Chip Kelly - Pro Football Rumors

NFC East Notes: Cowboys, Eagles, Riley

December 4th, 2015 at 6:50pm CST by Luke Adams

As bad as the Cowboys have been this season, their 3-8 record only puts them two games out of a tie for first place in the NFC East, where no team has more than five wins. As the division’s four teams try to work their way up to .500, let’s round up the latest out of the East….

Within his weekly round-up of notes from across the NFL, Albert Breer of the NFL Network examines the Cowboys‘ search for Tony Romo‘s eventual replacement, suggesting the team will consider targeting a quarterback in this year’s draft.
Breer also spoke to Eagles defensive tackle Fletcher Cox about players-only meeting, with Cox offering the following assessment: “When you start having players-only meetings, that’s when you know things are going south. I’ve been around that before. We aren’t gonna be having any players-only meetings.”
Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie still believes in head coach Chip Kelly and his plan for the team, according to Paul Domowitch of the Philadelphia Daily News, who doesn’t expect Kelly to go anywhere this offseason.
After injuring his foot in practice on Thursday, Washington linebacker Perry Riley will undergo surgery to repair a stress fracture, writes Mike Jones of the Washington Post. Riley, who is coming off his best stretch of the season, is expected to miss three to six weeks, so there’s no guarantee he’ll play again this year.

NFC East Notes: Cowboys, McFadden, Eagles

December 3rd, 2015 at 1:35pm CST by Zachary Links

Despite a 3-8 record, the Cowboys have not been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention and it would be crazy for them to tank, David Moore of The Dallas Morning News writes. The Cowboys are still unlikely to make the playoffs, but coach Jason Garrett would be going against his principles if he were to tank for a higher draft pick, Moore argues. The final games left aren’t about making the playoffs or draft position, he says, but rather they’re about competing at the highest level possible.

Here’s more on the Cowboys and the NFC East:

Babe Laufenberg of The Dallas Morning News envisions the Cowboys‘ backfield consisting of Darren McFadden, Lance Dunbar, and a rookie to be named later in 2016. Still, Dallas will have to wait and see how Dunbar’s knee responds and there is no guarantee that he’ll be 100% next year. There will also be veteran running backs available to Dallas in the offseason.
No matter how Sam Bradford performs over the final five games of the season, the Eagles will have to make a franchise-altering decision at the quarterback position next offseason, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. The Eagles have whiffed on quarterbacks in the past, but sources tell McLane that Kelly did not have complete control over the position in the 2013-14 offseasons. In those offseasons, Kelly and ex-GM Howie Roseman both had to be in agreement on any QB decision. Now, of course, it’s all Kelly’s decision to make.
On Wednesday, Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul said that he would like to finish his career with Big Blue.

NFC East Notes: Cowboys, Manziel, Hardy

December 1st, 2015 at 4:31pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a look at the NFC East:

In a radio interview, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones revealed that quarterback Johnny Manziel was rated among the top 5-6 players on the team’s board, as Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets. Jones’ fondness for Manziel was well documented prior to the 2014 draft. The Browns demoted Manziel to the No. 3 spot on the QB depth chart earlier this season after more questions arose about his off-field behavior. However, with Josh McCown done for the season, Cleveland could conceivably turn to him as its starter rather than Austin Davis, who is penciled in as the No. 2 signal caller.
Many have assumed that Greg Hardy‘s time with the Cowboys is up since he has only 4.5 sacks and Dallas has lost seven of the eight games he’s started. That’s not quite the case, Jean-Jacques Taylor of ESPN.com writes. Hardy will be a free agent at season’s end, but the defensive end is unlikely to get the long-term deal he wants thanks to his reputation. Other teams might choose to steer clear of Hardy altogether, and Taylor theorizes that could pave the way to a reunion between Hardy and the Cowboys. Taylor cautions fans not to be shocked if the Cowboys re-sign Hardy, provided that they can get him on another deal that protects them in the event of an off-the-field issue.
On Monday, Eagles head coach Chip Kelly denied a report that he met recently with USC officials regarding their head coaching job. For his part, offensive tackle Jason Peters says that he didn’t need the reassurance from Kelly, but he did feel that some of the younger players needed to hear it, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. Kelly addressed the rumors with his players first thing in morning and told them that he’ll be staying put as long as the Eagles will have him (link).

NFC Notes: Kelly, Kaepernick, Carter, Packers

November 30th, 2015 at 1:18pm CST by Luke Adams

Responding to a Monday report that suggested he met recently with USC officials, Eagles head coach Chip Kelly adamantly denied that such a meeting took place, telling reporters he has had “no contact” with USC or other colleges, as Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets.

