Learning to Accept the Predictable Unpredictability of Coach Kelly

Chip is taking major risks heading into 2015. It’s time for Philadelphia’s football team to do so.

By Joe Darrah

As the undisputed “quarterback” of the Philadelphia Eagles’ roster management these days, Chip Kelly is conducting himself this offseason as he expects his signal callers to run his system — by reading and reacting. And as his transactions continue to mimic the intentional unpredictability of his offense, Eagles fans are left with little option other than to simply learn to place faith in the unexpected. That won’t be easy for people who for the last 15 years or so have become accustomed to an organization that rarely goes against the grain or takes risks that could negatively impact the future should those risks taken in the present fail.

But here we are, headed into the 2015 draft without the team’s leading rusher from just a season ago and sans the club’s leading receiver for the second consecutive season. Isn’t it quite apropos that as Jeremy Maclin rejoins Andy Reid in Kansas City that the Birds can finally claim that they have moved past the Reid era?

To me, that’s what’s become most intriguing about the unprecedentedly chaotic week we all just went through. Although Reid departed this town more than two years ago, it still never quite felt like this club had “moved on” prior to this current offseason. It’s really been Kelly coaching what had essentially continued to be Reid’s team … albeit coaching things dramatically different (except for maybe that time in September when Kelly decided to throw it from the 1-yard line for what felt like 10 straight plays). But with the likes of Maclin, LeSean McCoy, Nick Foles and Trent Cole, among others, now joining the already departed Michael Vick and DeSean Jackson, compounded with owner Jeffrey Lurie’s decision to reassign former general manager Howie Roseman, this has truly become Kelly’s team. Even if it’s still a work in progress.

Consider my Status Update as follows: Feeling Refreshed:)

While there’s plenty to debate as to why Kelly is orchestrating things in the manner in which he has been — Is it his ego at work? Was he genuinely unhappy with the top players he inherited? Has he decided to surgically remove essentially any evidence that Reid and Roseman’s player personnel ever existed? — there’s no debating where the accountability will be held regardless of whether this squad succeeds or not. And with that there’s really little surprise in how Kelly has gone about things recently. The ability to point the finger at one guy for either success or failure is exactly what this organization and all those who support it need. And it’s why I believe Kelly has been doing what he’s doing. Here’s my read on how and why he can justify his actions:

Addressing the defense. Just like anyone else on planet Earth would have done with the opportunity, it was obviously easy for Kelly to decide that his defense needed to be addressed first and foremost as free agency neared and commenced. So in an ultimate example of addition by subtraction, he parted ways with his Pro Bowl running back in Shady to get a player in Kiko Alonso who could remain one of the premiere linebackers in this league for some time. (Insert comments about injury risk and his membership with the Former Oregon Duck Club here). But the real injury to consider with this move is the Achilles tear suffered by (as of Tuesday evening) still current Eagle DeMeco Ryans, the second such injury he’s dealt with over the last four seasons. Though Kelly has to this point insisted Ryans will return to the club despite Alonso and Mychal Kendricks expected to lead the depth chart at inside linebacker, the injury combined with the $6.9 million cap hit Ryans will cost in 2015 as well as the signing in another ILB with former Green Bay Packer Brad Jones joining the fray (though Jones is more anticipated to be a contributor to special teams) speaks differently for the here and now. While it was reportedly said that Alonso could have been headed toward a shift to the outside in Buffalo prior to his trade and it’s conceivable to think that Ryans could agree to a contract restructure, this trade had more to do with injecting a type of playmaker who can quickly help to turn one’s defense into a position of strength. Imagine that. With the subsequent signing of former Seattle corner Byron Maxwell it’s conceivable to suggest that Kelly needed to focus on fixing the defensive side of his club despite his authority as an offensive guru to, in fact, strengthen the odds of a rather precarious situation he’s subjecting his offense to.

The Wide Receivers. Or, more realistically, the current and perceived lack of quality receivers on the roster. No matter how optimistic one might try to be there really is no way of finding a silver lining for how this corps appears to be taking shape. Kelly and the Eagles clearly needed to place a cap on Maclin’s value and not overpay him, which they clearly succeeded in, but the other side of that coin was supposed to be bringing someone in from the deep 2015 receiver free agent class—not to stand pat with those you already employ. As of Wednesday, there is basically nobody, no, really, nobody, remaining on this once long list. With the recent signings of Andre Johnson (Colts), Kenny Britt (Rams), Cecil Shorts (Texans), Eddie Royal (Bears), Stevie Johnson (Chargers) and Percy Harvin (Bills) all taken off the market the Eagles are down to three unattractive scenarios (assuming that Michael Crabtree is not at all in their plans, but would however get my vote): 1) Take a cheap-end flyer on the likes of Dwayne Bowe, Denarius Moore, Greg Jennings or (sorry, but, “gasp”) Reggie Wayne 2) wait exclusively until the draft and further spike Philadelphia’s collective anxiety regarding this subject 3) seriously go into the 2015 preseason with your depth chart revealing a pecking order of Riley Cooper, Jordan Matthews and Josh Huff as your trio. In all actuality, Matthews is the No. 1 guy right now based on talent and potential, which scarily is a little less scary of a thought. Maybe Kelly knows that Huff is legit. Maybe they hit paydirt in the draft. That’s a lot of maybes and this position of need is the one instance where it makes me feel things are a little too close for comfort when comparing Kelly and Reid philosophies.

The running backs. On the surface it seems Kelly is spending more money for a riskier play at this position, but that’s not really the case. When considering the money McCoy was owed this year, the Eagles actually save money on this season’s cap hit even with the additions of DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews to a backfield still expected to retain at least Darren Sproles. Yes, Murray and Mathews constitute a running back duo that could one day just as easily be remembered as a pair that didn’t play much together due to injuries as they could be a combo that resembles the old “Thunder & Lightning” of Ricky Watters and Charlie Garner. Plus, not only did the trade of Shady free up enough funds immediately to allow the organization to go get two backs, as well as Maxwell, it provided Kelly with the space to pull off his biggest shocker of all (as of the present time, considering nothing official has transpired with Tim Tebow). Which brings us to …

… The quarterback situation. In flipping Foles to the Rams for quarterback Sam Bradford, Kelly takes what most of his critics consider his biggest leap of faith. But is it really? Sure, the nearly $13 million it will cost this season is a high price to pay whether he stays healthy all year or not. But beyond that the Eagles are off the hook. Could the price for the 27-year-old, four-year veteran be “not cheap,” and certainly nowhere nearly as inexpensive as Foles would have cost them, moving forward if he sees success in 2015? Of course. Is it also conceivable that the Eagles lock him up at a reasonable rate partially through the upcoming campaign if he looks healthy and effective through the first month or so regardless of the Mark Sanchez cap hit the next two seasons? Certainly.

And could it be that as Kelly, after bringing a lot of perceived distance to his team’s potential of scooping Marcus Mariota, still make a play for his former recruit if he falls in the draft? Yup.

None of this is likely, and neither is the signing of Tebow, for whatever that’s worth, but few things are known commodities anymore in today’s NFL. Kelly is among those seeing to that.

Buckle up for the ride, Philadelphia. Might as well.