Paratore 1

Tyler Paratore
Professor Kairis
English Composition I
12/8/15
The Rebirth of Chip Kelly
Philadelphia Eagles head coach and general manager Chip Kelly will rise again, as long
as he is given time. Now, Chip Kelly has suffered a lot of criticism over the last few months.
Some of this criticism is warranted, however, almost all of the criticism that people are directing
his way are a result of misunderstanding or impatience. In this article I will explore and explain
why Chip Kelly does not deserve a lot of this criticism and why if given a little bit more time, all
of his critics will be silenced. If given the time he needs Chip will bring the Eagles to new
heights.
First the beginning, when Chip Kelly agreed to leave the Oregon Ducks (the team he
coached in college) and become the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles he already had people
criticizing him. While he was at Oregon they were investigated for breaking an NCAA rule
regarding scouting, Some people believed that Chip Kelly was leaving Oregon after saying
earlier that he was not going to because the NCAA was going to issue sanctions on Oregons
football program. In an article on the Bleacher Report by analyst Michael Tierney, he stated that
Chip Kelly leaving seemed an awful lot like when Pete Carroll left USC partly because of
pending NCAA sanctions and that this has to make you wonder about incoming sanctions on
Oregon (Tierney NP). Chip Kelly had not even coached a single game in the NFL yet and he was
already being criticized by so many, perhaps this is would be foreshadowing for his NFL career?
Now, flash forward to the end of his first season. Chip lead the formerly 4-12 Eagles to a
10-6 record, a playoff berth, and hope for the future. In his first season the Eagles finished fourth

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in the league for points scored, seventeenth for points allowed and ninth for point differential
according to Pro-Football Reference which is a football statistic database (Pro-Football
Reference). It was a very successful season and exceeded the expectations of many. Many
football analysts were picking the Eagles as super bowl contenders for the next season already
and fans were excited to watch Eagles football again for the first time in years.
A lot of this belief stopped however, when the Eagles cut star wide receiver Desean
Jackson on March 29, 2014. This move was not a total surprise by any means but most fans
believed that Jackson would be traded to another team. This was because Jackson was flashy, put
his interests over the teams, and he was becoming a cancer in the locker room. The fact that the
team released him rather than trade him and get something of a little value such as a late round
draft pick or a player in return was something that did not sit well with a lot of fans. This is
where the real criticism of Chip Kelly the coach first began. This criticism, however, was
undeserving because of the circumstances surrounding the release. Before Jackson was released
there were rumors spreading like wildfire that the Eagles were not only considering trading
Desean Jackson but that they were also considering cutting him if they could not find a trade
partner. These rumors did nothing but hurt the Eagles efforts once a team gets an inkling that a
player may be cut there is no need for them to be interested in said player because they could just
sign them later and give up nothing. On top of these rumors crushing Jacksons trade value he
also made a whopping $10.5 million per year on his current contract which plummeted his trade
value even further. This left the Eagles with no choice but to keep him or cut him and at that
point keeping him was not really an option either. Chip Kelly and the Eagles were left with no
choice but to release him.

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The next bout of criticism that was thrown Chip Kellys way was after the 2014 NFL
Draft. In the draft the Eagles had seven total picks and drafted the players that they thought
would impact the team the most. His draft picks were criticized because even though some of the
picks were received as good and at positions of need such as wide receiver Jordan Matthews
others were received as bad such as outside linebacker Marcus Smith. Many believed that the
Marcus Smith pick was bad because they though the Eagles drafted him a lot earlier than he
should have been drafted which may be true but the Eagles thinking was simple. According to
quotes of then general manger Howie Roseman the Eagles had six targets in the first round who
they were interested in trading up to get but when the Buffalo Bills traded up 5 spots and gave up
two first round picks it changed things. The price was too high to trade up and because none of
the targets fell to their pick they traded back. When they picked they went for a position of need
and even though it may have been considered a reach they got a player who they thought would
make a big impact (Kempski N.P.). The plan that they had for the first round was derailed and
they did everything they could to salvage some talent. On top of this they also made some very
good selections with the rest of the picks and every one of the picks they made in that draft is
still on the active roster. That says a lot about the quality of scouting and the quality of picks that
they made in the later rounds of the draft. This helped set the team up for year two.
Now, to start off year two the Eagles were supposed to build off Chips first year and
make a deep run into the playoffs but unfortunately that did not happen. The Eagles had a good
year but it was not great like it was supposed to be. They finished with a 10-6 record like they
did the year before but rather than making the playoffs and winning some games they did not
even make it. They finished third in the league in points scored, twenty second in points against

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and eighth in point differential so it was a very similar season in terms of on the field production
but they missed the playoffs.
After the season, this was the point where Chip Kelly had enough. He did not just want to
have a good team anymore, he wanted a great one. To do that he realized that he had to take risks
and that is exactly what he did. He blew up the roster with trades, cuts, and signings of high
priced free agents. The first of such moves was the trading of all-tie leading rusher and star
running back Lesean McCoy. He traded this player for potential star but oft-injured linebacker
Kiko Alonso. This move was a stunner and something that no one saw coming. Lesean did not
really fit the kind of running back that Chip wanted which was more of a downhill one-cut
runner so he shipped him off. The player they got in exchange for McCoy has the potential to be
a difference maker on the defense if he can stay healthy. This was a very good move when you
consider the circumstances of the trade. The Eagles got a younger, cheaper player who is at a
position where the players often have much longer careers even up to the age of 35, 36, and 37.
All he traded away for this was an aging running back who had a lot of touches, 1,985 total
(Buffalo N.P.) is at a position where his career could be over by the age of 30, and has a huge
contract. The value that Chip got for an aging running back was astonishing and if emotions and
the fact that the fans were still attached to McCoy werent involved, all of them would have been
cheering in the streets after this trade. This move by far was the most surprising and the most
questioned throughout the offseason.
The rest of the moves that Chip made throughout the offseason in preparation for the next
year were lest surprising but had equal if not greater on the field impact. The first of such moves
was when they shipped off starting quarterback Nick Foles and a second round draft pick to the
St. Louis Rams in exchange for former number one overall pick Sam Bradford and a fifth round