Kelly had made a habit in the past of shooting down this sort of report, even when it’s hard not to believe that the report is true — for instance, he claimed this spring that he hadn’t had trade talks involving any of his players during the first day of the draft. In this case though, I’m inclined to believe that the details of today’s story – that Kelly met with USC officials in Philadelphia on Friday – are off. Still, it seems unlikely that Kelly or his agent have never spoken to anyone from USC at all, even if it was just to politely turn down an inquiry.

In any case, Kelly isn’t going anywhere for now. As we wait to see if he can get the Eagles back on track after a disastrous Thanksgiving loss, let’s check out some others notes out of Philadelphia and the rest of the NFC….

We’ve heard recently that the Eagles‘ struggles this year actually reflect relatively well on former GM Howie Roseman, who lost control of personnel decisions after the 2014 season. According to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports, perception is shifting outside the Eagles’ building as well, with talk around the league suggesting that Roseman could draw interest elsewhere this winter. As Garafolo writes, it’ll be a delicate situation for owner Jeffrey Lurie, who has a good relationship with Roseman and will likely make an effort to keep him if other clubs come calling.
According to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), the 49ers were able to track how much time players spent studying game plans and plays on tablets assigned by the team, and found that Blaine Gabbert studied about four to five times more than Colin Kaepernick did. While Kaepernick’s lack of preparation was an area of concern for the team, players aren’t thrilled with teams’ ability to track their studies, arguing that it may take some players less time than others to learn the same things. According to Cole, there’s a chance the NFLPA could take up the issue with the league.
Having been placed on IR with the designation to return in September, Lions cornerback Alex Carter won’t be activated to the 53-man roster and will remain on IR for the rest of the year, tweets Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com. Carter, selected in the third round by Detroit back in May, will have to wait until 2016 to make his NFL debut.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers admits the Packers need to improve their preparation on offense after losing four of five games, but denied that the club has reached the point where a players-only meeting is required, writes Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. During NBC’s Thanksgiving telecast, Cris Collinsworth alluded to the club holding a players-only meeting, but Rodgers said no such meeting happened.

Coaching Notes: USC, Payton, Fisher, Fins

November 30th, 2015 at 11:19am CST by Luke Adams

It wasn’t an NFL coaching job, but the USC head coaching position was expected to have an impact on the NFL, since a number of the school’s potential candidates were current coaches or coordinators around the league. However, the Trojans announced today (via Twitter) that interim coach Clay Helton will become the team’s permanent head coach going forward, meaning that Chip Kelly and other coaches around the NFL can be crossed off the list.

It sounds like USC did reach out to Kelly to gauge his interest before deciding to move forward with Helton though. According to FootballScoop.com (Twitter link), USC officials met with Kelly last week, but the Eagles head coach prefers to remain in the NFL. Similarly, USC checked in on Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio, who told the Trojans he’s not leaving Oakland, tweets Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News.

Here are a few more coaching-related items from around the league:

Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com believes that the Saints should “go ahead and start sniffing around” for teams that may be interested in giving up a draft pick or two for head coach Sean Payton, since this winter looks like a good time for an overhaul. La Canfora identifies the Browns, Colts, Dolphins, and Titans as teams that might have interest in Payton, and suggests that the draft pick return could be “substantial.”
Having lost four games in a row, Jeff Fisher‘s Rams are in a downward spiral, and Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com believes it’s time for the team to make coaching change at season’s end.
Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (Twitter link) hears that the decision to fire offensive coordinator Bill Lazor was made by Dolphins interim head coach Dan Campbell, who had “shown signs of displeasure” with the offense during the club’s last few games.
The Giants could have taken a commanding lead in the weak NFC East division with a win over Washington on Sunday, but the fact that the team couldn’t get it done puts head coach Tom Coughlin on the hot seat, writes Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News.
Several weeks ago, with his team scuffling along at 2-5, head coach Bill O’Brien didn’t exactly look safe in Houston. Four wins later though, Texans owner Bob McNair is giving O’Brien credit for the team’s success, telling Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, “I think he’s doing a fine job.”

Latest On Chip Kelly, Howie Roseman

November 29th, 2015 at 8:59am CST by Rory Parks

It was not that long ago that Eagles executive vice president of football operations, Howie Roseman, was essentially demoted from general manager and relieved of most of his personnel duties while head coach Chip Kelly was given the reins as de facto GM. Now, however, the tide may be turning in Roseman’s favor. After Philadelphia’s blowout loss on Thanksgiving, Kelly, according to a tweet from Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, was “despondent,” “feeling the heat,” and “considering all options.” Although Kelly remains intent on fixing his team’s struggles, the odds that he remains in Philadelphia beyond this season are growing slimmer with each passing day.

