Why the Eagles should keep Mychal Kendricks
Trading Mychal Kendricks doesn’t make sense for both salary cap and personnel reasons.
According to PhillyVoice’s Jimmy Kempski, the Eagles are “likely” to trade linebacker Mychal Kendricks in the off-season. Despite freeing up $1.8 million in cap space by moving Kendricks, it still makes little sense to move on from a salary cap, and personnel standpoint.
After four years as a starting inside linebacker for two different defensive coordinators, Kendricks became a rotational, two down linebacker under defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. Once a prominent piece to the Eagles defense, the former second round pick was buried behind Jordan Hicks, and Nigel Bradham on the linebacker depth chart. Both Hicks (971) and Bradham (990) played over 95 percent of the total snaps on defense, while Kendricks (273) only played 26.8 percent, the lowest of his career.
As a regular starter the previous four seasons, Kendricks never played below 50 percent of the snaps. 2015 was his career low at 51.8 percent before this past season.
Simply put, in a defense that banks on success through a four man rush, a blitzing linebacker like Kendricks didn’t have a role.
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The fifth-year linebacker became a two down player that was only used in base packages. Although Kendricks isn’t relied upon in Schwartz’s defense as much as previous regimes, it is still worth keeping him around for the 2017 season. For one, the Eagles depth chart at linebacker is two players deep. After Hicks and Bradham, the Eagles have no reliable players at inside linebacker. Both Stephen Tulloch and Najee Goode have expired contracts and are downgrades to Kendricks.
The salary cap part of this situation also points towards keeping Kendricks around. The $6.6 million cap hit is a lot for a two down player. However the Eagles would only free up $1.8 million in space if the contract was moved off the books. $4.8 million would be dead money. If Roseman and Schwartz really don’t want Kendricks in the long-term plans, the 2018 offseason is a more reasonable point to cut ties. Cutting Kendricks in 2018 would free up $4.4 million in salary cap space.
Utilizing Kendrick’s strengths more in 2017 could improve the defense and the pass rush that was invisible in the second half of the season. Often coaches want “their guys” in the system, probably one of the main reasons why Eric Rowe was traded.
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The Eagles averaged the lowest blitz attempts per game from their inside linebackers in 2016, refusing to consistently blitz even when the four-man rush wasn’t hitting home. Kendricks could have contributed in a big way as a blitzer.
As a regular starter in 2013, Kendricks tallied 4.0 sacks and 6 QB hurries (more than both Von Miller and Clay Matthews).
In 2014, Kendricks once again finished with 4.0 sacks and 9 QB hurries. Even in 2015 where Kendricks found himself in a four-man rotation between Kiko Alonso, DeMeco Ryans, and Jordan Hicks, he still finished with 3 sacks.
Although it is widely believed that the Eagles will move on from Kendricks, I would advise against it for reasons both on the field, and off.