Chip Talk
Posted: June 24th, 2015 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 195 Comments »Love him or hate him, Chip Kelly continues to be a compelling figure.
Robert Huber wrote a lengthy piece for Philly Mag titled The Secret Life of Chip Kelly. I would love to tell you that it is a fantastic piece that offered a lot of insight, but that would be stretching things. There were a couple of interesting points of information, but nothing all that compelling.
I’m not sure what the author was hoping for. It almost felt like he was looking for the Chip Kelly version of “Rosebud” (go watch Citizen Kane if you don’t get that reference…classic film). There is bound to be some long lost secret that helped shape this amazing coach. Right?
I don’t know why people always want that kind of story. Chip is fascinating as-is. He’s a philosophical guy and a thinker, but in the world of football. This isn’t Albert Einstein (or Norman Einstein as Joe Theismann famously called him) in search of the answers to how the universe works. Chip is just looking for the best way to score points and win football games.
Chip is interesting because he takes ideas from all over the place and uses them to shape his coaching methods and football strategies. Football generally shuns outside ideas. Chip embraces them. Younger coaches are doing this more and more so Chip might not seem that unique in a decade.
NFL analyst Ross Tucker wrote about his appreciation for Chip and the fact he is different. At the very least, that helps to make the league more interesting. There are times when the NFL is very cookie-cutter-ish.
All this talk about Chip made me re-visit the first piece I ever wrote on him. This is from Dec 29, 2012. I had hesitated to speculate much about Andy Reid getting fired, but by that point it was time to start looking around for the new coach. This was my introduction to Chip Kelly.
I think the piece holds up pretty well. I was wrong on a couple of points. I thought he would have to adjust his practices to the NFL. That hasn’t been the case at all. I also noted that unlike college, Kelly couldn’t just get rid of the players he didn’t like. Oops. Way off on that one. You can argue the merits of whether it hurts or helps the team, but Chip most certainly has gotten rid of those players he doesn’t want around.
I remain a firm believer in Chip and his ideas. I’m ecstatic that he is the coach that Jeff Lurie hired. Some of the other coaches from that year have had success, but I think hiring Chip was the way to go. A risk, yes. But a smart one so far.
_
In general, it’s human nature to fear change. Some people relish the challenge, but most prefer to rely on what’s proven. Takes someone exceptional to not only embrace change, but also to have the talent to make things work. Kelly certainly has shown signs of having that talent, but let’s face it. Until some playoff games are won and the SB is a realistic shot, there will be plenty of doubters. Personally, I’m enjoying the ride. It’s the Dos Equis franchise of the sport right now.
“I’m enjoying the ride.”
Me too. I’m on this train until it derails.
http://i.imgur.com/HttcUAU.gif
Couple of those guys likely to fall off the boat
Very nice work. Just one quibble. Train?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmx1L8G25q4
True, it is more like a trolley. And what’s sad is that I know this. My mother made my brother and I watch a lot of old movies/musicals. I’m not sure if that makes me cultured, or it means I was punished.
Go for cultured! ;~) I was JK. The train gif is great. Judy Garland had an exceptional voice, though.
Pretty sure that Citizen Kane thing stole “Rosebud” from Animaniacs.
Or Beverly Hills Cop 2.
On a serious note, your article on Kelly was my introduction to him and I thought “The Eagles have to get this guy.” Even with all the other names that came up, I still thought he was the best guy.
Roseman deserves nothing but respect for his ability to bring Kelly on board.
I’m happy they got him too. I was both an Bradley and Arians fan and thought CK was going to be overmatched. Man how times have changed and I’m a huge fan of CK and can’t stand Arians. I’m still rooting for Bradley.
I was rooting for Bradley too, but I’ve come to think he’s a great motivator and an okay X’s and O’s guy. A little bit in the mold of Ray Rhodes, but never a down moment. One thing is for certain,just like AR needed JJ to handle D, Gus needs an accomplished OC to put together a winner.
I remember basically thinking “Chip or bust” as soon as I saw his name linked to us. I watch a lot of college football, so when the Eagles seemed to genuinely have a shot with him, I was pretty damn excited. I still haven’t seen anything that changes my opinion on him. We hit the coaching lottery.
