3 Under-The-Radar Stories As Eagles Training Camp Opens Sunday
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- For us NFL fanatics, today is like Christmas morning. Football, is officially back, as the Patriots, Dolphins, Jets, Ravens, Browns, Chargers, Cowboys, Redskins, Bears, Packers, and Saints open training camp.
And more importantly, we're just a few days away from the start of Eagles training camp, which begins on Sunday, August 2nd.
We know about Sam Bradford and the quarterback "battle." We know about the new running back unit, the secondary battles, and the offensive line concerns.
So, here's a look at three under-the-radar stories to keep an eye on, as the Birds begin their third season under Chip Kelly.
The Riley Cooper situation
It's fair to say, Riley Cooper isn't the most-well liked Eagle. In fact, I would argue Coop is actually the most disliked Eagle, heading into the 2015 season thanks to his 2013 racial comments.
The 27-year-old veteran wide out, who signed a five-year deal worth a generous $22.5 million in February of 2014, has under-performed. Forced to play a starting role last year opposite Jeremy Maclin, the 6'4", 230-pound Cooper caught just 55 balls for 577 yards and only three touchdowns.
Now, while they might not have a clear No. 1 WR with Maclin joining his former coach Andy Reid in Kansas City, the Eagles' wide receiving corps is the deepest it has been under Kelly. With the addition of first-round pick Nelson Agholor and veteran Pro Bowler Miles Austin, combined with the expectations of third-year tight end Zach Ertz and second-year wide receivers Jordan Matthews and Josh Huff, Cooper could certainly see his snaps reduced significantly.
Furthermore, the Eagles save $2.4 million by simply keeping Cooper for depth in 2015. However, after this season, Cooper's cap hit goes from $4.8 million to $5.3 million and his dead cap hit plummets almost $5 million to just $2.4 million. Meaning, the Birds would save about $3 million by cutting Cooper after this season, which is certainly possible.
The second-tier linebackers
You can certainly make the argument, with Connor Barwin, Brandon Graham, DeMeco Ryans, Mychal Kendricks, and now the 24-year-old dynamic Kiko Alonso, the Eagles have the best linebacker corps in the NFL.
However, if you take it a step further, the unit gets even better with this year's third-round pick from Texas Jordan Hicks, under-achieving 2014 first-round pick Marcus Smith, and former Green Bay Packers and veteran inside backer Brad Jones.
Wait, there's more! I didn't even mention Birds special teams specialist Bryan Braman (a lock to make the team), the reliable and hard-working Najee Goode, and the promising youngster Travis Long.
Linebacker is a crowded position for the Birds, and there were be plenty of decisions to make throughout the preseason and into the regular season.
The three lame ducks
Brandon Boykin (25-years-old), Vinny Curry (27-years-old), and the aforementioned Kendricks (24-years-old), are all 2012 draft picks of the Eagles. They have all been very productive and they are all in the final year of their rookie deals. Circumstance, scheme, and opportunity---or lack thereof---could make 2015 their final seasons in midnight green.
Boykin, at just 5'9", has been the Eagles' nickle corner, but he has made it clear he wants to start. In 2013, Boykin had six interceptions, but just one last season, despite another productive year.
Curry, who also does not start in the Eagles' 3-4 defensive scheme, had an impressive nine sacks in limited snaps last season.
Kendricks, aka the "Angry Bird" --- who is a crazy athlete and fan favorite --- had four sacks, two forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, three interceptions, and 106 combined tackles in 2013, showing off his versatility. However, he has been inconsistent throughout his career and reports indicate his isn't the most intelligent player, often relying on his athleticism.
With Graham (who signed a four-year extension this offseason) and Barwin (who is under contract through the 2018 season) likely locked in as the outside linebackers for years to come in Philly, plus Alonso and Ryans signed through the 2016 season, Kendricks' could unfortunately be the odd-man-out.
The Eagles could look to shop all three of these talented players during the season and/or after the season.
