Chip Kelly Photo by contrastphotography.com

I was in Los Angeles working for the NFL NETWORK when the free agent frenzy broke last week..We were busy tracking the big “new money” stars.. Aqib Talib, Michael Johnson, Jairus Byrd and Eric Decker..In addition I was following the moves that the Birds were making.

A little quiet but effective. Like the latest Springsteen Tour, the Eagles were busy taking care of their own. Peters. Jason Kelce, Jeremy Maclin, Riley Cooper and Donnie Jones. Identifying their core and keeping them was paramount.

But then the much-needed safety help was on its way in Malcolm Jenkins. Check! Special teamer Chris Maragos helps to improve a unit that made real strides under first year special team coach Dave Fipp. The young corner from the Dolphins, Nolan Carroll was a good fit..Some other stragglers came across the scroll and as quick as the frenzy started it seemed to flame out after 48 hours.

During the league wide assessment that was taking place on Thursday is when the biggest after shock was felt…by the entire league.

Somehow GM Howie Roseman was able to airlift Darren Sproles, via trade, from the New Orleans Saints. Most inside experts thought Sproles was untouchable. Too valuable to Payton’s powerful offense that a team could fleece the Saints of Sproles for a meager 5th round draft pick. Chip Kelley just a chess piece that he coveted all season. What a fit.

It wasn’t long afterward that Drew Brees spoke up…spoke loud…spoke volumes. Brees said “Sproles is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of player.” After all, it was Brees in 2011 that served as Sproles faux agent and convinced Mickey Loomis, GM of the Saints that Sproles has immense value. VOILA! Shortly thereafter, Sproles was headed to the Cresent City. Brees was teammates with the diminutive back..(5 6″ ) in San Diego for six years and new what kind of player he was, but more importantly, what kind of person he was and what kind of teammate he would become.

The past five years no back in the NFL has more receptions. 232 have come over the last three years in the Saints offense. Incredible production. While he has been in the league for nine years he has only really played in the last seven.

Counting all possessions he has less than 1,000 career touches, so even though he will turn 31 by the start of the season he hasn’t loss much trad off of his productive wheels.

So what can we expect from Sproles this season?.I went back and watched his four receptions vs. the Birds in their January 4 loss to the Saints. It was illuminating to me that all four catches were at the receiver position. He went against Bradley Fletcher on a stop route; and ran the same route vs Cary Williams.

Mychal Kendricks was unable to stop him in the slot. The point is that just because Sproles is on the field does not mean that the league’s leading rusher, Shady, has to exit to the sidelines. Screens, angles, wheels, stops, and arrows are all routes that he excels at. He is a compliment on any down and he is a match-up on any down.

Ultimately in the spread offense Chip Kelly is trying to create as many 1 on 1’s as he possibly can create. Put elite athletes in space and make defensive players cover with as little help as possible. It will change the way some teams defend the Eagles

Who cares why, or how, or what the Saints were thinking. The Saints aren’t as good without Sproles and the Eagles best offense in their team history just got that much harder to defend. Look for Sproles to be a crowd favorite and for Chip to be even more creative than what we witnessed in his inaugural season.

Perhaps if the Eagles see the Saints in playoffs again this season the difference will be the smallest player on the field and a player that Drew Brees has said is a once in a lifetime kind of player…Welcome to Philly Darren Sproles