I’m an engineer, so I have a lot of faith in science. Calling Kelly a mad scientist isn’t that far from the truth. He plays odds, uses logic, and sticks to trends more than any coach I’ve ever seen. For example, his metrics for H/W/S. Are there players that don’t have those metrics that are great? yes. But the odds are not in your favor to find one.
This may be homerish, but it’s what I believe: I still think when all is said and done Kelly’s name will be said in the same breath as Belichick or Bill Walsh. I truly believe 100% that if the fan base can keep itself from running him out of town, he’s going to win the super bowl here. And sooner than everyone is thinking.
boy I hope so but there seems to be so much QB luck involved in coaching. I hope Bradford can be the guy, b/c the guy can be incredibly difficult to obtain.
Yes definitely. Unlike other coaches though, Chip seems determined to keep trying QBs until he finds one that sticks.
His H/W/S thing is way overblown. Yes he prefers average to taller guys but in terms of athleticism he has picked up decent athletes with the exception of Lane Johnson.
Lane is not a decent athlete? I thought he blew away the combine.
Here’s LJohnson’s spider chart.
Draw your own conclusion
http://www.mockdraftable.com/player/4128/
Lane > decent athlete is my conclusion
Agree.
Other than his hand size (and the bench press numbers, which I suspect he’s fixed) . . . LJ tested as just about the best OL in EVERY ONE of the “athlete” categories.
Still not sure what KC and JAX saw in Fisher and Joekel (beyond more college reps — which maybe is enough)
In defense of KC and JAX, Fisher and Joekel were much more polished coming out. Both are good athletes as well, just not freaks of nature the way Lane is. Lane was generally considered to be the highest ceiling guy but the most risky as well. Frankly, we got lucky and outside of his PED pop, I’ve got no complaints whatsoever about Lane.
I’ve drawn my conclusion from what he’s done on the field, not some esoteric chart from before the Combine! He’s a pretty dam gifted athlete!
I think that spider chart was from when Lane came out of College.
I am curious what it might look like today.
I will bet the farm that his strength level has substantially increased now that the Eagles have had him in their weight room and all the Sports Science that is molding our players into beasts.
He also trained with MMA guys in the off season to increase his strength and to increase his level of hand fighting and he learned more about leverage learning Grecco wrestling techniques as well.
You gotta love players that are working their rears off in the off season, for the desire to be the best.
I think Lane is going to have a breakout year and will be our next Pro Bowl O-lineman to be ranked #1 by PFF.
Why do you automatically assume that I said Lane is a poor athlete?
TBF – “he has picked up decent athletes with the exception of Lane Johnson.”
I think (and I’m guilty of this too) is that it reads as if you are saying that he has gotten decent athletes, and LJ isn’t an example of that.
Maybe the wording is confusing people or the point you are trying to make got confused?
Quite honestly I thought every Eagles fan knew that Lane is a freak athlete but I guess not?
we knew, we thought maybe you didn’t!
lane and Greg Robinson are the tackles with talent and athleticism to become top LT in the game when Peters retires… lane made the combine his bitch, as in set combine records at almost every area..
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The kid was easily one of the 3 most athletic Tackles the combine has ever seen..
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He is an EXCEPTIONAL! ELITE athlete at his position
because you said he has picked up decent athletes with the exception of Lane.
I just assumed that people knew how great of an athlete Lane is but I assumed wrong. My bad if the wording was confusing.
no worries. Could be read that Lane isn’t decent not b/c he is bad, but because he is super great.
I remember watching my first Oregon game (wasn’t into college football back then) when Kellys name was linked to us. I watched their offense and their tempo and thought – damn, I want that.
Then I saw him at the halftime interview saying “well, we didn’t play at our tempo, that’s on me, have to call the game better” and I thought – Jesus, sign this guy.
I’m disappointed I didn’t have any comments to that article – where was I that day?
But I note ACV saying, wouldn’t this guy want full personnel control? why yes, ACV, that too shall come to pass. The comments about he will work well with Roseman….nope.