That is not to say that he will definitely not return. After all, he guided his club to 10-6 records in each of his first two years in Philadelphia, and if the team is able to acquire a quarterback that has the skill-set to excel in his offensive system–like Colin Kaepernick, for instance–there is no reason to believe that the Eagles cannot return to the top of the NFC East in 2016. If we were talking simply about Kelly the coach, it would be almost foolish to think that he would not remain with the team next year.

The problem is, Kelly the coach is also Kelly the GM, and as Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com points out, that means that Kelly is fully responsible for what has happened to the Eagles this season, including the predictable struggles of the Sam Bradford-led offense. Bob Ford of The Philadelphia Inquirer notes that Kelly the GM took gambles on players with extensive injury histories who unsurprisingly have missed time with injury, he chose the wrong veteran players to send packing, and per Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer, Kelly’s behavior concerning injured players has left much to be desired.

If Kelly is to leave Philadelphia, voluntarily or otherwise, he would immediately become the most sought-after option among college programs looking for a new head coach, and that may be an increasingly tempting possibility for him. Indeed, Rapoport tweets that USC has reached out to Kelly to express the school’s interest in him, and the Trojans are just one of a number of teams that could be a nice landing spot for the embattled coach (although Rapoport does add that the Titans, who are committed to the quarterback that Kelly tried to draft in May, Marcus Mariota, could make a run at Kelly if he becomes available).

Should Kelly depart, Florio speculates that Roseman could be on the verge of seizing a level of control over the Eagles that he has never had before. After all, as Kelly rightfully has borne the brunt of the blame for his club’s struggles in 2016, Roseman has, by comparison, come out smelling like a rose. Although there are plenty of writers both inside and outside of the Eagles beat who believe Kelly will remain in Philadelphia next year, it would be very easy for owner Jeffrey Lurie to move on from Kelly and restore Roseman to the GM role. Whether that happens or not remains to be seen, but if the Thanksgiving debacle was a harbinger of things to come, Roseman could once again be running the show in Philadelphia in a couple of months.

NFC Notes: Berger, Bucs, Alexander, Eagles

November 28th, 2015 at 10:19am CST by Luke Adams

With starting center John Sullivan sidelined all year for the Vikings, veteran offensive lineman Joe Berger – rated by Pro Football Focus as one of the league’s top centers – has been invaluable for the team, writes Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune. Minnesota prioritized re-signing Berger in the offseason, and he was happy to return to the Vikings, even in a backup role.

Having played every offensive snap for the club this season, Berger is on track to earn an extra $400K in incentives if he continues that pace, and barring an injury, there’s no reason to believe he won’t. Sullivan suffered a setback and underwent another surgical procedure in October, and isn’t expected to return this season, so the center job looks like Berger’s for at least the rest of the year.

Here’s more from around the NFC:

Although he’s facing a four-game suspension for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs, Buccaneers linebacker Kwon Alexander looks likely to play in Sunday’s game against the Colts. Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times notes that the NFL officially notified the team of Alexander’s suspension on Wednesday, giving him five days to appeal the ban, which he’s expected to do. By the time the appeal process plays out, Alexander may end up serving the penalty over the final four games of the regular season, assuming the suspension is upheld.
Buccaneers running back Doug Martin made comments this week suggesting he doesn’t like the idea that he’s having an excellent season because he’s in a contract year. However, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk observes, teams may be wary of a repeat of DeMarco Murray‘s situation, so if Tampa Bay doesn’t franchise Martin or make a competitive offer, “the warning to everyone else will be implied.” For what it’s worth, the Bucs have indicated they want to retain the running back beyond the 2015 season.
If the Eagles decide to replace head coach Chip Kelly before the 2016 season, Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News would be surprised if a new coach could come in and immediately transform the club into a playoff team. Of course, that just means that Kelly the general manager should be getting at least as much criticism as Kelly the coach, since he was responsible for many of the roster decisions that have depleted the club’s talent.
After consecutive 10-6 seasons, Kelly didn’t suddenly becoming a bad coach, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer, who points out that there are Super Bowl-winning coaches that succeeded after flaming out in their previous head coaching jobs. Like Bowen though, McLane questions Kelly as a general manager, writing that Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie will have to decide if replacing Kelly as GM and/or head coach is the answer.

