The Philadelphia Eagles' release of DeSean Jackson will stoke plenty of criticism about the receiver. With the move, however, the Eagles made an underlying statement: In Chip We Trust.
Talent in the NFL almost always trumps red flags. Clipping their leading receiver, and by far most talented pass-catcher, says loudly that the Eagles believe Chip Kelly's offense is bigger than any one individual.
Philadelphia re-signed receivers Jeremy Maclin and Riley Cooper and added running back Darren Sproles, who can play a joker role in Kelly's offense.
Maclin, coming off an ACL tear, is clearly in line to take over Jackson's role in the offense. The Eagles also will be in the market to pluck a receiver from a deep NFL draft.
On its face, it seems mind-boggling that a spread team would jettison its best field-stretching weapon. Of the Eagles' top two receivers on this date, one missed all of last season and the other has never even reached 840 receiving yards in a season.
The Eagles' statement seems simple: Replacing Jackson's production isn't a crisis because we have Chip.
Who was Riley Cooper before Chip Kelly arrived? The receiver's production last year increased by more than 150 percent over his best season.
Entering 2013, Kelly was pegged as a college coach who needed a mobile quarterback for his system to work. He then went out and won the NFC East with Nick Foles -- who he helped get to a Pro Bowl.
It's interesting to note that Jackson's production under Foles dipped, especially at the end of the season as the quarterback spread the ball around more than his predecessor, Michael Vick.
Kelly's offense churned along at Oregon despite not having prototypical talent. The Eagles are making a proclamation that they believe, if necessary, he could do the same in the NFL.
The latest "Around The League Podcast" offers a full recap of the NFL Annual Meeting in Orlando, then proposes player moves that won't happen (but probably should).
