CK - buy high and sell low

[I miss Dawkins]

It is said you should buy low and sell high. But I'm wondering if Ck has this backwards. There seems to be a pattern of letting high end talent go and getting far less for them than their value. And it seems also, he might be overpaying for players he could have gotten cheaper. I'm not saying we need Banner back by any stretch, or that we are heading for cap hell. No such sky is falling predictions. I'm just wondering if CK is better at coaching, and not skillset evaluations or valuating. We let players go like Djax, Foles and McCoy (Maclin's price was understandable) then do some of the following. Is this perhaps the difference between College and the Pro's that CK is just not experienced enough in?

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Philadelphia Eagles coach Chip Kelly's spending spree could backfire - Philadelphia Eagles Blog - ESPN

One of the factors Kelly has mentioned about the Eagles' situation being attractive is the amount of cap space available to work with. During this offseason, he has expended quite a bit of that space. The question then becomes whether the Eagles remain as attractive without the cap space available to make the kind of sweeping changes Kelly has just made.

In exchanging quarterbacks, Kelly parted with Nick Foles and his $1.52 million cap number and took on Sam Bradford and his $13 million cap hit. That's more than 10 times the amount allotted to the starting quarterback. Mix in Mark Sanchez's new deal, which includes $3.75 million against the cap this year, and the Eagles have $16.75 million invested in two quarterbacks.

That is in line with what many other teams spend at that position. For the Eagles, the relatively low cap amount allotted to quarterbacks is what gave them so much space to spend at other positions.

Kelly removed Trent Cole and his $8.4 million cap hit this year, but he re-signed Brandon Graham to a new four-year contract. Graham will count $6 million against the cap this season, a savings compared to Cole. But Graham has $6 million in bonus money that is already paid, plus $8 million in guaranteed salary over the next two seasons.

Kelly created some space by removing cornerback Cary Williams and his $8.17 million cap number. But Kelly then signed free-agent cornerback Byron Maxwell away from Seattle for $63 million over six years. Maxwell will count $8.5 million against the cap in 2015. That's more than Williams, presumably for a better player. By 2017, Maxwell's cap number will be $11.2 million.

Running back DeMarco Murray's contract is much more cap-friendly than LeSean McCoy's was. McCoy's 2015 cap number would have been $11.95 million. Murray's cap hit tops out at $9 million in 2017 and '18. Murray does have a total of $21 million in guaranteed money, but that's the cost of doing business.

The question is whether the Eagles had to pay as much for free agents such as Murray, Maxwell and even wide receiver Miles Austin, who signed this week.

The Dallas Cowboys wanted to hold the line at $24 million over four years. The Eagles went all the way to $42 million over five years. Oakland was also reportedly in the mix, but it's fair to wonder if the Eagles overpaid based on the market.

Same with Maxwell. The Seahawks were not trying to compete to keep their starting cornerback. The deal with the Eagles got done very quickly.

Even at lower numbers, the Eagles seemed to be overpaying based on the market. Austin made $2 million last season on a one-year deal with the Cleveland Browns. The Eagles offered him up to $2.3 million. That's for a player who said he had no other visits scheduled after three weeks on the free-agent market.

Ultimately, the Eagles will likely be all right. The salary cap has risen each year and kept all but the most careless spending teams from getting into trouble. But it's fair to wonder if the Eagles will wind up looking for relief from the contracts they're giving out this offseason, and if that will make the situation in Philadelphia seem less attractive to Kelly in a year or two

 

[eaglesnut]

Overpaying can help with the "buy in" if you are picking the right people. Companies have had success paying people above their value to get the most out of them.

 

[Northern Eagle]

Yes, they overpaid for Graham, Maxwell, and Murray but like you said, the cost of doing business.

We're assuming that Maxwell is a better player than Cary, which I think he is. But I still believe his release was motivated by not fitting into Chip's culture as much as it was a financial decision based on his performance the last couple of years. Re-signing Graham, what other choice did we have? Who else was available? Plus he's played in our scheme so you know what you're getting, time will tell if he's just a flash player who produces in small spurts with limited snaps or if he can take the next step and the #'s go up now with a starting role. I liked the Murray signing, I think he's going to kick ass here.