Very nice article link. It may have been written before Kelly was even the coach of the Eagles, and maybe you predicted a few minor details incorrectly, but overall your analysis stands the test of time. I doubt there has been a better piece written in the time since.
I don’t follow the NBA; therefore, I have no idea how to pronounce this guys name… but it keeps showing up on my twitter feed “Porzingis.” My question to all of you is this: if the 76ers draft this guy who will be Red 3?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OjG59xXkko
Eagles NT Bennie Logan led all defensive tackles in solo tackles last season with 44.
Also from Pro Football Focus, Logan was second among 81 qualifying defensive tackles in solo stops (solo tackles that constitute an offensive failure). The tackle stat has become mostly meaningless in the football world, so these numbers give us a better idea. The Eagles’ run defense allowed just 3.7 YPC last season (fourth in the NFL), and Philly was one of four teams not to allow a 40-yard run.
Zero 40 plus runs is surprising considering how weak the secondary was. Once a guy is into the second level 10/15 yards downfield its on them to contain/tackle.
The one thing you could say about our secondary is they were surprisingly willing and decent tacklers. Even Nate Allen’s tackling improved, though he still had no instinct when it came to taking angles to get to the tackle.
except for the Eddie Lacy game, no one wanted to get in front of that truck. Think it’ll be even better this year.
One reason the secondary was weak was Chip and BD’s emphasis on run support from all 11, IMO. The gone guys Williams and Fletcher were both above average in run support, and it no doubt cost them in coverage. The LB upgrade should offer some relief.
Interesting point.
remember when he was picked and everyone said “who?” and thought he was over drafted. That pick to me shows the advantage recent college coaches can have in the draft. That pick was probably Stoutland saying that guy killed us.
The “who” was more because people saw him more as a 43 DT. We were all still working under the impression that we would target more of a classic space eating NT (my money was Brandon Williams, who went later in the third and has played well for Baltimore).
I’m very happy Lurie hired Kelly as well and think it was the right choice. However, I’m definitely struggling with Kelly hype fatigue and cannot wait for real games to start so we can talk about results. Tommy, you’re doing a fantastic job at keeping things going here especially during this dead zone of the off-season. There really is nothing else to talk about.
Kelly fatigues
http://cdn.phillymag.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/chip-kelly-military-matt-rourke-ap-940×540.jpg
From his 2012 article on CK:
“Jake Locker is a great athlete, but highly inconsistent passer. Tim Tebow is a big, strong guy, but didn’t always make good reads when running the option. Those guys might drive Kelly a bit nuts.”
đŸ™‚
News from the outside:
Flyers have Provorov at the top of their board. Either Hextall is the anti-Hinkie or it’s a smokescreen.
http://www.broadstreethockey.com/2015/6/24/8837961/report-ivan-provorov-ranks-atop-flyers-draft-board
Provorov sounds too good to get past AZ or Toronto.
A Guy Lapointe-type.
http://www.hockey-reference.com/players/l/lapoigu01.html
Interesting comparison. I’d love to have that on the team. I don’t think you can ever have too many defensemen.
I think the Flyers have an outside chance.
1 – McDavid
2 – Eichel
There’s no debate on two franchise-changing centers in one draft. Any other year Eichel is #1.
3-5 in no specific order Hanifan, Strome, Marner.
Devils pick #6. I think they are high on Zacha, so that leaves us a shot at Provorov at #6. It’s a guessing game, but I really think the Flyers got a shot at this guy. If not, Strome/Marner/Zacha are not bad consolation prizes.
Really good value in the top 10 this year.
So right about “never too many good defensemen.”
Development is usually slow, even for the best of the best . . . seems almost as hard to become a great D in hockey as a great QB in the NFL. (So many washouts for both.)
Absolutely, the most interesting NHL draft generally — and for the Flyers — since just before the coin-flip the in 2007. (Patrick Kane . . . ugh, what could have been.)
Read in the PDN that the Flyers’ WCHL scout’s pushing Hextall to trade up to guarantee the team can draft IP.
