Philadelphia Eagles SHAKEDOWN

Dec 8, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles Owner Jeffrey Lurie prior to the game against the Detroit Lions at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey G. Pittenger-USA TODAY Sports

Philadelphia Eagles SHAKEDOWN:  A Snowball’s Chance…

Whew, what a mouthful.  A situation so dire in its effect that the owner needed to act INSTANTLY to get things under control.   Why?   With free agency and the NFL draft so imminent, it was not the risk of losing Howie Roseman that needed instant action.  It was the risk of losing quality NFL scouts, and their expertise.   Chip Kelly is a football guy.   Many who are employed in the NFL as talent scouts are football guys.   Simple as that.

“Let me also stress that Howie will continue to play a vital role in our operation. He has been elevated to the role of Executive Vice President of Football Operations and received a contract extension.” – Jeff Lurie

The shock of Gambles firing meant, temporarily, that nobody was safe.  Anyone with a differing opinion could find themselves on the outside looking in.  Some have portrayed this a a Chip versus “all scouts and personnel department” fissure.   I don’t see it that way.  I see that it was either going to be treated as a business, or as football.

In the end, football won.

The search by Chip Kelly for a personnel executive could be over sooner than many realize.  Kelly will not allow the role to be unstaffed, as that will allow the opportunity for Howie to undermine the new person’s role before they ever arrive.

What the position will likely be is someone Chip Kelly has worked with in the past – someone who will bring a strong football background and history.   Chip does NOT hire yes men, so this person will certainly be confident enough to disagree and be able to argue persuasively to convince others of the right course of action.

So let’s break this down in terms of what does this mean: