Chip Kelly Talks Philosophy, Trades, Current Players, Mariota, And More In Lengthy Q&A
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) --- Eagles head coach Chip Kelly spoke to reporters at the NFL owners meetings in Phoenix, Arizona on Wednesday during a lengthy question and answer session. Kelly answered a variety of questions thrown at him during an hour-long interview.
LeSean McCoy
"I'm very fond of LeSean McCoy, I think we all are," Kelly said of trading McCoy. "When you look at moving forward and that was just a really big number and they weren't moving off the number. So that was where the decision was made."
Kelly explained the decision was primarily a financial one. McCoy had a 2015 cap hit of $11.9 million, while replacements DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews combined 2015 cap figure equals about $7 million.
"It was a real difficult decision, but it was a decision we felt like we had to make," Kelly said. "We had too much money at the running back spot so we had to move in a different direction. Right now, DeMarco is 5 million dollars this year, Ryan [Mathews] is 2 million dollars this year, and I think Darren's [Sproles] $4.1 [million]. So, all that adds up to less than $11.9 million."
As for the style of running back, Kelly says he can work with whoever he has.
"When I was at Oregon I had Jonathan Stewart and LeGarrette Blount, both 230 [pounds] plus. I also had LaMichael James and Kenyon Barner. We can work with whatever we have, it's just depending on what you want to do and how do you want to scheme it up. But I think what was available---if you move LeSean, what's available? The guys that were available were one-cut downhill runners."
Sam Bradford
"We were trying to keep Nick [Foles], it was just at the last second they wanted players," Kelly admitted, when asked about the trade. "We were trying to get it done with draft picks. It didn't work out that way."
As for Bradford's injury concerns, Kelly isn't worried.
"I would say that it's probably easier for a quarterback with a knee injury than it is with a shoulder injury, as we went through the history of it," Kelly said Wednesday at the NFL owners meetings. "We didn't bring Sam [Bradford] to run the ball 75 times a game. So, I think it's a lot easier for a quarterback with an ACL, than a receiver with an ACL. You look at, I think, the history right now in terms of sports science and what doctors are doing now is move forward it's unbelievable.
"When we got him [Bradford] on a Wednesday, he was there the following Sunday," Kelly said. "So he's been with our training staff every day rehabbing and then we get a chance to finally meet with him on April 20th which is the first day of phase one. And then it's the normal process it is for anybody on our team. It sounds like he's on target to be fully recovered. I just don't know exactly what day he'll be cleared to be one hundred percent."
Can Bradford be a franchise quarterback?
"You hope so, but I'm not a predictor guy so I don't---I mean I'm not gonna put a label on anybody."
Philosophy
Jeffrey Lurie said Kelly's vision is to go from good to great. Kelly explained how that is possible.
"Secondary needs to be better, linebacker depth needed to get better, and we need to limit turnovers," Kelly said.
And then he said this, about doing things differently.
"People used to think the world was flat until that guy took a boat and didn't fall off the earth."
What about trading draft picks?
"Philosophically I want to keep all of our draft picks," Kelly said. "I think you build your team through the draft. So if you you gut yourself for one year and for one guy, philosophically I don't think that is the right thing to do."
Draft Talk
Chip Kelly called the NFL draft time "silly season."
"I thought Odell Beckham was the best player in the draft [last year]," Kelly said. "The NFL draft hype is the most crazy thing in the world...silly season"
"I consider mortgaging your future as giving up your draft," Kelly said. "Like Ricky Williams. Give up the whole draft? In my opinion, no."
Kelly did not really end the Marcus Mariota rumors, either. While he certainly doesn't want to mortgage the future, if Mariota falls in the draft,you never know. But Kelly doesn't deal in hypotheticals, of course.
"What's it cost?," Kelly said. "Give me a number?"
"Two first-round picks," the reporter replied.
"Where am I going?," Kelly said, "From where to where?"
"To No. 6."
"Never gets you there," Kelly said. "It took two first round picks to go from No. 6 to No. 2 two years ago."
Kelly also admitted he thinks there are two really good quarterbacks in the draft.
"I think there are two good ones. Two really good ones. Jameis [Winston] is really good," Kelly said. "He is a really good quarterback. His name will go very quickly I would imagine. Look at the history of the draft. Mark Sanchez was a top-five pick. Jake Locker was a top-10 pick. Blaine Gabbert went at 10. Christian Ponder went at 12. Quarterbacks go really fast in this league."
Wide Receivers
"I don't know," Kelly said when asked if Jordan Matthews will play on the outside. "It's the Spring, everyone plays everywhere in the Spring. I don't know if we add anybody and what are their strengths and what are their weaknesses."
"He was a rookie so we just wanted him to play one position and learn one position and come in," Kelly said of Matthews. "He could do it [play in the slot] just like Josh [Huff] can do it. Riley Cooper could move into the slot for us. It's no different than Zach Ertz, his package was expanded in year two than it was in year one."
Darren Sproles
This year the Eagles head into the season with Murray and Mathews ahead of Sproles on the depth chart. In year two, look for a more creative role from Sproles.
"Yeah, we do," Kelly said when asked if he plans on being more creative with Sproles.
Kiko Alonso
Alonso also missed the entire 2014 season after tearing his ACL.
"He should be ready to go because his was done earlier than Sam's," Kelly said. "So I think some time during OTA's we'll be able to see Kiko a little bit."
Mychal Kendricks
Kelly sounded concerned about injury questions surrounding linebacker Mychal Kendricks, who has been speculated to be a potential trade piece.
"I thought when he was healthy he played really well," Kelly said of Kendricks. "But we missed him for four games. The health aspect of it was a difficult thing. We were a different field with him on the field. When he played, he played really well."
