In my last column, I wrote about Chip Kelly’s long post-season silence, even amid the controversy over releasing star WR DeSean Jackson. The weeks since January 4th have felt like an eternity of baseless speculation, what-ifs and angst over every conceivable draft pick. There have been so many mock drafts that a bunch of writers in Philadelphia have started an #MDMD …
With all the controversy over his team releasing DeSean Jackson, a friend asked me a very good question. What has Chip said about all this? The answer: next to nothing. Kelly has almost completely avoided talking to the press since the season ended in January. He has spoken publicly only three times during a period of constant media scrutiny, free agent …
Two weeks ago, I wrote that Chip Kelly and the Eagles front office seemed to be dissatisfied with star wide receiver DeSean Jackson’s attitude, and it looked like they were shopping him around. Less than three hours after my column was published, the Eagles released him outright. No trade, no compensatory pick. Just, “Good bye. It’s been real.” This was …
That is the question. At Oregon, Chip Kelly made it clear that he does not consider team stars untouchable if they don’t fit within the culture. He dismissed Jeremiah Masoli (his starting quarterback) and Cliff Harris (All-American cornerback and returner) from the team outright, and suspended running backs LeGarrette Blount and LaMichael James, each of whom was the team’s biggest …
Chip Kelly and GM Howie Roseman began their free agency moves on Tuesday, and they continue to implement their distinctive strategy: 1) Don’t swing for the bleachers by competing for the highest priced stars, 2) Stick to young players, 3) Aim for versatility, 4) Get good citizens and leaders. Philadelphia Eagles fans are not thrilled with this approach. They want …
The NFL off season is completely different than college football’s in one significant way: the NFL team gets to pick its players through the draft, the trade and free agency, and fans get to speculate endlessly over who they should or shouldn’t choose. For a college team, it’s more like being an old-fashioned high school girl at a dance, trying …
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 …
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 …
News stories aren’t really the first draft of history — they’re snapshots that someone can go through later and use to piece together what happened. No, it’s year end review articles like this one that are the real first draft. Please leave your edits and corrections in the comments. Chip Kelly was hired by the Philadelphia Eagles exactly one year …
Chip Kelly’s first season in the NFL ended with a field goal – kicked by the New Orleans Saints as time expired in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. It was a rough ending to a great season, and very likely Michael Vick’s last game as an Eagle. No one is happy about the loss, close as it was, but …
It wasn’t easy and it wasn’t pretty, but the Philadelphia Eagles showed a lot of grit and poise in grinding out a 24-22 win against the hated Dallas Cowboys, to advance to the playoffs in Chip Kelly’s first year. Think about that for a second: Chip was never a head coach in his lifetime, until 2009. In the five years …
No one knew how Chip Kelly’s Eagles would respond after an embarrassing 48-30 loss against 3-9 Minnesota. The answer, it turns out, came in the form of stomping the living crap out of the Chicago Bears – a much better team – on national TV. With a minute and a half left in the first period, Philadelphia had 21 points and 149 yards of …