Chip Kelly Situation in Philadephia

Anyone else watching the Chip Kelly situation in Philly. There is a power struggle with Howie Roseman the GM.

http://www.philly.com/philly/sports..._Kelly_getting_along_with_Howie_Roseman_.html

Is Chip Kelly getting along with Howie Roseman?
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Chip Kelly watches from the sidelines against the Redskins. (Geoff Burke/USA Today)

JEFF MCLANE, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
POSTED: Tuesday, December 30, 2014, 1:08 AM

Howie Roseman "does an outstanding job" in managing the salary cap. Tom Gamble is a "heck of a football guy."

You don't need to read between the lines to know how Chip Kelly views the Eagles' top two personnel executives.

Roseman has spent the last decade - five years as general manager - working to establish his credentials as a "football guy" after not coming up the scouting ranks in the traditional manner and transitioning over from the business side of operations. And Kelly effectively put him back in that box when he was asked Monday about his involvement in player contracts.

"That's not my strength," Kelly said. "I understand it, but that's really what [Roseman] does an outstanding job of. I think since I've been here, one of the attractive things about this job, there are not cap issues. You don't look at it and go, 'Oh, my God. We're going to have to cut 12 players because we're going to be $40 million over the cap.'

Will Nick Foles be the Eagles’ quarterback for years to come?

Yes.
No.
Let’s just worry about 2015.


"He does an outstanding job of that. That's his training."

That's his training.

Never in two years has Kelly mentioned Roseman's bona fides as an evaluator of talent, even though the 39-year-old was chiefly responsible for the 2012 draft - one of the Eagles' best in recent memory.

Gamble, meanwhile, continues to be mentioned as a candidate for general manager openings. If Jim Harbaugh had taken the Raiders or Bears jobs instead of heading back to his alma mater at Michigan, there was wide speculation that he would nab the Eagles vice president of player personnel as his GM.

He could be up for other vacancies, but Gamble, the son of former Eagles GM Harry Gamble and a 25-year scouting veteran, is likely to stay put as Roseman's second-in-command.

"I think Tom does an outstanding job, and if he has the opportunity to do that, then I would support him in anything," Kelly said. "And, if I can give him any help in that situation, I would. But he's a heck of a football guy."

The Eagles hired Gamble away from the 49ers two years ago and less than a month after Kelly - who was instrumental in the process - was named head coach. Kelly has talked about their shared history, stretching back to when Gamble would scout the Northeast and Kelly was at New Hampshire.

Asked Monday about his working relationship with Roseman, Kelly offered a one-word answer:

"Good."

Roseman declined to answer questions after his final radio show of the season at Chickie's & Pete's in South Philadelphia.

Immediately after the season finale Sunday against the Giants, Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie was asked about increased speculation that there was friction between Kelly and Roseman.

"I see two really valued executives - Chip and Howie," Lurie said. "Add [team president] Don Smolenski to that. These are three obsessed-to-being-good executives. They have different roles. They cross over at different points.

"But I think you know me - I like to surround myself with not 'yes men,' but strong, opinionated people that are really dedicated to making us really good. And that's what those three do."

Smolenski does not have a role in football operations, though. Kelly only has crossover with Roseman, and if they still have a normal coach-GM relationship, it should intersect countless times during an offseason that began a week earlier than last year.

Kelly said as much last year at this time, his tone a decidedly different one.

"I think Howie and his personnel department do a great job," Kelly said then. He added: "There's a great collaboration in terms of what we're bringing in here."

Lurie gave Roseman a resounding endorsement on Sunday and seemed genuinely surprised when questioned about his future as Eagles GM. Roseman's contract details are unknown, but he signed a four- or five-year extension after the 2011 season. Kelly has three years left on his five-year deal.

Whether there is any acrimony between the two or not, Lurie needs his coach and GM to have a functional partnership. The 49ers parted ways with Harbaugh partly because of his tumultuous relationship with GM Trent Baalke, even though they won nearly 70 percent of their games during a four-year run.

