Chip Kelly - Pro Football Rumors

NFC Notes: Packers, Saints, Eagles

November 15th, 2015 at 9:31pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

A look around the NFC. . .

Although the Packers’ offense is slumping, head coach Mike McCarthy said after Sunday’s 18-16 loss to Detroit that he won’t take play-calling duties away from coordinator Tom Clements. “I like the way our staff works, and I like the way they work with our players,” McCarthy stated, per ESPN’s Jason Wilde. McCarthy called Green Bay’s offensive plays from 2006-14 before deciding to give the role to Clements this year.
The 4-6 Saints are entering their bye week, and Larry Holder of NOLA.com writes that it’s the perfect time for head coach Sean Payton to fire defensive coordinator Rob Ryan and give Ryan’s job to defensive assistant Dennis Allen. Payton brought in Allen after Ryan’s defense finished 31st in the league last season. Led by Ryan, the Saints have allowed 130 points over the last three weeks – including 47 in an embarrassing defeat in Washington on Sunday. Afterward, Payton said that “we’re not going to discuss any of those types of changes, certainly not right now.”
While Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford hasn’t been particularly good this year, Mike Sielski of the Philadelphia Inquirer submits that Sunday’s output by backup Mark Sanchez was a prime example of why nobody should call for Sanchez to take over the starting job. After an injured Bradford left the Eagles’ game against Miami with Philadelphia leading 16-13, Sanchez came in and failed to help the team to victory – even throwing a costly interception – in a 20-19 defeat. The season’s on the brink for the 4-5 Eagles, and Sielski doesn’t expect their playoff chances to stay alive for long if Bradford misses time and Sanchez has to be the No. 1 signal caller.
Jeff McLane of the Inquirer believes that Eagles head coach and football czar Chip Kelly‘s decision to trade for Bradford in the offseason was a worthy gamble. However, Kelly could be done in by his failure to surround Bradford with a sturdier offensive line and better receivers, McLane opines.

Latest On Chip Kelly, Sean Payton

October 18th, 2015 at 11:52am CST by Rory Parks

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com created something of a stir this morning when he reported that Chip Kelly and Sean Payton are “among those who will be considered” for the head coaching vacancy at the University of Southern California (link via NFL.com’s Kevin Patra). Of course, just because USC is interested in a particular head coach does not mean that the interest is mutual; indeed, the University of Maryland is expected to make a run at Kelly, but no one actually expects Kelly to be on the Terrapins’ sideline next year. Plus, even if there is mutual interest, there are a whole host of contractual and other obstacles that both parties would need to clear.

Nonetheless, given recent reports that Payton would listen to other suitors, and given the Eagles’ struggles in 2015 under Kelly’s watch–not to mention Kelly’s excellent track record at the college level–the rumors connecting both high-profile coaches to one of the most prestigious college football programs are inevitable. As Rapoport points out, Payton’s daughter attends college at Pepperdine University, roughly 30 minutes away from USC, and Jeff Duncan of The Times-Picayune concedes (via Twitter) that if Payton is ready to move on from the Saints, USC makes a great deal of sense for him. Furthermore, a move to college would not require that compensation be paid to the Saints, whereas New Orleans would be in line for compensation if Payton were to move to another NFL club.

A source close to Kelly, meanwhile, says that the Eagles’ head coach “really likes to be liked and wanted,” which may explain at least some of his reported interest in the USC job. After all, as ESPN’s Adam Caplan tweets, Kelly recently purchased a home in the Philadelphia area, and while that may not be overly significant in and of itself, Caplan opines in a separate tweet that Kelly is not thinking of anything but coaching the Eagles for the next several seasons. Les Bowen of The Philadelphia Daily News concurs in a series of his own tweets, in which he takes a not-so-subtle dig at the reports connecting Kelly to the USC position.

John Harbaugh has recently been mentioned as a candidate for the USC job as well, but he predictably and definitively shot down those reports. Moving forward, though, expect plenty of rumors connecting NFL head coaches to USC, and because of his apparent openness to a new opportunity, expect even more rumors about Payton.

NFC Notes: Chip, Payton, Caldwell, RGIII

October 16th, 2015 at 5:46pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Before joining the Eagles in 2013, Chip Kelly was one of college football’s premier head coaches. Kelly led Oregon to a 46-7 record and three top five finishes from 2009-12, but his reign in Philadelphia hasn’t gone as well – particularly since he took control of the roster last offseason. Thus, some are wondering whether he’ll return to the college ranks – specifically to USC, a high-profile program on the hunt for a new head coach. If you’re to believe Kelly, it’s not going to happen, and neither he nor his Eagles players are fazed by the speculation, writes Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

“We know that he’s fully invested in this program,” said tight end Zach Ertz. “He’s changed so much of the culture here; we know he wants to ride this thing out, and at the end of the day, hopefully, win a Super Bowl.”

