Chip Kelly Update: Wailing and Gnashing of Teeth

Mark Saltveit FishWrap, FishWrap Archive, NFL

Last week the Eagles lost a tight game to a bad Miami squad, 20-19. And Eagles fans and reporters went crazy with despair. This Sunday, the team was blown out by a bad Tampa Bay team featuring a rookie quarterback (Jameis Winston) who the Oregon Ducks destroyed just 11 months ago. If you thought the infamous Philadelphian negativity would expand …

Chip Kelly Update: More Defensive Turnovers

Mark Saltveit FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

The typically astute Jimmy Kempski spotted an interesting number in his profile of JaCorey Shepherd, one of two cornerbacks the Eagles drafted in the sixth round: The most obvious takeaway from Shepherd’s tape is how many footballs he gets his hands on. In fact, Shepherd had more pass break-ups over the last two years than any other cornerback that was …

Chip Kelly Update: Oregon Bias, More Kenjon & Less Huff

Mark Saltveit FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

The Philadelphia Eagles have gone through the entire off-season with no roster changes at all. Then boom! Heading into preseason Game 3, Chip Kelly and GM Howie Roseman moved decisively. First they released Jason Phillips, a special teams ace who never came back from an ACL tear. Then the team traded a conditional 7th-round draft pick for former Oregon star Kenjon Barner, …

Chip Kelly Update: Silly Season, Drugs & Beefs

Mark Saltveit FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Football fans are stuck in the doldrums, and with no wind in their sails, they’re just waiting for the endless (month-long) break between mini-camp and training camp to end. Luckily you have us football writers, struggling furiously to generate enough hot air to fill those sails. Chip Kelly’s Eagles finished spring workouts full of smiles, with no drama (after the DeSean Jackson release and …

Chip Kelly Update: Practice Gadgets and Tempo Training

Mark Saltveit FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

It will be three months until real regular season football games begin, but the Philadelphia Eagles are at least doing something again. Phase 3 of the off-season program — the organized team activities or OTAs — began last week, with actual offense-against-defense drills and all the famous Chip Kelly practice twists: blaring music, extreme speed and innovative, often goofy practice devices. Only a …

Chip Kelly Update — Is Michael Sam the Eagles’ Answer?

Mark Saltveit FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

If you read or listen to or watch any kind of sports media, you’ve heard more about Michael Sam this past week than even the Winter Olympics.  Yes, it’s a big deal, Michael Sam coming out as the first openly gay major-level football player, and all the discussion is an important part of digesting this big step forward. His timing …

Chip Kelly Update: Next Steps

Mark Saltveit FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

This is the slow season for NFL teams that aren’t in the Super Bowl, and many coaches and players are escaping this snowy winter on tropical islands.  But no Chip Kelly-watcher is surprised that he is already diligently working to beef up his squad in free agency and the draft.  Kelly told a reporter that he and his staff has …

Chip and the Eagles: Quarterback Thunderdome

Mark Saltveit FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Top photo courtesy of Keith Allison and Matthew Straubmuller I’ve been resisting the endless discussions about the Eagles’ quarterback competition, because as Chip Kelly has said, he simply won’t have the data to make a decision until he sees his players wearing pads and getting tackled. It’s the same exact policy he used in Oregon. In addition to training camp …