Baalke had final say in football matters. While Kelly has stated his domain over the in-season 53-man roster, it is unclear who ultimately wields the hammer when a decision needs to be made in free agency or the draft.

In October, there was a report that the Eagles had interest in Buccaneers receiver Vincent Jackson. Jeremy Maclin went to Kelly to ask how it affected him, and the coach told the receiver that decisions aren't made without his approval, according to two sources familiar with the conversation.

But there has to be collaboration in the offseason, even if Kelly and his coaching staff have more or as much involvement in player assessments.

"I'm in charge of the roster in terms of who our 53 are, so I have to weigh in on that," Kelly said Monday. "But I also know there are other factors, salary cap, money, and the numbers, and all those other things. But I have to tell them who I want and who I don't want."

Kelly wanted DeSean Jackson off the team last offseason and got what he wanted. Lurie said the coach spearheaded the move. And while Roseman said he was on board, he was the one left trying to trade a Pro Bowl player in his prime with a large contract and ultimately had to settle for releasing Jackson without getting anything in return except a $6 million salary-cap hit.

Kelly appeared to have as much influence over the other moves made this past offseason, particularly in the draft, when two of the seven selections were prospects who had played for him at Oregon. The overall class, including top-pick linebacker Marcus Smith, did not have a promising rookie year.

Whatever Kelly thinks of Roseman, the GM apparently isn't going anywhere. It's difficult to have two alpha dogs in any partnership, but Lurie needs his coach and GM to coexist in this most pivotal of offseasons.


Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/sports..._with_Howie_Roseman_.html#ZXAx8lz0JPuR4loP.99


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Kelly has no plans to leave Eagles


By ROB MAADDI (AP Pro Football Writer)December 29, 2014 6:24 PMAP - Sports




PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Chip Kelly's honeymoon period in Philadelphia ended when the Eagles collapsed in December and were eliminated from the playoff race before Week 17.




Don't expect Kelly to skip town now that the heat's on.

''I love it,'' Kelly said Monday when asked how much he liked coaching in the NFL. ''You've got to get with a bunch of people that think the way you think and have the same vision that you have. I can't thank our players enough. I've said it a million times and I'll continue to do it. We have a great bunch of guys here, and I love our coaching staff, and I really enjoy it a lot.''

Kelly was the talk of the town last year when he arrived from Oregon and led the Eagles to the NFC East title after a 4-12 finish in 2012. He had fans in the palm of his hand this year after the Eagles whipped Dallas on the road on Thanksgiving to improve to 9-3.

But three straight losses knocked Philadelphia out of first place and out of the playoffs. That makes 54 years without a championship for the Eagles (10-6).

Now, Kelly has come under scrutiny for everything from his playcalling to his personnel decisions. So some have wondered if he'll jump ship and head back to college.

Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly, left, and New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin, right, …
''I don't deal with hypotheticals,'' he said. ''When you get two sources that say I'm going to a school, write the story.''

Kelly made it clear he's happy where he is right now - except for missing the playoffs.

''I think it's drastically a different game,'' Kelly said, comparing the NFL to college football. ''It's a different setup. It's a different work day. It's a different everything. But the chance to compete and to play at this level is extremely intriguing to me because every single game, no matter who you play, when you play it, where you play it, you have no idea if you're going to win or lose. I think that's a tough deal when you really look at it.

''But in college, it's not that way. There are going to be games no matter what you do, you go into it and you're a 35-point favorite and you're thinking about playing your thirds and fourths and how you develop your depth. But in this league, every single game, no matter who it is, it's a battle. If you're a competitor and you love competition, there is no better place in any league.''

Kelly wouldn't commit to much in his final news conference of the season. He said he wants four-time Pro Bowl running back LeSean McCoy back and hopes wide receiver Jeremy Maclin returns after a career year. He wouldn't say Nick Foles is his starting quarterback and left mostly everything up in the air.

Philadelphia Eagles' Nate Allen (29) returns an interception as teammate Connor Barwin (98) bloc …
Kelly did say he's not planning any changes on his coaching staff, though he won't prevent anyone from taking a job somewhere else. That means defensive coordinator Billy Davis is safe despite his unit's struggles.

