Finally! At lo-o-ong last… the Philadelphia Eagles have their man! The feeling of joy, relief and heightened anticipation resides in a city that has waited for the coach who will bring them a Super Bowl Championship! Hopefully now, Chip Kelly, formerly of the University of Oregon is that coach. So, welcome Coach Kelly to the city of Brotherly Shove, uh… Love. Yeah, I thought Gus Bradley was going to be the man because he displayed all the coveted tools as the Defensive Coordinator with the Seattle Seahawks to get a porous Eagles defense that did little more than shove their opponents in the 2012 season. But Kelly is of an offensive mind, one of the greatest that college football has ever seen. Is this a match made in Eagles heaven for LeSean McCoy, DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin and company?
But what will he bring to the defense? The first question on my mind is who is going to be the new Defensive Coordinator? Is there the slightest chance that he brings back Todd Bowles or will he definitely look outside of the Eagles organization? There’s already talk that Kelly could bring in his D.C. from the University of Oregon, Nick Aliotti but how open is he to exploring the current NFL possibilities?
The Eagles in the early 2000’s only allowed 241 points (2000), 208 (2001) 245 (2002) and 260 (2004) in the Eagles last Super Bowl appearance. This to me is a top concern since the Eagles allowed the most points in their history last year with 444. The only other season the defense gave up more than 400 points was in 1967 when they allowed 409. But the ‘67 team scored 71 more points (351) than in 2012 (280) in route to a better record (6-7-1) led by a coach (Joe Kuharich) who only had one winning season out of five.
Is Coach Kelly going to look before releasing current Offensive Coordinator Marty Mornhinweg or is there something in the minds of these two that can be even more innovative than the best offensive mind coming out of the NCAA? And does Howard Mudd fit into the mix? Mike Bradeson of the University of Nevada I hear is getting mentioned as an Offensive Coordinator prospect so we have still, much more to look forward to.
Intensity, accountability and an the ability to relate to his players… how’s that going to translate to, say… hitting, tackling and an ability to take the ball away? Those are just a few characteristics that have long been missing from this team and Philly fans long the return of the smash mouth football of old. But now that he’s here many questions still persist other than who his coaching staff will be… like what defensive alignment will he use a 3-4 or a 4-3? What side of the ball will he address first in the draft? There will be much assessing this team before we begin to see any answers.
Other questions remain as to who stays and who goes – mainly – who will be his quarterback? He won’t change his offense to suit second year starter Nick Foles. Michael Vick is the athletic QB his system seems to call for but his age, durability and contract are potentially huge obstacles. I think the fans in Philly are looking for more change still. Is there any viable trade bait on this team? Anyone you want to let go that is… and do you even go near Free Agency anytime soon with the busts and blow ups of the last two years? And how will the new Eagles coach handle the media and the Philly fan base?
I think Chip Kelly gets the Eagles back to the playoffs this fall, but of course that remains to be seen in an unpredictable NFC East Division but finally there is a new mindset, a new culture and a new philosophy in Eagle Land! There is playoff talent here so let’s hope he will be able to pull it all together sooner than later. A Championship is the expectation in this Title starved city but how much grace does Kelly get in his first season as Head Coach? We’ll find that out soon enough as well but it looks like happy days will soon arrive in Philadelphia again.
Do Jeffrey Lurie and Howie Roseman deserve any prop’s for getting this deal done and for tenaciously going after who they say was their man all along and who many believe was the best candidate? If not now, here’s to the hope and expectation that Mr. Lurie will get plenty of prop’s in the very near future… and a long time after that.
This Team is far from a Playoff Team
Be a complete rebuild job on Defebse with a new Secondary, a couple of LB
And more beef at DT
On Offense, only the RB Pisition is stable, as questions remain
At QB. Along the OL and we seen what the playoff Teams have at Receiver that the Eagles don’t have, and tgat’s tough physical Receivers who will fight defenders off for the Ball, the Eagles Receivers disappear in tight coverages
Lots of work here, remember this Eagle Team was 12-20 since the 2011 Season so just a change at HC is not going to make a turn around in 1 off-season, but it’s a start in the right direction for sure, welcome to Philly Chip Kelly, the Fan Base has been waiting for a new voice and direction for a while..
