Many analysts have, until today, praised Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly's off-season moves and strategy. First, the Eagles traded tailback LeSean McCoy to Buffalo for linebacker Kiko Alonso. A number of ESPN analysts seemed fine with this move, saying McCoy may have been on the decline in his productivity, and Alonso, when healthy, could help the Eagles' rather mediocre defense. Philadelphia then signed former Seattle cornerback Byron Maxwell, resigned quarterback Mark Sanchez, and lost out on resigning wideout Jeremy Maclin, just a year after they parted ways with DeSean Jackson. Philly also decided to sign 32-year-old former San Francisco running back Frank Gore to help replace the younger McCoy. Rumors have it that quarterback Nick Foles could potentially be traded (to the Jets?) and that the Eagles are doing everything they can to try and nab Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota in the draft.
While I can understand Chip Kelly's desire to work with the former Oregon star quarterback, I can't for the life of me understand what all he's willing to sacrifice in order to possibly get him. Alonso and Maxwell, if healthy, are upgrades for the Eagles on defense, but there are still question marks surrounding both players. Also, while Chip Kelly is quite the innovator on offense, even the most creative offensive minds can only do so much if they lack talent and speed on that side of the ball. DeSean Jackson is one of the quickest, most explosive receivers in all of football. LeSean McCoy is one of the most elusive and dangerous running backs in the league. After Jackson went to Washington, Jeremy Maclin became the Eagles #1 receiving option. For the time being, the Philadelphia Eagles went from Jackson, Maclin, and McCoy two seasons ago to Riley Cooper, Jordan Matthews, and 32-year-old Frank Gore. With Jackson, Maclin, and McCoy, the Eagles were full of speed and elusiveness. With Cooper, Matthews, and Gore, the Eagles are full of uncertainty. This isn't even taking into consideration all of the question marks at quarterback. Michael Vick started two seasons ago and got off to a good start before being hampered by injuries. Nick Foles then came onto the scene and put up numbers, which would make "video game numbers" envious, they were so incredible. He got off to a decent start this past season, although the numbers weren't nearly as good as the year before, and then, he too, like Vick, got banged up, and Mark Sanchez took over from there. Sanchez played better than many expected, but was still quite inconsistent, and made it appear as though Chip Kelly still hadn't found his "guy" at the quarterback position. Now, as mentioned previously, Sanchez has been resigned and Nick Foles could very well be traded to improve the Eagles' standing in the first round of the draft, where they'd likely try to select Mariota. If they were able to nab the Oregon Heisman Trophy winner, the team would be starting a rookie at quarterback, a veteran past his prime at running back, and two rather unproven receivers. That's not a good combination if the Eagles want to seriously contend in the NFC East this coming season.
Also, while Marcus Mariota may wind up being a solid NFL quarterback, I think it's a risky move for him to be the centerpiece of Chip Kelly's offense in Philadelphia. Granted, he fit Kelly's system perfectly at Oregon, however, as any dual-threat quarterback will tell you, the NFL is a different game than the one in college. In his first two years as an NFL head coach, Chip Kelly has seen his starting quarterbacks go down with injuries. Granted, Michael Vick hurt his hamstring as he was running out of bounds and Nick Foles got injured while standing in the pocket. However, one would have to believe that Kelly would leave the former Oregon alum, Mariota, more at risk of being injured by getting continually hit on running plays in his spread-type offense. This, in conjunction with the hits Mariota would take in the pocket and ones he'd take on scrambles might leave the rookie quarterback begging Kelly to call more handoffs and quick pass plays. In Kelly's mind, he may be thinking, "Mariota's my guy. He knows my system. He's played in it before. It'll take him far less time to learn the playbook and make the proper adjustments than most any other quarterback." However, like I said, the NFL is a far different game than the college one. On plays where Mariota was able to get outside and burn Pac-12 defenses for 60-yard touchdown runs in college, he'll get knocked out of bounds at the line-of-scrimmage or tackled from behind after a short gain in the NFL. If the Eagles don't make an effort to sign a more dynamic playmaker at receiver, that would make things especially difficult for the rookie quarterback. It'd make things difficult for just about any quarterback, let alone a rookie.
The Philadelphia Eagles may make some big moves which will all but end the questions surrounding the ones they've made over the past week or so. However, until that happens, while there can no longer be the question of whether or not this is Chip Kelly's team, there will be questions about in which direction the team is going. Kelly's Eagles may have gone 10-6 in each of his first two seasons with the team, but following these recent moves, there are more questions surrounding this team than either of the other's, including, "Is Chip Kelly's ego so big he feels he can succeed in the NFL on the offensive side of the ball regardless of how much or little talent he has to work with?" Bill Belichick has been able to consistently succeed by holding a similar philosophy of system over talent. However, he's also had future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady behind center for all four Super Bowl victories. Michael Vick may have made a few Pro Bowls. Nick Foles may have had one great season. Mark Sanchez may have won some postseason games. Marcus Mariota may have won a Heisman Trophy. But none of them are anywhere close to Tom Brady, and if Tom Brady had the likes of DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, and LeSean McCoy to work with, his eyes would immediately light up and he may have two more Super Bowl rings as a result.