Added Kelly, who denied having any contact with USC: “I know you have an obligation, and I understand that it’s going to happen (when) we’re not successful and we’re not winning – I came from college, (therefore) I’m going to go back to college. I hope someday to be like (Giants coach Tom) Coughlin and win enough games where I can stay around . . . without speculation.”

Here’s more from around the NFC:

Not surprisingly, the Saints’ unimpressive roster, less-than-ideal cap situation, and the appeal of some potentially vacant head coaching positions after this season could lead to Sean Payton‘s departure from New Orleans, per Albert Breer of NFL.com.
Although he helped lead the Lions to an 11-5 finish and a playoff berth last year, this season’s 0-5 start combined with the ownership structure in Detroit could spell bad news for head coach Jim Caldwell, according to Breer. William Clay Ford and William Clay Ford, Jr. were responsible for hiring Caldwell in 2014. The elder of the two has since passed away, and the younger has relinquished much of the control over the team to his mother, Martha. The fate of Caldwell and general manager Martin Mayhew lies in her hands, and she could elect to make a change.
Washington has no shortage of injuries as it prepares for its game against the Jets this weekend. That means third-string quarterback and 2012 Offensive Rookie of the Year Robert Griffin III might dress for the first time this season, ESPN’s John Keim reports (via Twitter). Of course, with both Kirk Cousins and Colt McCoy ahead of Griffin on the depth chart, it’s highly unlikely he’ll see action.
Saints offensive tackle Andrus Peat suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain in the team’s 31-21 win over Atlanta on Thursday, according to Rand Getlin of the NFL Network (Twitter link). Per Getlin, Peat won’t need surgery, but he’ll miss approximately four weeks. The rookie first-rounder has appeared in all six of the Saints’ games this year, starting three.

NFC East Notes: Kelly, Giants, USC, Cowboys

October 15th, 2015 at 2:50pm CST by Zachary Links

The Eagles are 2-3 and Southern Cal just fired coach Steve Sarksian. Naturally, people have started connecting Chip Kelly, who was a successful coach with Oregon, to the Trojans. At a Thursday morning press conference, Kelly did his best to quiet down that talk. Kelly said that no one from USC, or any college, has contacted him about its head coaching opening, as Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. Kelly went on to say that he hopes to reach a level of success like Giants coach Tom Coughlin so that he doesn’t have to answer questions about returning to college football.

Here’s more out of the NFC East..

Giants cornerback Prince Amukamara will be out for 2-4 weeks with a partial pectoral tear, Coughlin told reporters (via the Giants on Twitter).
Former Colts/Dolphins/Raiders linebacker Philip Wheeler was among those working out for the Giants on Wednesday, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter). Over the course of his seven-year career, he has played in 108 games (60 starts). Overall, he has registered 455 tackles, 5.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. In 2013 with the Dolphins, he led the team with a career-high 118 tackles. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) rated Wheeler as the 18th best outside linebacker in a 3-4 set last season, giving him an overall grade of 2.6.
The Giants also worked out defensive backs Brandon McGee, Garry Peters, Greg Reid, and Dax Swanson this week, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com tweets. Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (on Twitter) adds wide receiver A.J. Jenkins of Illinois to that list.
Cowboys special teams coach Rich Bisaccia could have interest in the South Carolina job recently vacated by Steve Spurrier, as Charean Williams of the Star-Telegram writes.

NFC East Notes: Cassel, Cowboys, Kelly

October 9th, 2015 at 6:05pm CST by Rob DiRe

The NFC East is in flux right now, with the Cowboys, Giants, and Washington all sitting at 2-2 and the Eagles only a game behind at 1-3. Here are a few notes as we get ready for Week 5:

The Cowboys have activated Matt Cassel to be the primary backup behind Brandon Weeden, according to ESPN.com. Kellen Moore had previously been the backup as Cassel learned the offense, and will drop to the No. 3 quarterback for this Sunday’s game against the Patriots.
The Cowboys have only 52 players on their roster at the moment and David Moore of The Dallas Morning News expects them to promote either defensive end Lavar Edwards or wide receiver Vince Mayle from the practice squad to fill out that final spot (via Twitter).
In college news, USC lost to Washington at home despite being a huge favorite, leading to rumors that the Trojans could be in the market for a new head coach, and Eagles’ head coach Chip Kelly could be a target, according to Pete Thamel of Sports Illustrated. This was a huge defeat considering head coach Steve Sarkisian’s ugly start at the school, which was also considering Chris Petersen, who instead was hired in Washington. The loss has begun speculation of Sarkisian being replaced at Southern Cal, and one name the school would be extremely interested in Kelly, who they were interested in before he left for the NFL.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Extra Points: Browns, Bears, Rex, Eagles

October 4th, 2015 at 9:17pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Browns wideout Dwayne Bowe signed for $9MM guaranteed during the offseason and was expected to upgrade a receiving corps in desperate need of help. That didn’t happen through the first three weeks of the season, though, as the former Pro Bowler went without a catch in the opener and then missed the next two games because of a strained hamstring. Nevertheless, the ninth-year man entered Sunday’s game against San Diego brimming with confidence.