Eagles Notes: Kelly, Murray, Rowe

November 26th, 2015 at 2:30pm CST by Zachary Links

Well, this hasn’t been the best Thanksgiving for the Eagles. As they wrap up their worst performance of the year against the Lions, let’s take a look at some items out of Philly:

An anonymous agent for a starting Eagles player told Matt Lombardo of NJ.com that Chip Kelly has lost the loyalty of his players. “Chip Kelly has lost the team,” said the agent, who requested anonymity because of fear of retribution against his client. “Between the losses and his bull[bleep] methods that aren’t working, I can tell you that the players have tuned him out.” The agent also raised the possibility that at least one player was using an injury to stay off the field, because “he won’t play hurt for Chip.”
That agent wasn’t the only anonymous voice to speak out against the Eagles. Recently, running back DeMarco Murray raised questions when he slid for a first down rather than powering his way further down the field. One player took exception. “Well, when you see DeMarco sliding before getting hit, you tell me – was that giving full effort?” an anonymous Eagle told Bob Brookover of The Inquirer. “You see that [stuff] and it makes you wonder.”
With cornerback Nolan Carroll in the final year of his contract, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes that the Eagles will have to get Eric Rowe up to speed quickly if he is to take over as a primary starter next year. Of course, Rowe didn’t have his best day on Thursday thanks to his matchup with Calvin Johnson.

NFC East Notes: Kelly, Eagles, Hardy

November 25th, 2015 at 8:09pm CST by Zachary Links

This probably isn’t how LaRon Landry figured things would wind up when Washington took him with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft. Earlier this week, the NFL suspended Landry indefinitely for what appears to be a third violation of the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs.

The former sixth overall pick has played in 103 career games with 97 starts over the course of eight seasons. In 2012 while with the Jets, Landry made his first (and, to date, only) Pro Bowl. Now, it’s not clear when or if Landry will play again. Here’s more from the NFC East:

ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter recently appeared on SiriusXM and opined that Chip Kelly’s days as the Eagles‘ head coach may be numbered. Some listeners took that to be fact rather than opinion, and Schefter took exception to that. “I was completely taken aback by the way that was portrayed,” Schefter told 97.5 The Fanatic (via Rob Tornoe of Philly.com). “I never said his days in Philadelphia are numbered. I never said he’s out after this year..I think there’s a question as to whether or not Chip will be back next year. Is that an unfair statement? That’s my belief talking to various people, and we’ll see how it plays out.”
Multiple sources within the Cowboys organization tell Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) consider Thursday night’s contest against the Panthers to be a big test for Greg Hardy. Hardy has had trouble keeping his emotions in check on the field and Dallas has some concern about how he’ll handle himself against his former team. How Hardy handles himself in this game and for the remainder of the season will affect how the Cowboys approach contract talks to keep the defensive end beyond 2015.
Washington quarterback Kirk Cousins told reporters that he hasn’t spend “one second” thinking about his contract situation (video via CSNWashington.com). We learned earlier this week that Washington has had preliminary contract talks the QB. However, there is no real reason for Cousins to sign an extension anytime soon, as the rewards for not doing so outweigh the risks.

NFL Mailbags: Jets, Cowboys, Eagles

November 21st, 2015 at 9:14am CST by Ben Levine

It’s Saturday morning, and that means ESPN.com’s NFL writers are opening their mailbags and answering questions from readers. Let’s take a look at some of the notable answers, including a cameo by Dave Zangaro of CSNPhilly.com…

Rich Cimini believes the Jets should explore the trade market for Sheldon Richardson, if only to “gauge the market.” The defensive tackle is expected to be hit with a lengthy punishment for a personal-conduct violation, and he’s also set to become a free agent following the 2017 season (assuming the Jets pick up his fifth-year option).
Meanwhile, Cimini expects Richardson, Muhammad Wilkerson, and Leonard Williams to all be back with the Jets next season. However, he could envision the team parting ways with nose tackle Damon Harrison.
The Cowboys may want to start rethinking their strategy of signing veterans for their backup quarterback role, writes Todd Archer. Matt Cassell and Brandon Weeden have combined to go 0-7 this season, and the writer is confident a first-year player could still succeed (or at least gain some invaluable experience) by playing behind Dallas’ intimidating offensive line.
While the Cowboys coaches should be held accountable for the lost season, Archer believes a good portion of the staff will return, including Jason Garrett, offensive coordinator Scott Linehan and defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli.
Zangaro anticipates the Eagles pursuing a young quarterback this offseason who better meshes with coach Chip Kelly‘s offensive system. Still, the writer believes it’s worth having at least one of Mark Sanchez or Sam Bradford on the roster, regardless of the changes.