Chip Kelly Entering Make or Break Offseason

As the offseason has officially commenced, Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly faces some critical decisions that will greatly affect the future of this franchise. For all the criticism of former head coach Andy Reid, the Philadelphia Eagles were in the NFC Championship game in just his third season at the helm. As we prepare for Chip Kelly’s second full offseason, we have to ask ourselves, are the Eagles good enough to take that leap forward?

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Certainly the primary focal point in the 2014-2015 season will be the stunning late-collapse by the Eagles late in the season. While the losses to the NFC Champion Seattle Seahawks and the NFC East winning Dallas Cowboys hurt, the Eagles still had a legitimate chance at the playoffs with just two games left and failed to capitalize.

For all the criticism directed at Andy Reid (and I’m guilty as much as the next man), Andy has unparalleled success turning a franchise around. The job he’s done in Kansas City is closer to the reality of his coaching ability than his final season in Philadelphia. And while Chip Kelly has successfully led the Eagles to back-to-back 10 win seasons, the only thing to show for it is more dust on the mantle.

This offseason, the Eagles have 11 pending free agents. Certainly wide receiver Jeremy Maclin should be a priority. However what seems to be widely negated in conversation is the fact that not only is quarterback Mark Sanchez a pending free agent, but emergency quarterback Brad Smith could be out the doors as well. That leaves just Nick Foles and Matt Barkley on the roster. The same Matt Barkley that was deemed not good enough to play in the meaningless regular season finale.

Certainly, the lack of quarterback depth will cause a great amount of speculation into whether or not the Eagles and Chip Kelly will make an attempt to draft Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota. But the question we have to ask is whether or not a player like Mariota is good enough to turn a 10-6 team into a Super Bowl contender. Can Mariota play safety? Can the Heisman trophy winner get consistent pressure on the opposing quarterback? And most importantly, can Mariota lead a team full of veterans on-and-off the field? Any inability for Mariota to perform up to expectations falls squarely on Chip Kelly’s shoulders.

Before the draft however, we will get a good clue of Chip Kelly’s plans when free agency begins in just 26 short days. Will the Eagles make a splash in free agency? I find it highly unlikely. However, there have been rumors regarding the Eagles interest in quarterback Jake Locker (a Pac-12 alumni). Should the Eagles pick up a viable backup, you can kiss the chances of Mariota landing in Philadelphia goodbye.

Much of this offseason is going to be running rampant with speculation. And there will be a lot of pressure on Kelly to mold the roster to his liking. With former G.M. Howie Roseman out of the picture for personnel decisions, all the praise (or blame) falls squarely on Chip Kelly’s feet. If the Eagles do not make noted improvements this offseason, much like Chip Kelly’s offense in December, he could be three and out.