Philadelphia Eagles SHAKEDOWN

Apr 26, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman offensive tackle

with (Oklahoma) the fourth overall pick of the 2013 NFL Draft and head coach Chip Kelly pose for a photo during a press conference at the NovaCare Complex. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Philadelphia Eagles SHAKEDOWN

I pointed to it.  Teams which experience a successful season but fail to make post-season go one of two ways: limping back to the playoffs the following year, or the bottom drops out and they plummet to the basement.   While I do not know which path the Philadelphia Eagles have placed themselves, I can say that the past week’s developments have done NOTHING to make the team better or stronger.  NOTHING.   The only thing that the past week has done has reaffirmed that head coach Chip Kelly is the man with the plan.   He’s large and in charge.

I’ve already read doubts of many who fear this change.  I’ve read the concerns that diluting Kelly gives the Eagles head coach one more thing to manage… and some don’t like the job done so far.

More from Eagles News

• How former Eagles star Cre’Von LeBlanc helped Renegades upstage Cowboys
• Eagles 2023 schedule: Every WR duo Darius Slay, James Bradberry will battle
• Imagining better names for Jason Kelce’s Good Guy Award
• Bold predictions for the Philadelphia Eagles offense in 2023
• Reactions as ESPN suggests NFL roster moves involving Eagles, Carson Wentz

But stop kidding ourselves.  The reason Chip Kelly IS the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles is that under the watch of former head coach Andy Reid AND general manager Howie Roseman, the Philadelphia Eagles had already plummeted from post season  to basement.  And in one year, Chip Kelly had the Eagles back into the playoffs.  The past two years is difficult to pin the “blame” of the draft on any individual.  How do we claim that Marcus Smith II was Chip Kelly’s idea, when all stories leading up to last year’s draft was that Kelly filled out the parameters of the type of player needed, and Howie Roseman found that player?   How do we say that Chip Kelly has an unhealthy “Oregon bias” when more players make the roster from the University of Cincinnati or from the free agency castaways from the Houston Texans?   How do we rate rookie players as a fail when they didn’t crack the roster of a team that until the loss to the Dallas Cowboys, was on track to compete for home field advantage in post season?

Perhaps we have been premature.

Live Feed

Betsided

It’s that same schism in the fan base that manifested the problems in the Philadelphia Eagles front office.  On one camp, we have the money guy, the numbers guy, the man who found Nnamdi Asomugha and Fletcher Cox, the man who brought us Conner Barwin and Demetrius Bell, the man who drafted Danny Watkins and Jason Kelce: Howie Roseman.

In the other camp, you have the man whose plan is clear – big men beat up little men: Chip Kelly.  His plan calls for tall and physical receivers, big offensive and defensive linemen.  He is loyal, perhaps to a fault.   He fills the roster on the bottom end with former players – but perhaps that is because he truly understands their potential and heart.   Writing off a player as a “bust” after one year is tough to justify, particularly from a fan base that still pines for another former Oregon player, defensive end Dion Jordan, who has yet to set the NFL afire despite two years playing for the Miami Dolphins.