March 11, 2015
Rex Arbogast/AP
Chip Kelly arrived on the scene with the reputation of a gambler, so why is everyone upset when he gambles?
There is supposed to be a fine line separating genius from crazy, and at this point many fans of the Philadelphia Eagles are hoping that Chip Kelly has at least one foot on the right side of that line, and that he hasn’t totally gone into the world of absurdity.
That was the opinion of many Wednesday when Kelly finally came out in public to explain the club’s recent transactions, which have left them without a premier running back, receiver and starting quarterback Nick Foles. For many fans, it was a first chance to see and hear if the head coach was really truly drunk with the power of being recently appointed the club’s de facto general manager.
As best he could, Kelly tried to explain a whirlwind period during which the team sent LeSean McCoy and Jeremy Maclin packing, and then really set the fan base ablaze when he traded Foles and draft picks to St. Louis for quarterback Sam Bradford. There was a lot of tap dancing and the usual quickspeak as Kelly methodically addressed the issues and explained the method to his perceived madness.
He tried to sidestep questions about the club’s recent power shift in which he ended up king of the NovaCare Complex and Howie Roseman was given a hall pass. You could almost hear his eyes roll when asked to comment about the new office layout, but he did make it very clear that in the past he did not get final say on draft day and now those rules have changed.
As an aside, he also briefly touched on the concerns that he has been holed up in a bunker while the franchise has been tossed into turmoil. Basically, his message was a combination of Aaron Rogers and Bill Belichick – relax, and we’re on to the next project.
Well, Kelly does not have the NFL pedigree of either Rogers or Belichick, and he had better realize that his comments didn’t do much to calm the fans who are now worried that he is in way over his head in terms of front office moves. Mind you, it was only a few short months ago when Kelly was being viewed as a visionary, and the right man to draw up a blueprint for the franchise’s future.
It certainly isn’t the safest route -- and at this point it looks like a dark road to nowhere -- but from the moment Kelly arrived in Philadelphia everyone was warned this was not going to be business as usual.
There were dreamed-up scenarios in which Kelly would concoct some master plan to put the Eagles in a position to draft Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota, and the Eagles would finally be on their way to a Super Bowl victory.
Reality check.
Mariota is not an option, and instead of big dreams of the Oregon star leading the team to a championship, there are fears that Kelly has gone bonkers with 10 former Oregon Ducks on the roster, and worries he is so far over his head the city will have to dispatch a duck boat to get him back to shore.
Maybe.
And just maybe this is all going to work out for the best. It certainly isn’t the safest route -- and at this point it looks like a dark road to nowhere -- but from the moment Kelly arrived in Philadelphia everyone was warned this was not going to be business as usual.
And it was not just Philadelphia that was put on notice. The entire NFL was curious as to just what would happen when Kelly got his hands on an NFL offense, and an NFL locker room. Practices were covered like science experiments … there were stories about smoothies and sleep monitors.
At least short term, it seemed to work. There was a very good rookie season, followed by the past season when the club fizzled at the end, and there were questions about why DeSean Jackson was let go for nothing, and why Riley Cooper was still on the team.
If you recall, there have always been questions about Kelly’s choices. There were questions about time management, questions about play selection, questions about Michael Vick.
And through it all, Kelly responded with an arrogant smirk, and the I-know-more-than-you attitude that is a required character trait to succeed in the NFL, NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball.
Take a step back from the hurricane of criticism hurled at the Eagles for swapping Foles for a quarterback who has already had two ACL surgeries, and you might recall the constant assumption over the past two seasons that Foles was not the sort of quarterback needed to succeed under Kelly’s system.
Well, the day of reckoning arrived and Kelly made the move for a quarterback who he thinks can be a better fit. It is a huge gamble, but Kelly arrived on the scene here with reputation of a guy who would gamble with any aspect of a football team – if he thought the net result would be a touchdown, or a championship.
He also arrived with the reputation that he would not be able to succeed because he lacked a commitment to defense. To that end, he has spent a good portion of this off-season bolstering the defense, especially the shortcomings in the defensive backfield.
Overall, this is not a Sixers situation where Sam Hinkie is making moves to collect draft picks for success in the future. It is not a Flyers situation where Ron Hextall is hoping to develop some young players and plan for a few years down the road. And certainly not a Phillies situation where this upcoming year is already being flushed down the drain as a rebuilding process.
Nope.
This team with this coach, with this general manager, with this quarterback -- and without its recent stars -- had better be good this season. Make that had better be VERY good this season.
Genius or crazy? At least with Chip Kelly there won’t be a long waiting period to decide.