Like the Hextall – IP “same WCHL team” connection, too.
Wow, they are really high on him then. What’s PDN?
Sorry.
Philly Daily News.
Here’s a GREAT story on IP — with the alleged comment from the scout.
http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/flyers/20150624_Flyers_said_to_covet_Russian_defenseman_Ivan_Provorov.html
The more I hear about this guy the more I like him. Prov with Sanheim and Ghost makes three really good puck-moving defensemen. Morin as he fills out will be that Pronger=type role of physical punishment.
That leaves Hagg who is just a solid all-around defenseman (not special at anything yet) who needs more seasoning. If we keep Del Zotto, that’s three really solid pairings.
If Hanifin happens to drop, I’d snag him too.
Like you said, IP’s addition would give the Flyers the best stable of young defensemen in the NHL.
I can’t think of any group — since the Canadians of the early ’70s with Lapointe, Savard, Robinson, Bouchard, Van Boxmeer, and Chartraw — that’s even close to what the Flyers *could* have.
If we’re talking about pure potential, the Isles had a very talented group of young blueliners that were supposed to have that team set for the decade in the early 90s. Most of them didn’t come near reaching their potential.
Terry Murray’s Caps teams had some really outstanding D corps. Murray was an underrated early adopter of sport science in that his systems and techniques were adjusted based upon statistics, so his NHL players consistently played above their supposed ceilings. So it is arguable that they weren’t as talented, just really well coached.
But overall, yes – drafting IP would mean the Flyers’ farm system would be stocked with an exceptional amount of talent. I’m hoping he’s the pick, honestly.
Having watched Hagg this year up close multiple times, he still has a ways to go. He started out the year looking fairly lost. By the end of the year, he looked much better. Have to see a consistent season better than even the end of the year before I think he can be a productive NHLer. But again, the potential is there.
Ghost looked electric, if uneven, the few times I got to see him. Have to hope the injury and the necessary weight gain from core strength, etc. (necessary to keep him from getting killed at the NHL level) don’t sap his lightning quick skating. He’ll never be a 1 at his size, but pairing him with a close to ceiling Morin could make for some really amazingly creative play out of Ghost.
Hoping to see some of these other guys soon, either in Philly or in the LV.
I need to get up to see the Phantoms, the problem is convincing my wife that a weekend in Allentown would be a great getaway.
If they were still in Philly, it’d be easier for me to go see them, that extra 90 minutes is the back breaker.
Any other thoughts on the players in the AHL? Do you think the light will ever come on for Lauridsen?
Lauridsen played fairly well for the Phantoms last year, I thought. I’m not sure he can be much more than a 3rd pairing guy in the NHL, though. Maybe if paired with a more offensive styled #1, but I just don’t see the lateral mobility to keep him from being abused by NHL speedsters.
Arrange for a trip to the Lehigh Valley in December. Stay at the Hotel Bethlehem, right on Main Street to enjoy the season. Go shopping, or at least browsing, at Christkindlmarkt during the day. Hit the Moravian Book Store for a little bit. Plenty to do and see for a day or two. And it’s a quick trip from there to the PPL Center. Lots of good restaurants on Main Street, Bethlehem, and a lot right around the PPL Center in Allentown, too. It all depends on what you want to eat.
Good info. Thanks.
It does seem that any place called Bethlehem would be pretty much a Christmas town!
Bwahah good luck Convincing your wife “Allentown is a great getaway” lol
..
If you can pull that off, you are are the man…
Yeah, Allentown can’t be the focus of that attempt, for sure. I’m still not convinced that the PPL Center “renaissance” can stick, long term. But for right now, it’s not bad to drive in to, catch a good meal, watch a game, and get back out of. Bethlehem, on the other hand, especially during December, is a good weekend getaway. If you like the casino scene, the Sands is there year-round, too.
We’re coming from DC, and we have family in North DE. I can make games in Philly as it’s just a 90 minute drive. But 3 1/2 hours is a bit long for a day trip, so an overnight stay is needed.
maybe Hershey Park is nearby, if you have kids.
Dorney Park is here, Hershey is a couple hours away.