And GM Roseman’s future as a GM are counting on you..
Agreed Paul…..That will be a happy day..When Howie is exposed, and fired. I ‘ll be happy then!!
Paulman, the 49ers were 6-10 in 2009 and 2010. Once Harbaugh and his staff got there, they’ve made it to two straight NFC Championship games. The Colts looked like one of the worst teams in NFL history last year and they turned it around in one season after completely gutting their team. Don’t tell me this is far from a playoff team. Yeah, I agree there’s lots of work to do but the Eagles have some of the key pieces in place. This is still a team that started the season off 3-1 beating two VERY good opponents; one of which is currently a game away from the Superbowl. This team suffered from a QB that was both injury prone and turnover prone, a plethora of injuries on the offensive side of the ball, and no leadership. Things can be turned around. Will they make a deep run next year? Who knows; probably not if I had to guess. But it’s a bit over the top to say they’re far from a playoff team.
I hear you BTC
But the 49ers had 2-3 Years of very good Drafts and a Roster of good,tough,physical young Talent when he took over..(Gore,Staley,Vernon Davis, Patrick WIllis, Novarro Bowman,DE Smith,McDonald,etc,etc) but they have added to it very strong Drafts (Anthony Davis, Aldon Smith,Crabtree, Hunterm and Free-Agent Pick-ups in Carlos Rogers,Donte Whitner…
What Happy days??!!!!!!!!!! Lets see how things look 2 years from now. Most are going to want to run this man out of town, and back to college where he belongs.
Don’t forget this author was the same who predicted eagles dynast before this season, pbj, piggy boy junior chip Kelly has proven nothing at the NFL level, there is a lot that remains to be fixed on defense, special teams, discipline, all of which have nothing to do with his gimmick offense
Exactly! POM-POM WAVING, NUMB-SKULL! GTFO!!!!
In other news the Jags hired Bradley unbelievable, he must of had one hel lava interview. I have much respect for Caldwell the GM. I thought he was waiting for his best friend Roman. Now that’s how you do good business.
Word is JAguars Owner wanted a HC in hand by this Weekend to help get a Staff Together, Senoir Bowl Week, Drafting and Scouting Combines,etc,etc
and if the 49ers Win this Weekend (Which they most likely will) then it would be another 2 Weeks for SUper Bowl before waiting to interview Roman..Then what happens if Roman turns the Job Down and now it’s early Febuary with the Indy COmbines 2 weeks away with no Coach or Staff in palace which is a dicey situation for any Team to be in..
It’s unfortunate for ROman who may be the overall best Candidate to be a HC and never get an interview due to the timing of everything..
You guys are getting your hopes up for nothing. This 3 stooge experiment is going to fail. Good coaches will offset alot of his gimmicks and style to either slow it down or negate it in lotta ways ex. big physical defense to small fast offense, run ball time of possession, nfl mindset and experience to college one trick pony who never won a national championship.Drink the koolaid and follow the three strappers to loserville.
It was not until Dick Vermeil took over that I started rooting for the Eagles. It was because of him. I watched his show every week and he keep saying that the Eagles were going to the Superbowl. They were super scrubs, but he would quote the stats that Superbowl winners had and would model the team in that direction. Everything was logical and made sense. And he drafted the best player available. Not for need. It was fun rooting for that team because they never quit. The miracle of the meadowlands was the greatest play I have ever seen. As a fan. It personified the never quit mentality of his teams.
I hate this new team. This new front office. Sissy football. I joke a lot about the Eagles but I am now putting them on probation. I am going to watch the staff that is assembled. Watch the draft picks. If they go in the direction of sissy football, I am going back to the 49ers for as long as they have Harbaugh. They represent every thing I believe in football. Sound defense. Blocking and Tackling. Run the ball. Mobile QB.
Defense wins championships. You have a chance to get one of the most consistant defensive coaches in the league who has gone to the Superbowl and you pass(lovie smith).
You have a chance to get the defensive coordinator who’s defense lead the league in points with virtually no pro bowlers and you pass. You go for college guy. With no NFL experience. Always trying to outsmart the rest of the league instead of sticking to the fundamentals. They just piss me off with that.