 

[deerpathdave]

Exciting stuff isn't it? Total change in approach and philosophy with Chip. No longer focusing as much on winning the financial end of the deal, but rather winning the football end of the deal. No question these are some deal that are questionable financially. And the end result of that is players with higher upside, and not carrying over $25M in cap space as they did last year.

 

[Northern Eagle]

It's exciting, but it's a bit unnerving at the same time. I think many are apprehensive because our last FA purge resulted in disaster. Hopefully it will be better this time around, I like most of the guys they've brought in so far (I'm still warming up to Bradford, that one still sticks in my craw a bit).

 

[deerpathdave]

It's exciting, but it's a bit unnerving at the same time. I think many are apprehensive because our last FA purge resulted in disaster. Hopefully it will be better this time around, I like most of the guys they've brought in so far (I'm still warming up to Bradford, that one still sticks in my craw a bit).

I feel the risk with Bradford is more financial than football. If he is healthy, it could be the best FA signing since Drew Brees. If he leaves on a stretcher, they are out $12M, but still have Sanchez sitting there who played every bit as good as Foles last year.

I don't know if Roseman would risk $12M like that, but Kelly is daring to be great with Lurie's money.

 

[eaglesnut]

I feel the risk with Bradford is more financial than football. If he is healthy, it could be the best FA signing since Drew Brees. If he leaves on a stretcher, they are out $12M, but still have Sanchez sitting there who played every bit as good as Foles last year.

Nope. It took Sanchez 7 games to do what Foles did in 9, statistically. And Foles played behind the far more banged up offensive line. Furthermore, Sanchez took 23 sacks to Foles 9 and Sanchez wasn't allowed to throw downfield as often. Which says something in and of itself as well as adding more negative light to the very poor sack total.

 

[deerpathdave]

Nope. It took Sanchez 7 games to do what Foles did in 9, statistically. And Foles played behind the far more banged up offensive line. Furthermore, Sanchez took 23 sacks to Foles 9 and Sanchez wasn't allowed to throw downfield as often. Which says something in and of itself as well as adding more negative light to the very poor sack total.

Well it was actually 7.25 to 8.75. We could have a long debate about who did better, what they were allowed to do vice forced to do, etc. When Sanchez is throwing 50 and 36 times a game in the last two games, it doesn't look to me like we are dealing with a coach with no confidence in a QB.

More importantly, one guy is signed to a two year contract extension at top dollar, while the other is traded away, it seems pretty clear to me that one guy was thought more highly of than the other by the guy that matters most.

 

[eaglesnut]

Well it was actually 7.25 to 8.75. We could have a long debate about who did better, what they were allowed to do vice forced to do, etc. When Sanchez is throwing 50 and 36 times a game in the last two games, it doesn't look to me like we are dealing with a coach with no confidence in a QB.

More importantly, one guy is signed to a two year contract extension at top dollar, while the other is traded away, it seems pretty clear to me that one guy was thought more highly of than the other by the guy that matters most.

Sanchez threw 23 passes in the last 15 1/2 minutes at the end of the Washington game because he had to, not because Chip enjoys letting Sanchez rip it.

Foles had real value, Sanchez only costed money. That's why Sanchez is here and Foles isn't. Sanchez is a backup and was signed as a backup. Foles is a starter and was traded for a starter. This wasn't an either/or situation. He didn't pick Sanchez over Foles, he picked Sanchez over Matt Barkley.

 

[Northern Eagle]

Sanchez threw 23 passes in the last 15 1/2 minutes at the end of the Washington game because he had to, not because Chip enjoys letting Sanchez rip it.

Foles had real value, Sanchez only costed money. That's why Sanchez is here and Foles isn't. Sanchez is a backup and was signed as a backup. Foles is a starter and was traded for a starter. This wasn't an either/or situation. He didn't pick Sanchez over Foles, he picked Sanchez over Matt Barkley.