Kelly denies trade report, strongly endorses Nate Allen

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Eagles coach Chip Kelly on Monday denied a report that he’s looking to upgrade from safety Nate Allen through the trade market.

Not only did Kelly suggest that another team looking to deal before Tuesday’s trade deadline might be the anonymous source behind the report but he also issued his strongest endorsement yet of the fifth-year safety.

On Sunday, Allen allowed rookie wideout John Brown to get behind him and catch the game-winning touchdown bomb in the fourth quarter of the Eagles’ 24-20 loss to the Cardinals in Glendale, Ariz.

“I think Nate got beat once,” Kelly said Monday. “I think he made two outstanding plays. You look at the fumble and recovery [Allen caused in the third quarter], did a hell of a job there.

“Other than that, he bit the cheese and he admits it. I don’t think he can be defined by one play. There were two 'X' plays in the game, one 80-yarder and one 75-yarder and besides that I thought our defense played outstanding all day long against a really, really good offense. I think Nate’s played well this year and I’m real, real happy with Nate.”

On Sunday, a report citing a league source surfaced on ProFootballTalk.com that said the Eagles were scouring the trade market to find another safety to start opposite Malcolm Jenkins.

Kelly said he didn’t know “where the report came from” and suggested that any team looking to rid its roster of a safety could be leaking rumors about the Eagles' interest.

“I may look into that,” Kelly added, “but we’re not actively looking to upgrade anything.”

Another report Sunday, from the NFL Network, said the Eagles had called Tampa Bay about two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Vincent Jackson.

Asked to clarify his remark that he may look into a deal, Kelly explained that he’d merely pick up the phone if someone else calls.

“If someone calls us and says they want to give us their safety then we would take a safety, but I think the whole trade deadline in the National Football League, and I said it this morning [in a radio interview], is a little bit overblown,” Kelly said.

“There was one trade in the entire league last year and we traded [Isaac Sopoaga] to the Patriots and swapped draft picks. It’s not Major League Baseball where we’re unloading contracts and four guys are going here and all of a sudden we’re trading minor-leaguers and all that.

“It makes for good talk but we’re not actively looking for anything. But if someone called us, we would obviously listen.”

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