UPDATE: So, Frank Gore decided to sign with Indianapolis instead and Nick Foles wound up getting traded to St. Louis for Sam Bradford. Now, there are rumors that the Eagles are interested in signing former Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray, but I'm not going to buy that rumor until it actually happens. So, here's a breakdown of the Eagles' offensive "star" power under Chip Kelly through his first two-plus seasons (to this point):
Year 1
QB Michael Vick (Nick Foles would eventually take over for an injured Vick)
RB LeSean McCoy
WR DeSean Jackson
WR Jeremy Maclin
Year 2
QB Nick Foles (Mark Sanchez would eventually take over for an injured Foles)
RB LeSean McCoy
WR Jeremy Maclin
WR Riley Cooper
Year 3 (to this point)
QB Sam Bradford (Mark Sanchez will eventually take over for an injured Bradford)
RB Darren Sproles
WR Riley Cooper
WR Jordan Matthews
So, for the time being, Chip Kelly has gone from a #1 pick at quarterback whom has gone to four Pro Bowls and is the all-time leading rusher amongst players at his position but has battled injury problems throughout his long career, to a #1 pick that has only seemed to have injury problems throughout his short career. He's gone from one of the leading rushers in the NFL over the past three years to a utility type of player at tailback. Lastly, he's gone from arguably the most dynamic receiving duo in the NFL to a pair of relative unknowns (Cooper may have been effective as a #3 or even as a #2 to a certain extent, but as a #1? Good luck!). If the Eagles are able to nab Murray at running back, then that should ease the worries at that position. However, even if that is the case, Eagles fans can't be overly thrilled with the thought of Sam "I-broke-my-throwing-arm-shaving-this-morning" Bradford and Mark "which-color-jerseys-do-I-throw-to" Sanchez leading the team this coming season, and having Riley Cooper and Jordan Matthews as their top two receiving "threats."
UPDATE: Okay, so DeMarco Murray may not be in the cards. Who'd Philly get instead? Former San Diego Chargers running back Ryan Mathews, who, like Sam Bradford, has a history of injury problems. This is almost getting funny...
UPDATE: So, the Eagles signed DeMarco Murray as well. Okay, so the backfield now appears to be set. Now all Philly has to worry about are their quarterbacks and receivers. With all the crazy moves Chip Kelly and company have made to this point in the off-season, it's a wonder how many die-hard Eagles fans won't recognize 4/5 of the team come the first week of the regular season...
UPDATE: Tim Tebow reportedly worked out with the Eagles and if Philly can trade third-string quarterback Matt Barkley, there's a decent chance they'll sign Tebow. If that move happens, I think it may be safe to say that Chip Kelly went from borderline mad scientist/mad territory to just plain mad...
While I can understand Chip Kelly's desire to work with the former Oregon star quarterback, I can't for the life of me understand what all he's willing to sacrifice in order to possibly get him. Alonso and Maxwell, if healthy, are upgrades for the Eagles on defense, but there are still question marks surrounding both players. Also, while Chip Kelly is quite the innovator on offense, even the most creative offensive minds can only do so much if they lack talent and speed on that side of the ball. DeSean Jackson is one of the quickest, most explosive receivers in all of football. LeSean McCoy is one of the most elusive and dangerous running backs in the league. After Jackson went to Washington, Jeremy Maclin became the Eagles #1 receiving option. For the time being, the Philadelphia Eagles went from Jackson, Maclin, and McCoy two seasons ago to Riley Cooper, Jordan Matthews, and 32-year-old Frank Gore. With Jackson, Maclin, and McCoy, the Eagles were full of speed and elusiveness. With Cooper, Matthews, and Gore, the Eagles are full of uncertainty. This isn't even taking into consideration all of the question marks at quarterback. Michael Vick started two seasons ago and got off to a good start before being hampered by injuries. Nick Foles then came onto the scene and put up numbers, which would make "video game numbers" envious, they were so incredible. He got off to a decent start this past season, although the numbers weren't nearly as good as the year before, and then, he too, like Vick, got banged up, and Mark Sanchez took over from there. Sanchez played better than many expected, but was still quite inconsistent, and made it appear as though Chip Kelly still hadn't found his "guy" at the quarterback position. Now, as mentioned previously, Sanchez has been resigned and Nick Foles could very well be traded to improve the Eagles' standing in the first round of the draft, where they'd likely try to select Mariota. If they were able to nab the Oregon Heisman Trophy winner, the team would be starting a rookie at quarterback, a veteran past his prime at running back, and two rather unproven receivers. That's not a good combination if the Eagles want to seriously contend in the NFC East this coming season.