''I thought Billy did a really good job,'' Kelly said. ''I thought our defense improved in a lot of categories. There are still things we need to clean up.''

After the Eagles lost a home game to New Orleans in the first round of the playoffs last year, Kelly gave himself a grade of 58.8 percent - the team's winning percentage - for his rookie season.

As for this year?

''You're all measured by one thing: Did you win a Super Bowl or did you not win a Super Bowl? So, we didn't make the playoffs and don't have an opportunity to compete for the Super Bowl,'' he said.

---

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org

 

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Chip Kelly Is Losing A Power Struggle With The Eagles GM, And It's Starting To Look Like A Jim Harbaugh Situation

By Tony Manfred1 hour ago

AP The Philadelphia Eagles are the latest NFL team to have a power struggle between their coach and their general manager.


According to widespread reports, the relationship between coach Chip Kelly and GM Howie Roseman has deteriorated.

On New Year's Eve the team fired player personnel executive Tom Gamble. Kelly and Gamble reportedly had a close relationship. According to Mark Eckel of NJ.com, it was thought that the Kelly-Gamble alliance would try to force out Roseman:

During the season, Kelly joined Gamble on scouting trips and the alliance created tension in the front office. Some speculated that Kelly — a popular head coach with a massive contract — and Gamble would team to force out Roseman, and Gamble would be elevated to general manager.

Instead Gamble was escorted from the team's facility on Wednesday.

The Philadelphia media painted it as a massive win for Roseman in the power struggle.

One source told CSN Philly that owner Jeffrey Lurie saw Roseman as a "messiah," and beat writer Geoff Mosher wrote: "Given the bond between Kelly and Gamble and the tensions between Kelly and Roseman, it's fair to wonder if Kelly will stick around for the long haul, even after telling reporters on Monday that he loved coaching in the NFL and his job with the Eagles."

According to Eckel, the Kelly-Roseman tension increased Monday when Kelly narrowly painted the GM as just a salary-cap manager in a news conference. The quote:

I understand [the salary cap], but that's really what [Roseman] does an outstanding job of. I think since I've been here, one of the attractive things about this job, there are not cap issues. You don't look at it and go, 'Oh, my God. We're going to have to cut 12 players because we're going to be $40 million over the cap.' He does an outstanding job of that. That's his training."

That quote "infuriated" Roseman, Eckel says.

As Philly.com's Jeff McLane notes, Kelly has never praised Roseman's football knowledge since he joined the team.

We've seen power struggles like this cost coaches their jobs around the NFL over the past few weeks. The most obvious comparison is Jim Harbaugh, whose relationship with San Francisco 49ers GM Trent Baalke and owner Jed York turned so sour that the team tried to trade him, and thenallowed him to leave despite remarkable success during his four-year tenure. We also saw it in Buffalo, where coach Doug Marrone opted out of his contract after his relationship with GM Doug Whaley had "fallen apart."

There's always going to be a natural tension between these two jobs. When asked about the Kelly-Roseman dynamic in November, Lurie said a little combativeness in the front office could be a good thing:

I see two really valued executives, Chip and Howie. Add [team president] Don Smolenski to that. These are three obsessed-to-being-good executives. They have different roles. They cross over at different points. But I think you know me. I like to surround myself with — not yes-men, but strong, opinionated people that are really dedicated to making us really good. That's what those three do. I couldn't be more proud of all three.

But as we've seen in San Francisco and Buffalo, there's a fine line there. Even if a coach has been successful — and Kelly has in his first two seasons — he can be out the door if the relationship with the front office collapses.

 

IF he were here, I could see him pushing to package a deal to the Bucs to get Mariota. Moving up from 6 to 1 is much more realistic than from where the Eagles are now

 

I don't either. I was just saying that I could see him trying. But, wouldn't it be awesome to have Kelly and see him try?!

 

Yep. He'll be gone next year and we'll be one year into breaking in a new coach.

 

Keeping fingers crossed even though I know it would never happen. But it sure would shake up the NFL landscape.