Patrick Causey, on Twitter @PhillySportsJD
It is no secret that the Philadelphia Eagles, and specifically, their head coach, Chip Kelly, have set measurables for each position. A 6'3, 330 pound nose tackle should have knees that are at least 16 inches in girth or they will be too top heavy and prone to injury. Outside linebackers are supposed to be at least 6'3 with 32-34 inch plus arms so that they can excel in run support. Cornerbacks are supposed to be at least 6'0 tall with long arms so they can excel in the Eagles press man coverage system.
Why the fixation on size? As Chip Kelly has said, "big people beat up little people." Or as he explained in more detail after the 2013 NFL Draft:
"If you constantly take the overachiever at every position, you’re going to be too small. If you take the short defensive tackle backed up by the short middle linebacker backed up by the short safety, then all of a sudden your team’s going to get run over. I think there’s some certain lines where there is a combination of all of it. I think you still have to adhere to we wanted to get bigger and we felt like we did. I think size is important, but there’s not one factor that overrides the other. I think you have to look at the whole package when you’re making those decisions.”
I have no problem with the Eagles' fixation on measurables, to a degree. As Vice President of Player Personnel Ed Marynowitz said earlier this offseason, the NFL is a "size speed league." Historically, the numbers back that up: most NFL stars meet certain baseline measurables at their respective positions.
But not always. It's why Drew Brees and Russell Wilson are Super Bowl winning quarterbacks despite being less than 6'0 tall. It's why Zach Thomas was a perennial Pro Bowl middle linebacker for the Dolphins despite being only 5'11.
And it's why Mychal Kendricks and Brandon Boykin should not be held back by the Eagles coaching staff despite the fact that they do not fit Kelly's preference for size on defense.
Mychal Kendricks
Kendricks is an emerging star: an elite athlete that projects as a perennial Pro Bowler (He arguably should have made the Pro Bowl last year).
In 2014, Kendricks was the sixth rated inside backer in a 3-4 scheme in the NFL per Profootballfocus.com. Even if you disagree with PFF rankings (which I find to be generally reliable), Kendricks statistics –across the board — were similar to Bobby Wagner, who many consider to be the best middle linebacker in the NFL.
Kendricks grades out as an elite pass rusher from the middle. His 15 quarterback hurries and 8 quarterback hits ranked 3rd and 4th amongst his peers, respectively. He is also effective in run support and coverage, despite his size.
And at 24 years old, it is reasonable to assume that he has only begun to scratch the surface of his considerable talent. It is not out of the question for Kendricks to become one of the best inside linebackers in all of football over the next two years.
So why, exactly, have the rumors persisted that the Eagles want to trade him?
While Chip Kelly has not addressed this issue head on, you can find the answer simply by reading between the lines. First, Kendricks is only 5'11, 240 pounds, which is below the Eagles preference for size for inside linebackers. Look no further than Kiko Alonso, the 6'3 248 lbs linebacker the Eagles acquired this offseason in a trade for LeSean McCoy, as an example of the size the Eagles prefer in the middle.
Kelly also took issue with Kendricks missing four games last year due to a knee injury: "I thought when he was healthy he played really well. But we missed him for four games. The health aspect of it was a difficult thing."
It's ironic that Kelly took issue with Kendricks' injury history given the amount of oft-injured players Kelly signed or traded for this offseason. Sam Bradford, Kiko Alonso, Walter Thurmond, Ryan Matthews and DeMarco Murray have considerably worse injury histories than Kendricks.
But trading Kendricks at this point makes little sense. Ryans is 31, coming off his second achilles tear, and was a liability in coverage last season. Yes, he calls defensive signals and excels in run support, but there is no guarantee he will return to a respectable level this year.
Even if he can return to a respectable level, how much longer can Ryans play? Two years? Pairing Kendricks and Alonso solidifies the middle linebacking position for years to come. It just does not make sense to lose that long term security simply because Kendricks is a few inches too short.
Brandon Boykin
Boykin was also marginalized by the Eagles coaching staff because of his height. Boykin, listed generously at 5'10, 185 lbs, does not have the size or length the Eagles prefer to play outside.
In both seasons under Chip Kelly, the former fourth round pick has played exceptionally well, establishing himself as one of the best slot corners in the NFL. He ranked 12th and 21st among all corners in his two seasons under Kelly, per Profootballfocus.com.
In 2013, Boykin had six interceptions, while limiting quarterbacks to a 64.6 quarterback rating, and receivers to catching only 58.4% of passes while covered by Boykin. His 2014 campaign was not as strong statistically, but he was still markedly better than Fletcher. So it was unclear why he was not given a shot outside despite Bradley Fletcher getting beat like a piñata.
Boykin has been clearly frustrated by his inability to even get a shot at starting. He sounded off on reporters last week:
Will Brandon Boykin's role change this year? Boykin: "Probably the same. Just keeping it a hundred."
— Zach Berman (@ZBerm) June 2, 2015
Boykin: "It's 2 years running with this story, and it's getting real old for me. I'm just going to continue being the best slot in the NFL."
— Zach Berman (@ZBerm) June 2, 2015
Chip told Boykin he'll compete for outside spot. Boykin: "I'm going to hold him accountable to that just like he does to us."
— Zach Berman (@ZBerm) June 2, 2015
Billy Davis went out of his way to suggest that Boykin wasn't being held back by his size: None whatsoever. None whatsoever. If you’re good enough, you're big enough. If you're good enough, you're fast enough. Do we look for and bring in taller corners? Yeah. But it doesn't mean Boykin is at a disadvantage. It really doesn't. “He's outstanding. I love Boykin, he's one of my favorite guys. He does a great job in the nickel, he's competing out there at corner. He's had a great offseason. And the best man will win out there and if Boyk's the best man, he's got it.”
I'm not buying it. Last year, Davis dodged the question of why Boykin wasn't getting a shot outside by suggesting he was considered a starter given how often the Eagles play in their nickle package. Now Boykin isn't playing outside because he isn't good enough? Give me a break.
I have criticized Billy Davis in the past, and I still have serious concerns about his abilities as a defensive coordinator. But if the Eagles are going to take a step forward this year on the defensive side of the ball, they must get the most out of their best players. And that means getting Kendricks and Boykin on the field as often as possible, regardless of their height or length.
