Chip Kelly is staying busy.
After making headlines by swapping Nick Foles for Sam Bradford on Tuesday, the Eagles officially announced two more signings Wednesday morning, while another could be on the way.
First, Philly added another former Seahawk to its secondary by agreeing to a one-year deal with cornerback Walter Thurmond III. Thurmond, who played with fellow recent Eagles signee Byron Maxwell for three seasons in Seattle, is coming off a one-year stint with the Giants.
After excelling as a nickel corner during his time in Seattle, Thurmond missed most of his lone year in New York due to a torn pectoral muscle he suffered in Week 2.
Adding to the intrigue, Thurmond is the 10th former Oregon Duck to join the Eagles roster under Kelly, who coached Oregon from 2009-12. Thurmond played under Kelly in 2009.
Thurmond could potentially start opposite Maxwell on the outside, but the Eagles also have Brandon Boykin and Nolan Carroll under contract as well on a defense that quickly looks pretty solid. In addition to signing Maxwell and Thurmond, the Eagles added Kiko Alonso and re-signed Brandon Graham at linebacker.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Eagles re-signed quarterback Mark Sanchez to a two-year contract that’s reportedly worth “as much as $16 million.”
After Foles broke his collarbone against the Houston Texans in Week 9, Sanchez assumed the starting role for the Eagles and threw for 2,418 yards with 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while completing 64.1 percent of his passes.
Of more interest to Eagles fans is the reported signing of running back Ryan Mathews, formerly of the San Diego Chargers. Mathews struggled with injuries last year, but has been very productive when healthy. He played in only six games in 2014, but played in all 16 games and had a career-high 1,255 yards for the Chargers in 2013.
The reported signing of Mathews, a first round pick in the 2010 draft, comes after Frank Gore reportedly had a change of heart on an agreement to head to Philly. Instead, Gore had second thoughts and signed with Indianapolis on Tuesday.
If the signing comes to fruition, Mathews replaces Pro Bowler LeSean McCoy, who the Eagles sent to Buffalo for Alonso in a trade that became official on Tuesday.
Since assuming general manager duties earlier in the offseason, Kelly has wasted no time in reshaping the Eagles’ roster – especially on offense. Foles, McCoy and wideout Jeremy Maclin are all out the door, leaving many wondering what exactly Kelly has up his sleeve.
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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
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