Also, while Marcus Mariota may wind up being a solid NFL quarterback, I think it's a risky move for him to be the centerpiece of Chip Kelly's offense in Philadelphia. Granted, he fit Kelly's system perfectly at Oregon, however, as any dual-threat quarterback will tell you, the NFL is a different game than the one in college. In his first two years as an NFL head coach, Chip Kelly has seen his starting quarterbacks go down with injuries. Granted, Michael Vick hurt his hamstring as he was running out of bounds and Nick Foles got injured while standing in the pocket. However, one would have to believe that Kelly would leave the former Oregon alum, Mariota, more at risk of being injured by getting continually hit on running plays in his spread-type offense. This, in conjunction with the hits Mariota would take in the pocket and ones he'd take on scrambles might leave the rookie quarterback begging Kelly to call more handoffs and quick pass plays. In Kelly's mind, he may be thinking, "Mariota's my guy. He knows my system. He's played in it before. It'll take him far less time to learn the playbook and make the proper adjustments than most any other quarterback." However, like I said, the NFL is a far different game than the college one. On plays where Mariota was able to get outside and burn Pac-12 defenses for 60-yard touchdown runs in college, he'll get knocked out of bounds at the line-of-scrimmage or tackled from behind after a short gain in the NFL. If the Eagles don't make an effort to sign a more dynamic playmaker at receiver, that would make things especially difficult for the rookie quarterback. It'd make things difficult for just about any quarterback, let alone a rookie.
The Philadelphia Eagles may make some big moves which will all but end the questions surrounding the ones they've made over the past week or so. However, until that happens, while there can no longer be the question of whether or not this is Chip Kelly's team, there will be questions about in which direction the team is going. Kelly's Eagles may have gone 10-6 in each of his first two seasons with the team, but following these recent moves, there are more questions surrounding this team than either of the other's, including, "Is Chip Kelly's ego so big he feels he can succeed in the NFL on the offensive side of the ball regardless of how much or little talent he has to work with?" Bill Belichick has been able to consistently succeed by holding a similar philosophy of system over talent. However, he's also had future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady behind center for all four Super Bowl victories. Michael Vick may have made a few Pro Bowls. Nick Foles may have had one great season. Mark Sanchez may have won some postseason games. Marcus Mariota may have won a Heisman Trophy. But none of them are anywhere close to Tom Brady, and if Tom Brady had the likes of DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, and LeSean McCoy to work with, his eyes would immediately light up and he may have two more Super Bowl rings as a result.
UPDATE: So, Frank Gore decided to sign with Indianapolis instead and Nick Foles wound up getting traded to St. Louis for Sam Bradford. Now, there are rumors that the Eagles are interested in signing former Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray, but I'm not going to buy that rumor until it actually happens. So, here's a breakdown of the Eagles' offensive "star" power under Chip Kelly through his first two-plus seasons (to this point):
Year 1
QB Michael Vick (Nick Foles would eventually take over for an injured Vick)
RB LeSean McCoy
WR DeSean Jackson
WR Jeremy Maclin
Year 2
QB Nick Foles (Mark Sanchez would eventually take over for an injured Foles)
RB LeSean McCoy
WR Jeremy Maclin
WR Riley Cooper
Year 3 (to this point)
QB Sam Bradford (Mark Sanchez will eventually take over for an injured Bradford)
RB Darren Sproles
WR Riley Cooper
WR Jordan Matthews
So, for the time being, Chip Kelly has gone from a #1 pick at quarterback whom has gone to four Pro Bowls and is the all-time leading rusher amongst players at his position but has battled injury problems throughout his long career, to a #1 pick that has only seemed to have injury problems throughout his short career. He's gone from one of the leading rushers in the NFL over the past three years to a utility type of player at tailback. Lastly, he's gone from arguably the most dynamic receiving duo in the NFL to a pair of relative unknowns (Cooper may have been effective as a #3 or even as a #2 to a certain extent, but as a #1? Good luck!). If the Eagles are able to nab Murray at running back, then that should ease the worries at that position. However, even if that is the case, Eagles fans can't be overly thrilled with the thought of Sam "I-broke-my-throwing-arm-shaving-this-morning" Bradford and Mark "which-color-jerseys-do-I-throw-to" Sanchez leading the team this coming season, and having Riley Cooper and Jordan Matthews as their top two receiving "threats."
UPDATE: Okay, so DeMarco Murray may not be in the cards. Who'd Philly get instead? Former San Diego Chargers running back Ryan Mathews, who, like Sam Bradford, has a history of injury problems. This is almost getting funny...
UPDATE: So, the Eagles signed DeMarco Murray as well. Okay, so the backfield now appears to be set. Now all Philly has to worry about are their quarterbacks and receivers. With all the crazy moves Chip Kelly and company have made to this point in the off-season, it's a wonder how many die-hard Eagles fans won't recognize 4/5 of the team come the first week of the regular season...
UPDATE: Tim Tebow reportedly worked out with the Eagles and if Philly can trade third-string quarterback Matt Barkley, there's a decent chance they'll sign Tebow. If that move happens, I think it may be safe to say that Chip Kelly went from borderline mad scientist/mad territory to just plain mad...
Comments
Post a Comment