When the acquired linebacker in exchange for All-Pro running back , critics were quick to charge Chip Kelly with valuing former Oregon Ducks players over established NFL stars. As it turns out, Alonso wasn't Kelly's original trade target. When an operative first reached out to gauge the ' interest in McCoy, according to The MMQB.com's Jenny Vrentas, Philadelphia was . Absent a 2015 first-round pick thanks to , Buffalo general manager Doug Whaley responded, "Just do me a favor and look at our roster." As NFL Media columnist Michael Silver reported at the time, the trade came to fruition in once the countered with Alonso's name. Having wrapped up meetings on owner Terry Pegula's yacht, the ' bra s were Jose Ferrer Jersey drinking cabernet and smoking cigars, per Vrentas, when the deal went down. "I'm not a red wine guy," Rex Ryan told Vrentas, "but that day I drank red wine." The ' willingne s to accept Alonso rather than draft picks points to Kelly's determination to move on from McCoy. Owner Jeffrey Lurie revealed at last month's NFL Annual Meeting that the had been discu sing McCoy's " " for a long time, as the shifty runner was deemed ill-suited to Kelly's power-spread offense. McCoy attributes the trade to Kelly's . More likely, the decision was expedited because the relationship between McCoy and Kelly had become strained, as the running back . Two months later, McCoy and his $11.95 million in salary cap space have been replaced by Alonso, and 2014 Offensive Player of the Year . The latest Podcast and plays "What's More Likely?" Find more content on . Jacob Barnes Jersey