Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly is now also the team’s general manager.(Photo: Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY Sports)
PHILADELPHIA – There is no doubt that head coach Chip Kelly is running the Eagles now after he was given control over all football-related decisions in a dramatic shakeup of the team’s hierarchy.
The moves, announced Friday night, make Kelly in essence the coach and general manager. It comes at the expense of Howie Roseman, who was stripped of the general manager title, which included the authority over the draft.
Roseman, who had served as GM since 2010, received a new title of executive vice president of football operations. He will oversee contract negotiations, salary cap management and NFL strategic matters, while overseeing the team’s medical staff, equipment staff and more.
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Those moves ended speculation that had simmered all week that Kelly might try to get out of the remaining three years on his contract. And it clearly made him the winner in the apparent tug-of-war for control with Roseman.
Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said in a statement Friday that there were “no demands, no threats” from Kelly about getting more power in the organization. But Kelly will now have the freedom to make all decisions on the roster, including the draft. That could possibly give him more power than any NFL coach.
“We came up with what we believe will be a more thorough and thoughtful model that would best be overseen by Chip,” Lurie said. “It’s most important that we find players that match what our coaches are seeking.”
Lurie said the reorganization was Kelly’s idea, that the coach “articulated a dynamic and clear vision on how this fully integrated approach will work.”
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That’s because there was obvious tension between Kelly and Roseman under the previous arrangement. That came to a head Tuesday when Tom Gamble, the vice president of player personnel and a close confidante of Kelly’s, was fired, reportedly at Roseman’s behest.
Kelly will now assume Gamble’s role and hire a personnel executive who will report to the coach.
“We are a good football team and we believe these steps will help make us a great team,” Lurie said. “That step – from good to great – is the most difficult one for any organization to make. To do that, sometimes you have to step back and really look hard at where you are today and what you want to become.”
“I am very confident about where we are headed as a team and as an organization,” Kelly said in the same statement. “I look forward to continue working with Jeffrey and Howie as well as the personnel department.”
Lurie has always held Roseman, 39, in high regard. Roseman had spent his entire career with the Eagles, starting in the scouting department in 1999 and working his way up to general manager. Lurie had always sided with Roseman in confrontations with other team executives. That included letting go of former Eagles president Joe Banner in 2012, even though Lurie and Banner were childhood friends.
It seemed that dynamic would continue after Gamble left. Lurie even scoffed at a question over whether Roseman would return as general manager after the game against the Giants on Sunday.
“I meant that,” Lurie said Friday. “But after carefully listening and reflecting on the lengthy discussions that I had with our senior team, I changed my mind.”
Kelly has led the Eagles to two straight 10-6 seasons after taking over for Andy Reid, who went 4-12 in his final season in 2012. Kelly installed an uptempo offense, and restructured the team’s training methods.
Kelly got rid of those who couldn’t accept his philosophy, both on the field and off. That included the stunning release of DeSean Jackson last March, even though he was the Eagles’ top wide receiver in 2013. Five days later, Jackson signed with NFC East division rival Washington.
Roseman, meanwhile, was charged with finding players that Kelly wanted. And that seemed to serve as a source of friction between the two, even in the draft. It was never clear who had the final say on draft decisions, but Kelly’s influence was apparent this past season throughout the entire process.
Kelly attended several Pro Days for prospective draftees, which is unusual for a head coach since it is typically the domain of the general manager and the scouting department.
Last season, the Eagles selected two of Kelly’s former players at the University of Oregon in wide receiver Josh Huff (third round) and defensive end Taylor Hart (fifth round).
Now, Kelly can make those decisions without having to include Roseman.
But Roseman will have a vital role. The Eagles have two key players who could be eligible for free agency in wide receiver Jeremy Maclin and outside linebacker Brandon Graham. In addition, the Eagles have decisions to make on veterans like running back LeSean McCoy, outside linebacker Trent Cole and offensive lineman Todd Herremans, all of whom might have to restructure their contracts in order to return.
The Eagles, no doubt, will also look to free agents from other teams to rebuild their secondary and upgrade at other positions.
In the new arrangement, Kelly will find those players and it will be up to Roseman to sign them. There’s no doubt about that anymore.
“I believe this will solidify the trust we have all placed in Coach Kelly,” Roseman said.
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