The Philadelphia Eagles: Can Head Coach And GM Coexist?
Philadelphia Eagles VP of Player Personnel
Philadelphia Eagles fired their VP of Player Personnel, Tom Gamble on January 31st. The question now is there possibility that head coach Chip Kelly and general manager Howie Roseman can make some compromises to maintain their current success in Philadelphia?
According to many of the writers that cover the Eagles, owner Jeffrey Lurie is tied at the hip to Howie Roseman. Even though Kelly has turned this franchise around very quickly, Lurie would let him walk before he told Roseman to take a hike. Would Philadelphia fans feel the same way? Probably not, but if one had to go, it would mean deciding between the guy who brings in the talent, and the guy who utilizes that talent.
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While it’s pretty clear as to the reasons why Chip Kelly needs to stay put (namely because he wins a lot more than he loses), losing Roseman could be equally devastating to the franchise. Howie orchestrated the 2012 draft, before Kelly’s arrival, that brought in defensive tackle Fletcher Cox, linebacker Mychal Kendricks, defensive end Vinny Curry, quarterback Nick Foles, and cornerback Brandon Boykin all with the first 5 picks.
Additionally, it is probably safe to assume that the 2014 acquisitions of safety Malcolm Jenkins and running back Darren Sproles from the New Orlean Saints was largely Roseman’s doing. Beyond talent evaluation, Roseman’s ability to make deals and manipulate the salary cap are highly commendable as well.
In 2013, when Chip came to Philadelphia, the combination of Roseman and Kelly hit on offensive tackle Lane Johnson, tight end Zach Ertz, and defensive tackle Bennie Logan. Then in 2014 wide receiver Jordan Matthews was basically the lone stand-out (an argument can be made that wide receiver Josh Huff is a bright spot in the kick-return game).
There were two picks from the University of Oregon (Huff and defensive end Taylor Hart) in 2014, and there are 8 players from Oregon on the current 53-man roster. Just because these players worked well for Kelly’s team in college does not mean they are suited for life in the NFL. Even though these Oregon alums are presumably on the Eagles because of Chip, it’s hard to imagine a scenario where the Eagles selected a player that Howie downright hated.
Although Kelly would probably prefer a situation to New England Patriots’ head coach Bill Belichick, a coach that is also the general manager and has final say on all personnel, Chip will most likely not find that deal on any team in the NFL.
Perhaps the Eagles need to take a page out of the Seattle Seahawks’ book and mimic the relationship between Hawks’ head coach Pete Carroll and their general manager John Schneider. Schneider conducts all of the scouting and evaluations, creates a finalized list of players, then allows Carroll to choose players from the list that best fit his scheme and culture.
The Philadelphia Eagles desperately need Chip Kelly and Howie Roseman to figure this out. Both men bring a heck a lot of skills to the table, and losing one of those guys only sets the team further away from winning a Super Bowl.