“I can’t wait to go out there and showcase my talent and be a ringleader for the guys and go out there and bring home a win,” Bowe said, per Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer.

Bowe got back on the field in Week 4, but he once again failed to catch a pass. Quarterback Josh McCown, who completed passes to eight different teammates, targeted Bowe just once. The Browns lost, 30-27.

Here’s more on the Browns and a few of their counterparts from around the NFL:

After the Bears dealt linebacker Jared Allen to Carolina earlier this week, fellow LB Willie Young asked Chicago for a trade, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. Young played defensive end in the Bears’ 4-3 scheme last year and had 10 sacks. They switched to a 3-4 this season, forcing him to shift to linebacker, and he’s currently without a sack. Young doesn’t believe he’s a fit for the Bears’ defense anymore, and if the team agrees, Florio writes that it should grant his request and send him elsewhere.
The Bills turned in a horrendous performance in their 24-10 loss to the Giants on Sunday, especially with respect to discipline. Their 17 penalties gives them 57 for the year, the most any team has had through the first four weeks of the season since 2005, per ESPN’s Mike Rodak. Head coach Rex Ryan wasn’t upset with his team, however. Contrarily, he said he was “proud” of how the Bills played. “Can you play a lot smarter? Absolutely,” Ryan continued. “But I’ll take a team that can fight over a team that won’t — that will sit back and take it — any day of the week. And bring on the next team.”
Much of the dialogue regarding the Browns this year has centered on the quarterback position – whether they should start McCown or Johnny Manziel. That shouldn’t be the case after Week 4, writes Bud Shaw of the Northeast Ohio Media Group. Shaw believes McCown’s sensational Sunday output (32 of 41 for 356 yards and two touchdowns) should be enough for him to keep the No. 1 job going forward. A better performance from Cleveland’s defense, which allowed 438 total yards (358 passing), could’ve helped earn the team a win and improve to 2-2 instead of drop to 1-3.
The Eagles’ Chip Kelly was a successful coach during his first two NFL seasons, leading the team to back-to-back double-digit-win seasons and a playoff berth. Now, after the Eagles gave him full control over their roster, Kelly looks like both a coach unable to adjust to how other clubs are game planning against Philly and a football czar who built a highly flawed team, opines Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report.
Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson suffered a left knee injury during their 23-20 loss to Washington on Sunday and will have an MRI on Monday. Johnson said he re-injured his MCL, and Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer speculates that it’s a sprain (Twitter link).

Extra Points: Forte, Chip, Norman, Ivory, 49ers

September 27th, 2015 at 9:45pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Bears’ 26-0 loss in Seattle on Sunday was their second straight blowout defeat – one that dropped them to 0-3 for the season. They’ve been outscored 105-46 this year and longtime Bears running back Matt Forte seemed to question his teammates’ commitment after their latest loss.

“It’s a question right now if everybody’s all in,” Forte said, according to Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times (Twitter link).

For his part, it looks as though Forte is “all in” this season, a rare bright spot on a lousy team. The 29-year-old added 74 rushing yards Sunday, giving him 202 on a terrific 5.2 per-carry average.

Eagles Notes: Bradford, O-line, Alonso

September 27th, 2015 at 11:10am CST by Rory Parks

The Eagles will look to avoid an 0-3 start when they square off this afternoon against the Jets, who are looking to open the season 3-0. Much has been made of the Eagles’ disappointing start to the 2015 campaign, and Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer points to the run game as the biggest culprit. Head coach Chip Kelly‘s play designs are not nearly as effective without a “read” option–i.e., a quarterback who can run the ball–and Sam Bradford is not a threat to run. The offense has also lost some of its unpredictability, as package plays, which involve run and pass options that are decided post-snap, have been limited due to Bradford’s immobility. Bradford remains the starter for now, but one has to wonder how much longer he will last under center in Philadelphia if the team’s allegedly high-powered offense continues to struggle.

