Philadelphia Eagles 2015 Mistakes To Avoid – Part II
By Bret Stuter
Jan 12, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) during the fourth quarter against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the 2015 CFP National Championship Game at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
VI. Echoing What National Media Thinks We Need To DO
Sometimes its easy to do. Sometimes its easy NOT to do. But we are constantly exposed to ideas about the Eagles. I tend to err on the side of thinking too positively about the team. There are those who err on the side of thinking too negatively about the team.
The difference between 2013 and 2014 was just bad luck. The team has needs and must address shortcomings, but the record was the same despite half of the season playing without their starting quarterback. And yet, we read stories that suggest it makes perfect sense to overreact – to lay waste to the roster and the coaching staff and place anyone and everyone in another uniform or on the streets.
It’s been two years. When the Eagles hired head coach Chip Kelly, the consensus was that the team – with the significant amount of changes needed – would take three to four years before results would be obvious. Behind the arm of quarterback Nick Foles – wide receivers DeSean Jackson, Riley Cooper, and Jeremy Maclin all had career seasons. But we find articles suggesting that a better option would be to trade up and hope for former Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota in the draft of 2015.
From the fans who showed little patience while Nick Foles battled through a slump in 2014, is bringing a rookie quarterback with an entirely new set of mistakes and lessons to learn a wise choice? Who thinks anyone in the media calling for a specific course returns to write up an “OOPS!” story? There were many such stories that predicted the demise of the Eagles upon the hiring of Chip Kelly, and suggested he would be back in college football by now. Well, that didn’t work out.
The obvious path is the most critical. We don’t need to distract ourselves with “mega deal incredible five years worth of draft picks” scenarios to fix this team. And despite the suggestion that Chip Kelly will do whatever it takes to get “his guy”, his style suggests otherwise. Chip Gambles on the field, but only after the math proves it to be the wisest course of action. The math behind free agency and the NFL draft prove a different strategy – that risk is inherently poorly rewarded.