Voila_Capture 2015-03-11_01-24-56_PM

Don’t even know what just happened. I have no idea. Chip blindsided the media with an impromptu press conference to talk about the dismemberment of the Eagles. Here’s what happened next, including the audio:

 

On Bradford 

Chip said Bradford and Sanchez are the team’s quarterbacks. Somewhere, Matt Barkley hangs his head.

On Bradford: “Outstanding skill set big, strong, accurate, intelligent, inside information [because Pat Shurmur coached him before].” “He’s wired right”… except for his ligaments.

He’s sold on him. There was no wavering in endorsing him as the quarterback of the 2015 Eagles. Beyond that? Who knows. He said repeatedly that the Eagles wouldn’t have been able to get Bradford if he wasn’t coming off an injury… which I’m not sure is supposed to make us feel any better. This is the value strategy we talked about before. Problem is, they gave up Foles and lost the draft pick swap to do it. I’m not so sure that’s value.

He listed guys like Kelce, Maclin, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, who have all had serious injuries before. He truly believes that Bradford’s (and Alonso’s, and Mathews’) injury histories are nothing to be worried about. Everyone’s injured, it’s just different severities, is what Chip believes.

 

On flipping Bradford for Mariota

“I was offered a first round pick for [Bradford] this morning.”

After a few nonsensical questions that followed – after this bombshell Les Bowen repeatedly asked about Howie Roseman’s office being moved – someone (Geoff Mosher?) followed up and Chip confirmed that was indeed the case: “Didn’t entertain anything. Didn’t bring Sam in here to be a Chip. I’m the only Chip here.” An unofficial Chip, to be exact.

Jeff McLane thinks entire point of presser was to tell teams they were offered a first round pick for Bradford. [Love this theory, but I’m doubtful.]

Chip said the Eagles are “never going to mortgage the future” for anyone, even for the best quarterback in the draft (his words), Marcus Mariota. He explained that the Eagles have had no discussions about that. Right.

 

On McCoy

Chip explained that he sees the McCoy trade as LeSean for Kiko Alonso and Byron Maxwell (what they did with the cap space). Fair enough. As for LeSean’s comments about not hearing the news from Chip, Chip said that he wasn’t sure if the trade would go through and had planned on telling LeSean the following morning (the Andy Bloom strategy), but “Buffalo jumped the gun and called someone else and we weren’t happy with them.” He said he left a message for McCoy that night but hasn’t heard back and has since reached out to Drew Rosenhaus.

 

On Howie Roseman

Called it Lurie’s decision, downplayed any hostility between the him and Howie. “A lot of things out there that aren’t true,” he said. “I get along great with Howie.” I’m sure. He explained the office move (because Les wouldn’t stop pestering him about it) with some story about being able to play street hockey with all the new space in the office. Chip also said Howie had control of last two drafts and had final call on Marcus Smith. Ohhhh, burn.

 

On Frank Gore

Said he hadn’t spoken to him until 4 p.m. yesterday……. and Gore was headed to Indy at that time. Asked for him to come to Philly afterward. He didn’t. He signed with the Colts today, but that didn’t stop someone from asking if he thought the Eagles still had a chance to get him.

 

On Stephen A. Smith comment

No one asked about the Stephen A. Smith comments (too busy worry about that office move?).

 

On Maclin

They wanted to have him back. [We’ve heard this too.] It just didn’t work out. Translation: Chiefs offered him too much.

 

On Maxwell

Loves Maxwell, calls him “tall, long physical, athletic.”

 

On Walter Thurmon

Another one the Eagles wouldn’t have gotten if he wasn’t injured. Loves him in part because he was captain at Oregon in 2009.

 

On the media

“When we have news, I talk. When you guys speculate about things all offseason, I can’t help you.” He ended with a Frank Underwood-esque moment: “Pieces are fitting together in the puzzle, right?” he said as he double-tapped the podium and walked off.
https://twitter.com/PATman_andRobin/status/575716933447774208

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