Now let’s have a look at a few more Eagles links:

Bob Ford of The Philadelphia Inquirer examines another flaw in Bradford’s game, which was well-publicized during his time in St. Louis: his inability to throw the deep ball. The Eagles continue to insist the problem is not Bradford, but the running game, but as McLane pointed out above, the running game is struggling at least in part because of Bradford. When combined with the tendency of teams quarterbacked by Bradford to fall behind early in games, Philadelphia may be privately grateful that Bradford was unwilling to engage in serious talks about a long-term deal this offseason.
Of course, not all of the Eagles’ offensive woes can be pinned on its quarterback. As Zach Berman of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes, the offensive line deserves its share of the blame. Kelly, who let go of two longtime starters along the O-line and did little to add depth during the offseason, is not making any lineup changes, so the unit will be given the opportunity to prove that it can produce. Through two games, Philadelphia has gained just 70 yards on the ground, the fewest in the league.
Kiko Alonso is expected to see Dr. James Andrews this week to get a second opinion on his torn ACL, according to Les Bowen of The Philadelphia Daily News (via Twitter). That visit will likely entail a second MRI.
All is not lost for the Eagles, says Bob Brookover of The Philadelphia Inquirer. The NFC East is up for grabs this year, so if Philadelphia can sort out its run game, there is no reason the team cannot still emerge with the division crown in 2015.

Chip Kelly On Loss, Start Of Eagles’ Season

September 20th, 2015 at 8:08pm CST by Rob DiRe

After a horrible loss to the Cowboys, in which the Eagles rushed for seven yards on 17 carries, Chip Kelly took to the podium to address the media about the team’s slow start.

“I dont think any of our running backs had a chance,” said Kelly, according to John Clark of CSN Philly (via Twitter). Kelly in that way is putting a lot of the blame on his new offensive line, saying the offensive line “just didn’t block them,” (via Twitter).

“I don’t think the running backs even really had time to assess if there was a hole,” Kelly said, according to Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter). It was those struggles that led Kelly and the Eagles’ offense to try to throw the ball into the endzone from the three-yard line (via Twitter). “We weren’t moving their defensive line, so we probably had to throw it in,” said Kelly. “We let a really good defensive effort go for naught because we didn’t do what we needed to do offensively.”

“We need to stick together as a team and get this figured out,” Kelly told his team, according to Clark (via Twitter).

Kelly also reminded the media, “We were here two years ago…and then we went 7-1 down the stretch,” according to Berman (via Twitter).

With a trip to New Jersey to face the ferocious Jets defense, the Eagles have a big challenge ahead of them, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News notes (via Twitter). “We better show up this week,” said Kelly. “Because it’s not going to get any easier.”

Kelly, who is not only the coach but has the final say on roster decisions for the Eagles, was asked if he thought too many playmakers were traded or signed away in free agency this offseason, to which he predictably disagreed, writes Jeff Skversky of WPVI-TV Philadelphia (via Twitter). The team lost Jeremy Maclin to free agency, cut guards Evan Mathis and Todd Herremans, and traded both Nick Foles and LeSean McCoy.

The most important thing Kelly said was that everyone will be evaluated, including the coaches and quarterback, according to Matt Mullin of The Philly Voice (via Twitter). That could open the door for a change from Sam Bradford to Mark Sanchez at some point if the offense continues to struggle.

East Notes: Wayne, Brown, Tebow

September 5th, 2015 at 10:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

Bill Belichick and Reggie Wayne agreed to mutually part company when the Patriots officially released the wide receiver they employed for not even two weeks, according to Ryan Hannable of WEEI.com.

Another reason for Wayne’s abrupt departure amid the Patriots’ injury struggles at the position could stem from the wideout’s lack of enjoyment in the Pats’ environment, per team radio analyst, Scott Zolak (on Twitter).

A source told Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk the the Patriots like to bring in veterans and let them learn the system to a degree, so even in the event they are cut, they could potentially fill a need later in the season if help is needed. Florio offers that Wayne might not be willing to follow in this path.

Two months shy of 37, Wayne’s beginning to sound like he’s on the way out, with a source telling Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link) the potential Hall of Fame wideout is willing to return but only in the right situation. But then again, not many veterans this far into their careers like to join up with losing franchises, so Wayne not jumping at just any chance to play makes sense.

Here are some other notes from the Eastern divisions as cut day closes.

Chip Kelly told Tim Tebow to hone his craft in Canada when the third-year Eagles coach cut the polarizing quarterback today, reports Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer (on Twitter). Tebow has previously rebuffed such opportunities, but Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com notes (on Twitter) the Toronto Argonauts hold Tebow’s CFL rights, have spoken with him before and happen to be on a bye week presently.
The Bills may not be done reshuffling their backfield. They’ve had discussions of trading Bryce Brown, Albert Breer of NFL.com tweets. Buffalo GM Doug Whaley surrendered a fourth-round pick for Brown last season. The backup to the recently relocated Fred Jackson and the less-recently relocated C.J. Spiller last season, Brown, 24, didn’t receive many opportunities in his debut Bills slate. Now a two-time LeSean McCoy understudy, Brown appears to have fallen out of favor in Buffalo. He still sits behind Anthony Dixon and potentially fifth-rounder Karlos Williams. Dixon accrued 105 carries to Brown’s 36 last season despite Brown’s 5.1 yards per tote eclipsing Dixon’s tally by a full yard.