Chip Kelly is no longer thinking about DeSean Jackson. The Philadelphia Eagles made some of his final comments on the team's former wide receiver and will now shift his focus to the roster and replacing Jackson's numbers and explosiveness. As the draft approaches, the Eagles are likely to grab a defensive star in the first round over a wide receiver as Kelly is confident the players in place will take care of any offensive holes left by Jackson.
The best the Eagles did this offseason was re-sign both Jeremy Maclin and Riley Cooper. Maclin's resume with the Eagles is impressive, but a deal was hard to agree upon considering he is coming off a season that ended before it started after an ACL tear. Maclin agreed to a one-year deal and is expected to return as his usual reliable self at the start of the season. Cooper is coming off a career-high season thanks to his solid chemistry with quarterback Nick Foles. Both will be viewed as the No. 1 and 2 targets for the returning starter.
The trade for Sproles could also be viewed as genius for Kelly. LeSean McCoy will be the team's pure running back while Sproles comes in as the dynamic x-factor. The running back is known for his versatility and explosiveness on the field as both a runner and pass catcher. He will be a solid element for the Eagles' offense. All of that has Kelly confident the offense will not skip a beat in 2014.
Kelly told the New York Post that the team was ready to move in a different direction and that Jackson's release was simply based on football needs. He was confident that Jackson's big salary cap hit was no longer a fit for the team considering the options they had secured in the offseason. So now the Eagles move on and hope that Kelly is right.
Meanwhile the team is still looking to grab one more receiver in the draft, but not likely in the first round. This year's draft is deep at the position and the Eagles have looked at second-round options including Kelvin Benjamin and Jordan Matthews which will be still be hanging around.
