rap

Leading up to the draft last night, all kinds of rumors and reports were being bandied about by pundits and, well, us. The last rumor, before the Titans kept the pick and drafted Marcus Mariota, had the Eagles offering up two 1st rounders, a 3rd rounder, Fletcher Cox, Brandon Boykin, Mychal Kendricks, and “more.” There was another rumor that Sam Bradford was involved in a package too. But post-pick, Chip Kelly said any rumor or report that said they offered players was “false.” Peter King backs him up:

The Eagles, as Kelly said Thursday night in Philadelphia, never offered players as part of a package to obtain Mariota. In fact, The MMQB learned Thursday night that Kelly never offered the widely rumored packages of either three first-round picks or two first-round picks and Sam Bradford, in an attempt to obtain the second pick of the draft. I can tell you this much is true: The Titans basically scared off suitors because they continually told teams they wanted to take Mariota, and it would take a stupid offer to obtain the pick. In the end, Tennessee GM Ruston Webster and coach Ken Whisenhunt stuck to their guns.

Now, “never offered” could mean a whole lot. Those names could have 100% been floated Ken Whisenhunt’s way, not in an official offer, and those reports would have been true. Chip’s statement that they never offered any players would also be true. It’s that middle area of both the reports and report-deniers being technically right. That’s likely more of what we’re looking at here, because I can’t imagine a world where Chip offered up two firsts, and a third, but then throwing Fletcher Cox or Mychal Kendricks into the mix was the thing that made it just too much.

Kyle: It’s in both Chip Kelly’s and Ken Whisenhunt’s best interest to downplay all the rumors. It does Chip no good to admit that he offered up three of his best defensive players and his presumed starting quarterback for Marcus Mariota. And it does Whisenhunt no good to tell his newly-drafted franchise quarterback that he was seriously willing to trade him (the second pick) for Sam Fucking Bradford. It’s in everyone’s best interest to deny that serious talks ever took place. So the same way I woudn’t put too much stock into any one report about a potential trade, I also wouldn’t put too much stock into the words of coaches (and obviously connected sources) who have it in their best interest to pretend like nothing ever happened. There was way too much smoke over the past weeks and months for there to not have been a fire… even if it was from the pants of a liar.