Jeffrey Loser just reminded me that it is not my team. It’s his team. And he can do with it, what ever he wants. So be it. I can root for who ever I want. I can buy tickets to who ever I want and I can purchase team gear from who ever I want.
This guy did not want the job. And if things don’t go right he will jumb back to the college game in a heartbeat.
Shanahan ruined RG3’s career. Only that, was dumber than the Eagles signing college guy to win games. Not win a Superbowl.
Defense wins championships, except last year, and for 3 of the 4 teams in the finals this year.
It’s an old, outdated, and today incorrect paradigm.
You are a wise man bsm, remember what bsm just said, this man did not want this job, when adversity comes, he’s out
“Happy days are here again?!?” As soon as Hindenburg got canned, that’s what I thought. Now that they hired Kelly, I’m far from sure. I don’t like it! It’s hysterical to me, how pumped up, people are getting, & how they have this dude as the next Vince Lombardi, already! GTFO! This guy has ZERO NFL, playing, NOR coaching experience! He is a gimmick coach, in a flawed system, that has yet to win a SB, & he has not shown ANY other coaching style! Listen, if he can get us to the promise land, I’ll be the first to praise & congratulate him, but I think this is a colossal mistake, by an inept, limped dick, egotistical owner, & his puppet, inept, crony, who ONCE AGAIN, thinks they’ve outsmarted everyone! GTFO!!!!
BTW, as I stated early, yesterday morning, it was reported, that Kelly is bringing in Georgia DC Todd Grantham, as our DC! 3-4 is a coming! Expecet OLB Jarvis Jones & NT John Jenkins, to be early draft targets!
If happy days are truly here again it will be due to one man and one man only. Chip Kelly, Lurie and Roseman get no props for screwing this coaching search up to the bitter end even if they got their man. Which ended with them giving the HC job to two men, no matter what you guys think Bradley had the job but Roseman was still working Kelly. Whatever like Dcar said let’s go Eagles.
I have it from good sources that one of Chip Kelly’s first hires will be David Kotite, son of former Eagle and Jets coach Rich, as an ‘offensive consultant’…Dave Kotite will primarily work with the QBs and RBs, trying to iron out the kinks in teaching Kelly’s ‘Read & Roll’ offense to the Eagles personnel.
Dave Kotite has been an assistant coach at Upsala College, but what many fans may not be aware of is that Kelly’s much ballyhooed offensive scheme was first utilized by Dave’s father, Rich, when he coached the NY Jets in the early 1990
LOL way to bring up some bad memories Frank, You just gave me a migraine.
I JUST VOMITTED MY BREAKFAST! THANKS FRANK! 8X
Frank, get ready for the same outcome for Kelly’s Career as well….
BSM if you really loved Vermeil because “Everything was logical and made sense.”
Then you will love Kelly because everything he does is based on logic.
All he does is use metrics and probability for every decision. From who his players will be, to every game day decision. We’ll see if it works.
I wrote back in June that the Eagles had the tools, talent and young core to be a Dynasty. I also wrote that it was only a prediction (though I sincerely believed it could happen), they happen everyday in the sports world… I was sooo wrong! But I’m willing to go out on a limb if no one is.
You guys are good and you pay attention! I get hyped and I, to my own surprise I (near the end of last season) I can get down. I would have prefered Gus Bradly because I thingk he has what we needed but we have who we have so I’m hoping he can pull a Jimmy Johnson. As they say, the west Shot-gun was a gimmick, the West Coast Offense was a gimmick so here’s to Chip Kelly and his gimmicks changing the course of Eagles history. We HAVE to get a GREAT DC and more great defensive personel though in case the gimmicks don’t work. Btw, the mere mention of the name Kotite makes me kringe… just sayin…
Metrics and numbers do not always make sense, they are manipulated to fit agenda, figures lie and liars figure, vermeil was a instinctive, disciplinarian, old school football man, chip Kelly’s biggest proponent just said he will revolutionize football like billy bean did baseball in Oakland, this is a bad hire
Reports are coming out that if Arians gets the job in Arizona, he’ll do away with Ray Horton and replace him with Todd Bowles. I think I speak for all of us who are a bit reluctant on the Chip Kelly hire, would feel much better if Horton were to be named DC in Philly.