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draft pick. This was another trade that although not as surprising as the McCoy trade, sent
massive shockwaves throughout the league. This trade was so surprising because although Nick
Foles did not really look like a franchise quarterback, he was good enough to get them at least a
decent season and maybe even the playoffs. What everyone was thinking is: So why trade him
away? The answer is simple, Nick Foles is a good quarterback but not great and in order for Chip
to build a super bowl contender like he dreamed of he needed a great quarterback so he took a
chance. He took a chance on Sam Bradford a player who coming out of college everyone thought
was going to be a stud. However, due to injuries and a lack of offensive talent on the St. Louis
Rams he never lived up to those expectations. So Chip took a chance on him, he took a chance to
see if Bradford could once again become that player who looked like a franchise center piece, a
player to build your team around and we will have to wait and see if this one works out.
The rest of the moves that Chip made during this offseason were all made during free
agency or at the draft. During free agency Chip made a lot of moves, he brought in a lot of talent
but also let some go. The players he let go included wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, linebacker
Trent Cole, and starting guards Todd Herremans and Evan Mathis. All of these players were
starters in the previous year and they would all have made a big impact this season but they were
let go for one reason: they all wanted a lot of money. Herremans, Mathis, and Cole were all
released because they were aging players making way too much money. Jeremy Maclin wasnt
re-signed because even though he had a big impact on the team, he was not worth the $11 million
per year that the Kansas City Chiefs gave him. After all of these losses you may be thinking, how
could the Eagles still be a good team? The answer to this one lies in the moves Chip made
following these cuts/ lack of re-signing. To start off free agency the Eagles signed big name,
potential star cornerback Byron Maxwell to a long term deal. After that, the Eagles add good

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contributors such as safety Walter Thurmond, and running backs Ryan Mathews and Demarco
Murray in the rest of free agency. To end the offseason, Chip also made some good selections
and got some impact players in the draft. The first three picks Chip made all made an impact and
all have started at some point this season. The pick that really stands out in this draft was third
round linebacker Jordan Hicks, who up until the point where he tore his biceps looked like a star
in the making. How these moves work out during the season will determine how the fan base
views Chip.
Now, flash forward to the current point in the season. The Eagles currently have a 6-7
record and are tied for the division lead. The team is not performing to their expectations but the
season is not lost. The defense has looked very, very good throughout most of the season and a
lot of the time is the only reason why they win games. The moves that Chip made to improve the
defense has paid off in spades. The secondary (cornerbacks and safetys) although still not that
good are drastically improved from last season. The signing of Walter Thurmond to play strong
safety may have been the most important move because he has so far been a game changer. In
fact through week 6, the Eagles had the top rated safety duo in the NFL and Jenkins and
Thurmond were ranked second and fifth overall, respectively (Focus N.P.). What has really held
the Eagles back this season has been the offense. Sam Bradford has looked inconsistent, he
makes some very tough throws look easy but he also has missed a lot of easy throws. On top of
that the run game has not been good either mainly because the offensive line has not looked good
in run blocking. However, even though the Eagles season has not been anywhere near perfect
they are still in the playoff race. They won their last two games and they were against very good
New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills teams. Even after all of the problems and adversity this
Eagles team has been through there is still a lot of reason to be optimistic about the season.

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Bradford and the offense has looked a lot better as of late and has turned the ball over a lot less
and the defense has continued to win them games. This is definitely not how Chip had planned
for the season to go but they can still make the playoffs and like teams have proved before once
you are in, anything can happen.
When Chip Kelly first got to Philly he was greeted with open arms and optimism and
there is no reason that the same should not be happening still. His tenure may not be perfect so
fa, but there has been way more positives then negatives. Even though a lot of people think that
Chip wants to leave and coach another NFL or college team he has repeatedly shown that he has
been committed to Philadelphia and Philadelphia needs to be committed to him. He wants to take
this team from being good to great and that process involves taking risks. Some of that risk may
not have paid off to this point but eventually I think if given time, Chip Kelly will take this team
from good to great and the Eagles will rise again.

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Works Cited
"Buffalo Bills." LeSean McCoy: Career Stats at NFL.com. NFL Network, n.d. Web. 14 Dec.
2015.
Kempski, Jimmy. "Howie Roseman Details the Eagles' First round Strategy."Philly.com.
Philly.com, 9 May 2014. Web. 08 Dec. 2015.
"Top 10 NFL Safeties | Week 6 | Pro Football Focus." ProFootballFocuscom Top 10 Safeties
through Week 6 Comments. Pro Football Focus, n.d. Web. 14 Dec. 2015.
"2013 Philadelphia Eagles Statistics & Players." Pro-Football-Reference.com. Pro-Football
Reference, n.d. Web. 08 Dec. 2015.