This is a technique called “Covering My Ass.”

Back on January 28, I wrote “Trade Nick Foles – Now” right here at Blame My Father. I didn’t want the Eagles to trade Foles, but I was frustrated by Chip Kelly’s refusal to endorse Nick as his quarterback. I was also sick and tired of hearing all the grousing on sports radio about getting rid of Nick and getting Marcus Mariota. So I tried to put myself in Nick’s shoes and imagine how he must’ve felt.

That led me to visualizing where he’d have a happier football life – and here’s a paragraph excerpted from that column:

So those were my feelings at the end of January.

Then last night on Facebook, my friend Brian McLaughlin pointed me to an article that might help unravel the mystery of the Nick Foles for Sam Bradford trade yesterday. And that article also spoke of trading Nick Foles.

About a month ago, on February 9, Brandon Lee Gowton wrote “NFL Rumors: Teams prefer Sam Bradford over Marcus Mariota, Jameis Winston” for bleedinggreennation.com. Brandon Lee Gowton is a credentialed Eagles reporter and the manager and editor-in-chief of Bleeding Green Nation.

I read it then, but didn’t put much stock in it. How could anybody want a quarterback who missed the last season and a half with knee injuries? And even when Bradford was healthy, he didn’t exactly set the league on fire.

Sam Bradford’s record as a starter is 18-30-1 and he completed a mundane 58.6 percent of his passes for an equally mundane 6.3 yards/attempt.

Brandon Lee Gowton’s source for the article was Bleacher Report NFL insider Jason Cole – and here’s what Jason had to say:

Jason Cole was absolutely correct – this is really fascinating stuff.

To begin with, the two teams sitting at the top of the draft are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Tennessee Titans. All along it’s pretty much been assumed – by Eagles fans in particular – that the Bucs were passing on Marcus Mariota and taking Jameis Winston with the first pick. The popular speculation also had Marcus Mariota dropping to the Jets with the sixth pick.

If Chip Kelly were going to get his man, he had to get up to the second pick – assuming, of course, that the Bucs were definitely taking Winston. Otherwise, all of Chip’s machinations up to this point were worthless.

But how was Chip going to advance from the twentieth pick in the draft to the second pick?

The most common answer had Chip selling the farm and losing a handful of draft picks to get up that high – if it were even possible at all.

But yesterday’s acquisition of Sam Bradford – as confusing as it was – now makes sense to me. Provided that if – and this is a huge if – if Jason Cole is correct.

If Jason Cole is correct, Sam Bradford is the missing piece of sorcery Chip needs to get Mariota.

If Jason Cole is correct, both Tampa and Tennessee covet Sam Bradford. All Chip has to do now is trade Bradford to Tampa. Or if Tampa wants Winston as popular opinion prevails, then all Chip has to do is trade Bradford to Tennessee – and presto changeo – say hello to Eagles quarterback Marcus Mariota.

If Jason Cole is correct and Chip Kelly pulls this off, there is no doubt in my mind that this man is a genius thinker and a manipulator par excellence.

If Jason Cole is correct and the Eagles wind up with Marcus Mariota, Chip Kelly’s real work would then start. Chip would have to prove that he’s also a genius when it comes to coaching.

Don’t mind telling you. Hope Chip pulls this off because I dread the thought of Sam Bradford being the Eagles quarterback.

Barry Bowe is the author of Born to Be Wild and 1964 – The Year the Phillies Blew the Pennant.