Absolutely untrue BTC,
Ray Horton JR was promised and paid to remain as their DC and will also get the title of Asst HC to remain in Arizona…
Horton is already gone in AZ. They are reportedly interested in Todd Bowles who played for Airens at Temple.
Horton would be a GREAT hire for Kelly, but there is a risk that you would lose him for a HC job next year.
We’ll see… I’m happy to give the guy a chance.
Dick Vermeil got the Eagles head coaching job because Leonard Tose saw him win the Rose Bowl coaching UCLA. His was an unlikely choice, with very little NFL experience. Chip Kelly has spent plenty of time around NFL training camps with the best NFL coaches, and is not a stranger to the pro game.
Tony Dungy’s son has played the last three years for Kelly at Oregon and Dungy has been to Kelly’s practices and training camps – he knows him well. Dungy thinks that Kelly will be a great NFL head coach. Bill Belichick is also one of Kelly’s biggest admirers.
It’s hard for a college coach to come into the NFL and get the respect of head coaches that have come up through the ranks. So, If these guys like him and think he will be a good coach then I’ll take their word for it.
***Breaking NFL News***
Jaguars Hired Gus Bradley as their Head Coach
Steelers GM Colbert states, major changes this Off-Season with the Steelers
Cardinals to schedule Bruce Arians, Dana Bevall for Interviews
haaaaa. Paul you are so tactful with the
******* Breaking NFL News *****
2.5 hours late. Jon Hart style
C’mon Henski, I live down here in Boone,NC and things happen a little slower down here.. which I kind of like and prefer….ha
ah i didnt know espn and the internet were on a delay down there. my bad
We’ll see… I’m happy to give the guy a chance.
Dick Vermeil got the Eagles head coaching job because Leonard Tose saw him win the Rose Bowl coaching UCLA. His was an unlikely choice, with very little NFL experience. Chip Kelly has spent plenty of time around NFL training camps with the best NFL coaches, and is not a stranger to the pro game.
Tony Dungy’s son has played the last three years for Kelly at Oregon and Dungy has been to Kelly’s practices and training camps – he knows him well. Dungy thinks that Kelly will be a great NFL head coach. Bill Belichick is also one of Kelly’s biggest admirers.
It’s hard for a college coach to come into the NFL and get the respect of head coaches that have come up through the ranks. So, If these guys like him and think he will be a good coach then I’ll take their word for it.
Mylow — nice D year stats
Whether or not he was our favorite choice is irrelevant now
Welcome Chip Kelly Good Luck
IrishEagle
January 17, 2013 – 10:40 am
“Dick Vermeil got the Eagles head coaching job because Leonard Tose saw him win the Rose Bowl coaching UCLA. His was an unlikely choice, with very little NFL experience. Chip Kelly has spent plenty of time around NFL training camps with the best NFL coaches, and is not a stranger to the pro game.
Tony Dungy’s son has played the last three years for Kelly at Oregon and Dungy has been to Kelly’s practices and training camps – he knows him well. Dungy thinks that Kelly will be a great NFL head coach. Bill Belichik is also one of Kelly’s biggest admirers.
It’s hard for a college coach to come into the NFL and get the respect of head coaches that have come up through the ranks. So, If these guys like him and think he will be a good coach then I’ll take their word for it.”
The NFL, like most professional sports leagues, is very conservative, and ‘copy-cat’, old boy network.
However, what we are seeing in the NFL recently is a changing of the guard, with some of the ‘younger’ coaches (Harbaugh brothers) more willing to take a chance on doing something different…More than the coaches, we have a new group of young players, who are more educated and physically skilled…Kelly would seem to be an example of this ‘new school’ even if he has not coached in the NFL before.
But remember: In football, you run, pass and kick the ball, or tackle the man doing those three things…It’s simple, and the team with the best fundamental skills, along with desire, will usually win.
Kelly understands this, and the thing that he will bring, hopefully, is some new eyes and a new voice in the locker room and in the GMs ear.
