Chip Kelly is flexing his newly-grown official muscles, as proven by the upcoming trade of LeSean McCoy. There’s no question who is the boss on the Eagles, if there had been any question for at least the past year.
There is a question, however, about what he’s done to earn all that power, the kind that gives him the benefit of the doubt when, in consecutive years this early in his tenure, he unloads players of the stature of McCoy and DeSean Jackson. One thing that’s certain that should give everybody pause: Kelly’s position on a prestigious list that everyone on it wishes he could get off of.
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That’s the list of the best coaches in big-time sports who have never won a championship, like the list Sporting News put together.
There’s Kelly, with a wide berth to re-make the Eagles to his liking, coincidentally with several players from his days at Oregon — despite no championships in four years at Oregon, and one playoff berth and no playoff wins in two seasons in Philadelphia.
Kelly, then, had better turn this upheaval, this power play, into a title.
Few observers believe he can’t. But belief in Kelly’s coaching, management and team-constructing acumen exceeds the actual results. His 46-7 Oregon record and 20-12 NFL record are nothing for which he should apologize. Eventually, if more time passes without the Eagles approaching the largely-unappreciated success level of the man he replaced, Andy Reid, he won’t have to apologize, but he’ll have to explain.
Without question, Kelly inherited a gigantic task in 2013 from the end of the Reid regime, and that of the personnel heads he worked with (including Tom Heckart, Joe Banner and Howie Roseman). A 4-12 team leaves a mess. Any coach wants the freedom to hose out everything and re-stock with his own players, using whatever criteria he likes.
Factoring in McCoy's trade to the Bills, about 20 players are left from the Reid era.Veterans Todd Herremans, Trent Cole and Cary Williams were unloaded this week. It’s still early in the 2015 offseason, and there likely will be more change.
It’s who and why the rest are gone — and what the end game is.
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For a team whose record improved as quickly as it did, the Eagles not only have major holes to fill on both sides of the ball, they have a late-season collapse to answer for, and a genuine Super Bowl contender in the Cowboys in front of them in their own division.
Kelly, author of an offensive system praised and envied at every level of the game, needs a new running back, possibly a premier receiver if he can’t re-sign Jeremy Maclin, an upgraded offensive line and, apparently, a quarterback. The one he wants, his former Oregon star Marcus Mariota, might be out of his reach on draft day.
Never mind Plan B if that doesn’t pan out. Plan A isn’t all that clear, except that he’s sent a message about the kind of players he likes and the financial value he puts on them.
This purge hasn’t been about being old or unproductive. Jackson was 27 and was their No. 1 receiver. McCoy was 26, a year removed from a rushing title and had gained more than 1,300 yards in an off-year.
They were both carrying big contracts, which can’t be ignored. Their replacements may be more affordable, but last year, when Kelly said he wanted to go "in a different direction" at receiver,Jackson’s replacements didn’t compensate for him. With the same record as the year before, the Eagles missed the playoffs.
Coaches aren’t handed the mantle of greatness for running in place. Soon enough, the Eagles will be all Kelly, no more Reid, no more ties to previous accomplishments.
If true contention for a championship doesn’t follow soon, then Kelly will have to justify why his way was the better way.