Bad Trade, Good Sign: Inside Dennis Kelly’s Eagles Reunion
PHILADELPHIA - The instant reaction was that Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman had won another trade.
The Eagles, in perpetual need of pass-catchers, traded a backup offensive lineman named Dennis Kelly to the Tennessee Titans for receiver Dorial Green-Beckham. That was seven years ago.
Beckham is long since gone from the NFL and Kelly, well, he thrived before spending the last two years with two different teams, the Green Bay Packers and Indianapolis Colts.
Kelly, who spent five successful seasons with the Titans, even catching a touchdown pass in the 2020 AFC Championship Game against the Kansas City Chiefs, joined his third team in three years on Wednesday. And it just so happens it was the team that drafted him in the fifth round out of Purdue in 2012, the Eagles.
Though he has guard experience, he will likely try to make the team as a swing tackle, backing up starters Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata. Jack Driscoll was presumed to be that player, but signing Kelly could signal that Driscoll could be in the mix with Cam Jurgens and Tyler Steen to be starting right guard.
At the very least, Kelly gives the offensive line more experienced depth in front of QB Jalen Hurts. Of course, Kelly is 33 now, and camp will tell how much he has left.
Kelly was never invited to the NFL Scouting Combine coming out of college, but the Eagles loved his size, 6-8, 320 pounds, his good attitude, and his nastiness on the field.
He was a well-liked player in the locker room and on a line that was being reformed, with Jason Kelce arriving a year earlier in the draft and Lane Johnson a year after that.
His first start came in Week 8, a 30-17 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, lining up at right guard between Todd Herremans at right tackle and center Dallas Reynolds (Kelce spent all but two games of the 2012 season in injured reserve). Evan Mathis was at left guard and King Dunlap was at right tackle.
After three seasons, Kelly had started 15 games while playing in 30 but was deemed expendable in search of a receiver.
Green-Beckham looked like the answer on the outside of the offense.
Yes, he had legal issues, most of them related to marijuana charges, and that led him to his suspension from the University of Missouri. Still, the Titans drafted the 6-5, 225-pound receiver in the second round, 40th overall in 2015, while the Eagles had spent their first-round pick that year on Nelson Agholor.
As a rookie, DGB’s first two career catches were for touchdowns. He finished the season with 32 receptions for 549 yards (17.2 yards per catch) and four touchdowns. In the middle of training camp, on Aug. 16, 2016, and heading into his second season, he was traded to Philadelphia.
Roseman was looking to add weapons around his top-draft pick months earlier, quarterback Carson Wentz.
Green-Beckham played 15 games with the Eagles, catching 32 passes for 392 yards, and two touchdowns, but after the season, Philly released him, and he never caught on anywhere else. His heart never really seemed to be into the game.
Kelly, meanwhile, has played in 130 games and will try to add to that total back where his career began.
Ed Kracz covers the Philadelphia Eagles for SI's EaglesToday.
Please follow him and our Eagles coverage on Twitter at @kracze.
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