But, understand, that only ONE team wins the Super Bowl each year, and if your team doesn’t win one year, it doesn’t mean that the team or the coach are failures…But in football, as in life, we need to keep things fresh, or else all parties involved get bored and lose interest.
Key to success will be a strong defense, a less predictable, more balanced attack, and maybe the most important, a skilled and steady QB.
Nice article and spot on I believe, by Ashley Fox in ESPN about the Hiring of
Chip Kelly and some implications in moving forward.. This is Roseman and Lurie going all in.. a High Risk for a High Reward.. Time will tell, but if this Fails, Roseman will be out and Lurie will probably end up selling the Team for this is his Call also…
Sell the team…..com’on.
Chip Kelly:
“our offense will be based on the abilities of the personnel, not the other way around”
Exactly. I think we might be pleasantly suprised what Kelly brings in terms of an offence. I think he’ll get the players we have involved.
I think we will see a traditional looking, yet very very fasted paced Offense this coming year. With Foles as the dropback passer.
I am excited to see how that looks…also excited that we’ll stop punting and kicking FGs. I know that works for me…but that’s at the HS level…very interested to see if it works in the pros.
I also think it would be a waste of resources to use the draft to retool the players on O…when clearly, the greater deficiencies (especially in the secondary, and especially if the runours of switching to a 3-4 are ture) are on the defensive side of the ball.
in which the personnel is still undecided…so no one knows what the hell is going to happen, as of right now…
If you look at Chip’s resume and what he does and what he is all about and you still think he is going to come into philly and run a primarily read option offense and/or the spread you are a jackass!!!!!!!
This guy is an amazing football mind and has the ability to do what the great coaches do, adapt, adjust, win.
Future is so bright I gotta wear polarized shades.
Kelly did very well, perhaps we listened to much to the pundits, but based on what he said, I believe he will run a more traditional offense than what he ran at Oregon, he will go with foles with a Brady, new England fast paced, shorter throws, maybe there’s reason to be hopeful after all
I thought Chip Kelly handled himself very well in his introductory press conference. He was open and straight forward. He did not make promises and gave the impression that everything is on the table and open for evaluation.
Even though he was not my choice I was impressed.
as i heard him say when at oregon, ‘i can run a straight I’ in my system if thats thte athletes i have. he will adapt.
he said power I but whats the difference.
Was using the word straight to indicate vanilla. Yes I heard it too.
Mudd doesn’t fit into the mix because he is set to retire. That news will come soon I expect. I like the possibilities with McCoy in this offense. Get him in space on one on one, watch out! Only time will tell if happy days are here. Personnel, coaching, changes decisions still have to be made. No matter how good this offense becomes, if this team does not get a swag/attitude on the defensive side of the ball, it won’t matter.
real he could flourish big time in a zone blocking run scheme, im real excited about that!
His critical hire will be the DC. Both of the names mentioned Granthem and Quinn have NFL experience which is a relief.
I liked what Kelly said about having the input on the types of players he needs.
seattle hired Quinn a few hours ago to be their new dc
Does anyone else think that Chip Kelly is simply a “Mole” that was planted by
Jerry Jones of the Cowboys to learn how the Eagles do things and run their organization.. There is always the other side of the pillow, trust no one in life..
u r a weirdo
Sometimes I am and sometimes I am quite normal.. Depends how the day is going…
Anyways ***Breaking News***
New HC Mark Trestman states the DC Rod Marinelli is not returning to the Chicago Bears as their DC.. Would Marinelli make a solid DC for Chip Kelly.. Runs mostly a 4-3 and was DL Coach under Monte Kiffin at Tampa Bay during their good years and then became HC in Detroit and has been the DC in Chicago under Lovie SMith the last few Seasons..
Wtf paulman, you say some crazy things, where do you come up with this material, just trying to figure out the thought process on that one……
jake you gotta respond to me from last night or what?
