Former Eagles LB Mychal Kendricks finds a new home
Former Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Mychal Kendricks joins his next team.
The last couple of offseasons have been odd for former Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Mychal Kendricks. Despite being a playmaker on the defense since his second season in Philly, he never seemed to sell himself well to his coaches. Ever since the dreadful Chip Kelly era, Kendricks has sat on the trade block every single offseason.
Kendricks situation didn’t get much better when Doug Pederson and his staff finally took over. Once Jim Schwartz was named the defensive coordinator, Kendricks turned into nothing more than a rotational player. In 2016, Kendricks only played around 26-percent of the snaps on defense. It was evident that the Eagles would solely rely on two guys full-time at the position. And unlike previous seasons, Kendricks was not one of them.
After 2016, Kendricks grew frustrated with the Eagles organization. He demanded a trade last year after there were many expectations that Kendricks would get dealt, or even cut at some point. Surprisingly, the Eagles held on to him, and it paid off well.
The veteran linebacker had a tremendous comeback season as he racked up 51 tackles and two sacks in the absence of Jordan Hicks. Although it seemed like Kendricks would finally have his place on the Eagles defense set in stone, Schwartz and the coaching staff still didn’t see a full-time fit for him. That led to Howie Roseman and the front office officially releasing him.
New Beginnings…
After spending a little over a week as a free agent, Mychal Kendricks finally found his new home. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport announced on Sunday afternoon that the former second-round pick would sign a one-year deal with the Cleveland Browns.
Sources: The #Browns are signing free agent LB Mychal Kendricks to a 1-year deal, bolstering their linebacking group late in the offseason. Along with Jamie Collins and Christian Kirksey, it could be one of the most talented in football.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 3, 2018
Going from the Super Bowl Champions to a team with one win in two seasons seems a bit strange. But considering the Browns’ front office is loaded with funds, they must’ve paid off Kendricks pretty well in the free agency market. It was rumored that Kendricks had quite a few teams looking at him, but somehow the Browns were able to scoop him up.
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Unfortunately, the Eagles will not face their former linebacker in 2018. But at least the good news is that he stayed away from the Minnesota Vikings. For a moment, it really seemed like Kendricks was on his way to joining the newest enemy of the Eagles to rejoice with his brother. But it looks like Kendricks will be the Browns latest weapon on their up and coming team. Good for him.