Kendricks wonders: Should he have signed the contract that binds him to the Eagles?

When Eagles linebacker Mychal Kendricks signed a four-year, $29 million contract extension just 23 months ago, he never thought he'd regret it.

But things change.

"That's a great question. That's probably the best question of this whole thing," Kendricks said, when the Inquirer's Zach Berman asked Kendricks if he would have signed the deal, through 2019, had he known the direction his Eagles career would take. "Would I, if I knew it was going to turn out like this? Damn, that's a [bleeping] good question, dude. … I'm going to plead the Fifth on that one.

[Eagles Linebacker Mychal Kendricks requested trade, remains on the team]

"I signed under a different coach [Chip Kelly], and I signed under different management — well, there's some people still here, but things changed. Along with coaches, players, upstairs. Is this my fourth different coordinator, on one team?"

Yes, Mychal, it is — the defense has been run by Juan Castillo, Todd Bowles, Bill Davis and Jim Schwartz, since Kendricks came to the Eagles as a second-round draft pick from Cal in 2012.

Along the way, Kendricks has gone from the cusp of the Pro Bowl in 2013 — 137 tackles, four sacks, three interceptions, and four fumble recoveries in 991 snaps — to playing 273 snaps last season, 27 percent of the team's total, recording just 29 tackles, no sacks, no interceptions and one fumble recovery.

Schwartz played Kendricks only in the base defense last season. The Eagles, like most teams, spent more time in their nickel package, and for that, Schwartz used two linebackers — rising star Jordan Hicks and Nigel Bradham, who is 6-foot-2 to Kendricks' 6-feet and who played for Schwartz in Buffalo before signing as a free agent last year with the Eagles.

Kendricks acknowledged Friday that when last season ended, he used his breakup day meeting to ask if he could move on.

"I did ask to be released or traded at our meetings … They said I'm young, I'm talented, and they're not into that. I'm sure they were still trying, at some point in time," he said.

A source close to the situation said the Eagles did make Kendricks available, as was reported at the time, and several teams were interested, but they were only offering late-round picks, and the team felt the offers didn't reflect Kendricks' value.

Under Kendricks' contract, March 11 was the date his 2017 base salary of $4.35 million became guaranteed. Kendricks and agent Doug Hendrickson hoped that deadline might spur activity, but the Eagles decided they would rather guarantee the money than release a 26-year-old player who'd started 61 games for them. Kendricks said March was the last time he spoke with management about his situation.

Obviously, a trade is still possible. When players would rather be elsewhere, that's usually where they end up, eventually. Kendricks counts $6.6 million against the Eagles' salary cap this year, which is a lot for a guy playing a quarter of the snaps. The team could save $5 million of that by trading him, according to Spotrac.com.

But the Eagles don't have great linebacker depth, and Bradham could end up serving some sort of NFL suspension from his two arrests last year. For Kendricks to be traded, someone (fifth-round rookie Nate Gerry? Joe Walker, impressive last summer before missing the season with a knee injury?) might have to step up in the preseason.

Asked Friday if he is surprised to still be here, Kendricks said: "No, this is where I was drafted. It's a business, you know? … You tell 'em what you want. They either do it or they don't. And you are in the contract that you signed."

When Kendricks signed that contract, as the 2015 preseason was ending, former Eagles president Joe Banner opined on Twitter that Kendricks likely would have gotten more if he had waited for free agency the next offseason. But 2015, Kelly's last year, didn't turn out great for a lot of Eagles, and it was a big step backward for Kendricks, who played just 52 percent of the snaps, missing three games with injury. In 2016 came Schwartz, who doesn't like to blitz. Blitzing might be what Kendricks does best.

"Those are all unknowns, man," Kendricks said, when asked if he felt he would be more useful in a blitzing scheme. "I'm definitely going to stay neutral on those types of questions, dude, because I am on this team. And I work next to these guys here, and I have a duty [toward them]. I respect these guys … Would I be better? Of course we can sit here and say 'Oh, I would be better here or there,' but that doesn't even matter, because that's not the situation."

Schwartz spoke to reporters Friday, before they spoke with Kendricks. Schwartz was asked about how evolving offenses have changed how he uses his linebackers. He talked about "the proliferation of the wide receiver tight end."

Schwartz  also said that "league-wide, 65, 70 percent of the game is played out of three wide receivers now." He suggested that a third linebacker  "has to bring something to the party, and a lot of times that's special teams," which is not what teams carry linebackers with $6.6 million cap figures for.

Kendricks noted that he was drafted because he was perceived as a good cover guy. He said he thinks he still is, but obviously, Schwartz disagrees.

Kendricks acknowledged that this is not how he envisioned spending his athletic prime. He looks for silver linings, like "I'm saving my body," playing fewer snaps.

"This is my prime, for sure. I'm still going to have opportunities out there. There may not be as many," he said. "[Statistically] there's a drop-off, because of my percentage of playtime. But I'm still going to have an opportunity. So now you've got to take those small opportunities that you get, and try to make those 'wow' plays, and that's what I'm going to try to do."

Kendricks said he will stay positive, and he indicated this would be the only time he would discuss his trade request.

"Mychal's mind-set was to show up, be a great teammate and show them he's their best linebacker," Hendrickson said.

"This is a game. I love to play this game," Kendricks said. "And I still get to play this game. And I get to get paid for it."

But it's fair to speculate, as Kendricks tries to be the good soldier, if his mind won't wander during those long stretches on the bench. Kendricks was asked if he feels the trade door is closed.

"It's never closed. There's [31 other] teams out there. You've only gotta have one of them that loves you," he said. "One of them that likes what you're doing."