Not sure where it came from Jake, but after watching the Press Conference
I started to think that all this Attention and Media Exposure to the Eagles after a 4-12 Season has to be driving Jerry Jones nuts while no one is paying any attention to his Team.. Then after my medication shots, I starting thinking that Jerry Jones was actually behind the whole thing…That he paid Andy Reid to throw away the Season and end up in Kansas City, and that he had the “Trey Amigos Carnival” flying around the Country in search of a Coach when they were simply waiting for Chip Kelly to clean up business in Oregon… When we see the “Oregon Duck Mascot” replace the “William Penn Statute” above City Hall, will you then believe me…
RaY Didinger is a know it all, ass hole. I know he has been around the game for a long time, but some of the things he says are ridiclious. I he was matter of fact when talking about Kelly and what he was going to do in the pros. Dude, nobody knows how this offense will look. Will it be a traditional spread without a mobile qb? Are we going to bring Kordell Stewart to hand out blow jobs and run the read option.
He’s only a no it all when he says things people don’t like. Some people were quoting the great Ray Diddy was trashing Vick. Depends on your point of view he’s no better then us he just gets to go over to NFL films and look at a lot of tape.
I know exactly what you’re saying and I know he gets paid to have an opinion. But the truth is, you nor I, nor ray diddy know what is going to happen here.. He explains his options as facts. That is my gripe.
I love all of the bad hire guys? Who was the good hire? Every guy they interviewed had a caveat with them. You complain about his defensive #s. Well, those may be skewed when you score so much, your D will be on the field a lot. No NFL experience? Well, all of the OCs or DCs that they interviewed didn’t have head coaching experience. There was no perfect candidate. Let’s see who the DC is before we give up on the season.
I say go big or go home.
Must have missed your question mhenski, what was it
Chip Kelly has a Twitter account… I read a few of his posts, and I love this guy already… He will definitely be able to relate to the young guys.
It’s a fake twitter account ChuckRob.
I must say I really was impressed by the Q&A session and the way Chip handled himself. Despite my misgivings I liked the guy a lot today. Looking forward to the offseason. I think from what chip said he is going to unveil something different from what he did in Oregon. He said it at least 4 times you work with the personell you have and Adjust. Im excited.
Is anyone else a little bummed that the Eagles Hired a Coach..
I am going to miss these “Coach Searching Articles” …They made the day a little more entertaining…
cant say that I am but Chips 1st maybe 2nd order of business better be to cut Nnamdi that guys coaches always seem to get fired
not at all paulman, besides now we get to argue over every assistant hired and every roster move made and of course the draft. Good times my friend.
I guess you mean Howie’s first order of business since he’s the king of the roster all Chip wants to do is coach football, hmm I wonder who recruited all those kids to come to Oregon?
I heard Chip and his staff may CLOSE training camp to the public, has anyone heard the same?
I heard that when Kelly was asked if camp would be open, he said – “I haven’t even thought about it…”
That is what R. Frank twitted anyway.
Jaguars HC hires OC Pete Carmichael Jr from the Saints to run the Jaguars Offense.. Good Hire by Bradley, lets go Chip, time to step up..
Wonder and Hope that Chip Kelly has been working the Phones the last week in oreparation if taking the Eagles Job has some quality Coaches for his Staff
Time will tell in how quickly we some of his Hires..
No more meth today Paul
I was down on the Kelly hiring but at his press conference he connected with the Philly fans and he will run a more conventional offense with nick foles at the helm, that’s what I took from his press conference, straightening out the defense is a bigger problem, he gets that right , watch out
I watched the same press conference and I didnt get that at all. I got the best players are gonna play and I got he will put them players in the best position to succeed. He loved speed speed speed. I guarentee he didnt come here to change his whole philosophy.
If it will make you Philly fans feel better, I am from Oregon.. living in Eugene and have seen several closed practices of the Ducks. I think the players will be in for a shock to Chips attention to Discipline at practice. He practices tempo at a much faster rate than games, and he will get on your ass if you are not accountable. Don’t think he won’t get in an NFL players grill if he’s not doing his job. I’ve seen it first hand! So chill, give him a year and you will see what I mean.
**Breaking News***
Lance Armstrong admits to using Steroids, PED’s during his
Cycling Career and never sleeping with Sheryl Crowe to Oprah
JH to follow-Up with Details. Z