That team is long gone.
T.O. went to Big D and burnt out, McNabb went to We're-Not-Racist-Skins and burnt out, Andy Reid has revitalized Kansas City, Brian Dawkins retired *sniff*, Michael Vick killed some dogs then rebirthed his career in Philly then left, DJax burst onto the scene and gave us the Miracle at the Meadowlands II then took off for the Skins, Shady McCoy rocked our world then was traded to Buffalo, and Nick Foles did really well then not really well and now he's a Ram.
The latter three of those changes can be attributed to Chip Kelly, Reid's esoteric successor. In addition to those personnel changes over the last two and a half years, Kelly has dumped another young receiver in Jeremy Maclin, signed DeMarco Murray from Little D, traded for Kiki Alonso and Sam Bradford, and, oh yeah, implemented a fast-paced offense and way of practicing that keeps players in tremendous shape and lights up the scoreboard like Vegas. But with so many major alterations after the first offseason where Chip was handed complete power over personnel, the question remains: does he even know what he's doing?
 |
| In Chip We Trust (?) |
Sometimes I feel like Kelly is one of us, the fans, or an avid Madden franchise mode player: wheeling and dealing, having fun shaping the roster as his own even if it means destroying a perfectly good one. I do NOT buy into McCoy's allegations that Kelly is getting rid of the "good black players", but I do questions his dealings at times. Both DeSean Jackson and Maclin worked extremely well in his offense, so I don't understand why he let them go, besides money. I understand McCoy because his playing style didn't fit, and based on the way he's been running his mouth since he left, I feel like they had a toxic relationship that would've affected the locker room.
But now that I've seen the final results of the offseason - free agency, draft and all - I can say that I see Chip's plan coming together. We lost McCoy but gained Murray, last year's NFL rushing leader and a one-cut running back made perfect for Kelly's system. In addition, we got a great young linebacker in Alonso (if he can stay healthy and recreate his rookie season) and a terrific RB2 in Ryan Mathews, former Charger starter and a similar runner to Murray, so we can lessen Murray's workload (especially after nearly carrying the ball 400 times last season and given his injury history) without missing a beat. We've now lost both Jackson and Maclin at WR, but have kept Brett Celek at TE while adding the explosive Zach Ertz, gotten some young talent with Jordan Matthews (who I expect to explode this year) and rookie Nelson Agholor at WR, and retained reliable Riley Cooper while adding veteran Miles Austin (thanks again, Dallas!). Our offensive line has never been better, with All-Pro Jason Peters and Lane Johnson (OU represent) anchoring the tackles, Pro-Bowler Evan Mathis teaming with Andrew Gardner at guard, and Jason Kelce locking down the center position. Our quarterbacks are shaky at best, but we know Mark Sanchez can do well (but always choke in the end, unsurprisingly) and Sam Bradford (former OU teammate of Johnson's) will be perfect for the system if he can get healthy and stay that way (expect LOTS of quick passes this year).
When you look at the defensive side of the ball, the front seven remains intact, showing that Kelly can and will keep a great group together, if not augment it. Pro-Bowlers Fletcher Cox, Connor Barwin and Trent Cole are ready to rip through the offensive line, NT Bennie Logan has nowhere to go but up after a terrific 2014, then Cedric Thornton and Mychal Kendricks are great athletes who should continue to do well. With the return of DeMeco Ryans and addition of Alonso at linebacker with Brandon Graham and Marcus Smith ready to rotate in, this is one electrifying group. However, we all know that defensive back was Philly's Achilles' last year, and so Chip wisely allocated more funds to this group by ejecting corners Bradley Fletcher and Cary Williams while bringing in former Legion of Boomers Walter Thurmond and Byron Maxwell. First-round rookie Eric Rowe should be ready to roll across from Maxwell, instantly transforming cornerback from an area of weakness into an area of strength. Malcom Jenkins performed tremendously at free safety last year, and should continue to lock that position down while Earl Wolff or someone fills in at strong safety. Looking at the entire team, SS is the only position that concerns me besides quarterback (which can be covered by Chip's system), so that's a plus.
The knee-jerk reaction to Kelly's flurry of action this offseason is to panic and wonder what the Chip is Kelly up to?! But by stepping back and looking at the big picture, we can see that all positions remained unchanged (QB, TE, OL, DL, kickers) or improved (RB, LB, DB), with the exception of a depleted receiving corps, which has a lot of young talent that should make the loss unnoticed within two years (maybe even less due to Kelly's system augmentation of talent at quarterback and receiver). So while I still wonder aloud whether the Eagles have improved or not since Reid's departure, for now I will trust that Chip knows what he's doing, and perhaps will lead us to that oh-so-desired Super Bowl trophy that Philadelphia has been begging for years for.
