that make your draw drop. As one GM said, "You have to pay somebody."
Also, when you see deals getting announced on Wednesday, just remember the five-year numbers will really be two- or three-year deals. Rarely do these free agents play out the length of the contract. So when an agent says a player gets a five-year. $100-milliion deal, it includes a lot of funny money.
Players want the big guaranteed money up front, which is why they take the five-year deals. Teams can spread the bonus out over the cap for five years.
Keep fighting, Mort
The best news this week was hearing ESPN's Chris Mortensen say the tumor on his throat was shrinking. Mort is battling throat cancer, and he appeared on ESPN for the first time Monday since making the illness known in January.
Here's hoping Mort returns healthy and gets back to covering the league. For a lot of journalists on the way up -- including me -- he was always somebody who was there to offer advice and direction. Fight on, Mort.
Speaking of running backs …
I am not a big believer in signing running backs in free agency, but I keep hearing that Miami's Lamar Miller and Tampa Bay's Doug Martin are going to get plenty of activity.
More musings:
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Atlanta Falcons |
| The Falcons were wrong in a big way for asking Ohio State corner Eli Apple or any other player about their sexual preference. Marquand Manuel, the coach who asked the question, has apologized, and so has the team. Expect the league to fine the Falcons or penalize them in some way. That's goes way past the line. It shouldn't matter one bit, so why ask? Teams ask other out-of-line questions, and maybe this will be the precursor to stopping it. Why would a team ask a player if he was attracted to his own mother, which allegedly has been asked by one team? What the hell does that even mean or have anything to do with football? | |
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Denver Broncos |
| If the Broncos let Brock Osweiler out of their building, it will be a mistake. If I am Bill O'Brien and the Houston Texans, that's who I would target. Osweiler is a big, strong passer who would fit in O'Brien's offense. What does Denver do if Osweiler sneaks away? Peyton, come back. Peyton, come back. Or maybe Fitzpatrick? The Broncos can win again with that defense. Why risk letting Osweiler leave? | |
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Houston Texans |
| Who signs quarterback Robert Griffin III now that the Redskins have released him? If I were O'Brien and the Texans, and I couldn't get Osweiler, I would consider it. There is talent there and O'Brien is good with quarterbacks. In a division where the three other teams have solved their quarterback situations, the Texans need to try everything they can to fix theirs. | |
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New York Jets |
| If the Jets are far apart in contract talks with Ryan Fitzpatrick, what the heck is he asking for in a new deal? Fitzpatrick played well for the Jets last year, but he is far from a franchise passer. I keep hearing how he will get a lot of play on the open market. Who pays him? His best bet is to go back to the Jets. | |



















