Ever since Chip Kelly made the bold move of trading All-Pro RB LeSean McCoy to Buffalo for former Duck standout LB Kiko Alonso, NFL executives have been calling him either an absolute genius or a total fool. As of today, a flock of nine Oregon players are on the Philadelphia roster, five of which are defenders: Casey Matthews, Brandon Bair, Wade Keliikipi, Taylor Hart and Alonzo.
As always, there’s still speculation on if Kelly will continue bringing in the players he worked with at Oregon. Among them, of course, is the coveted Heisman winner QB Marcus Mariota, who was for sure the ultimate factor that leads to a lot of Oregon’s success last season. Obviously, this acquisition makes total sense, as Mariota is the ideal QB that fits Kelly’s offensive system.
“[Marcus Maritoa] is a special player and he’s just got a gift for playing football.” (bleedinggreennation.com)
He may want them to know the basic concept: If you’re not on board, get out! Like any coach whether it be collegiate or professional, the players need to believe in the coach’s philosophy and have faith in every decision he makes either on or off the field.
In other words, having a level of familiarity is key. Establishing a comfort level with players that are not familiar with a certain offensive system is tough. Kelly didn’t invent the slogan “Win The Day” for no reason – he obviously wants to win football games. A majority of ex-Ducks on a roster will cause the idea of learning something new to be completely diminished, as Kelly will focus more on developing those players by virtue of taking them to the next level.
Whatever his next decision will be, we all know that it’s most likely going to start a buzz around the football world. Kelly is a football genius and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he finds a way of drafting his ultimate craft, Mariota.
Top Photo by Kevin Cline
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Hey! My name is Austin Willhoft and I’m currently a freshman at the University of Oregon studying Journalism. I lived my whole life down in sunny and beautiful Laguna Beach, CA where I completed all of my prior education. I always have been into sports writing/reporting mostly due to the fact that I love watching, analyzing, and playing all kinds of sports. However, if I were to narrow it down between two sports, it would be basketball and football, both of which I played heavily in high school. I’m thrilled to be working for FishDuck.com and most importantly being a third generation to attend the UO. Sko Ducks!