Kelly says Eagles aren’t trading up for Mariota
Chip Kelly says he’s not “mortgaging the future” to move up and draft Marcus Mariota, and he didn’t acquire Sam Bradford to use as trade bait.
Kelly broke his offseason silence Wednesday after a turbulent week that saw the Philadelphia Eagles trade two-time All-Pro running back LeSean McCoy and quarterback Nick Foles, while letting Pro Bowl wide receiver Jeremy Maclin leave in free agency.
Kelly also says the decision to give him full control over personnel decisions came from owner Jeffrey Lurie. He pins the decision to draft Marcus Smith in the first round last year on former general manager Howie Roseman.
Kelly’s appearance was unscheduled on a day the Eagles were set to introduce Bradford along with newly signed cornerback Byron Maxwell.
___
AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL
___
Follow Rob Maaddi on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_RobMaaddi
This article was written by Rob Maaddi from The Associated Press and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network.