Tell her you’re going to Dorney Park, then surprise her with a trip to the rink.
re: other Phantoms – the forwards were dreck. Laughton would flash here and there, and played a responsible game, but he certainly didn’t look like a star in the making. You can see the skills, but he hasn’t put it all together yet, which is disappointing, given that one of his big draws was how polished he was already when drafted.
Cousins was noticeable most nights, but I’m not convinced his skills will translate to the NHL: at the NHL level, I see him as a third liner/pest type. I’m not sure he has the mindset for that – he’s consistently creative for the Phantoms. As an injury call-up, he has quite a bit of value, but long-term I question his contributions to the big club.
Straka flashed a few times, but was mostly invisible. I want to see more of him this year.
Straka flashed a few times, but was mostly invisible. I want to see more of him this year.
Outside of that, not much to say about the forwards. Stortini was the most noticeable forward on most nights, and unfortunately, that wasn’t just due to his fisticuffs.
BILL . . .
F-A-N-T-A-S-T-I-C.
Really like the look-back on the Isle and Washington.
Ghost is the man.
Wish I had your memory – I had to look it up, but the Isles had a young Darius Kasparitis, Scott LaChance (who really disappointed), Vladimir Malakhov, Rich Pilon, and old man (28) Uwe Krupp.
That same year, Murray started the season with Kevin Hatcher, Al Iafrate, Calle Johansson, Sylvain Cote, and John Slaney. That was a stacked, two-way defensive squad. Though they didn’t tend to do as well without Murray as their coach (Hatcher was integral to the Stars late 90s runs under Hitchcock, but he was never the offensive force he was under Murray).
Agreed. I was a Canadiens fan then. When Savard slid into the goalpost and broke his femur, it broke my heart. However, that incident led to the break-away goalposts. Sometimes a nuisance, but has probably saved a few broken bones since. Also, i gave birth to my daughter while the Canada-Russia series was on. I had to listen to one game on my little transistor radio while in hospital. Several of the other new mothers thought I was crazy, but who cared. We WON! Tretiak was a good goalie though, and the NHL took note of the Soviet team’s cross-training methods etc. Change comes slowly sometimes, but it it inevitable. The NFL is no different, really. Otherwise it would still be called rugby. ;~)
speaking of bad luck and coin flips, what if the arbitrator had ruled against the Flyers in the Lindros case? didn’t we trade away like the starting line for the eventual Avalanche title team for Lindros?
1 HOF center in Forsberg
1 All Star center in Ricci
2 defensemen in Steve Duchesne and Huffman (though neither was an All Star)
1 fighter in Chris Simon
2 1sts . . . plus a lot of money.
_____________
A trade that would have been better if not made
that is just crazy.
Hindsight is a perfect bitch.
McDavid will be an Oiler. Also of interest.
http://oilers.nhl.com/club/blogpost.htm?id=40324&cmpid=blogheadlines
Uggh. How does a team get 4 #1s in 6 years and no one calls foul, but the NBA draft is rigged? I will always hate the Oilers for getting #1 this year. Of all the teams in the draft, they deserve it the least.
Rigged might not apply as they STILL can’t win! With a change of both GM and coach this year, maybe all those youngster, including D McNabb’s nephew, will get it together this year. A little more emphasis on defense might benefit whoever is in goal.
I lived in Edmonton for years and loved the Oilers. Even before their dynasty they were fun to watch. My daughter keeps up with the NHL more than I do now, so she probably could debate the merits of who is draftable, etc., but I don’t follow as closely any more.
Bettman is bad news. Thankfully, since he put his finger on the scales to ensure his boy got a trophy in 2009, he’s been fairly hands-off on non-monetary issues. But he’s still dreaming of turning the NHL into the NBA, where it’s all about the superstars at the expense of team. In the early 90s I was a rabid NHL fan; that has slowly dissipated over Bettman’s reign to the point that I’m a somewhat less than rabid Flyers fan, and a lukewarm Bruins fan (from back in undergrad days in NE, but also because that recent team played a really impressive style of hockey). I don’t really follow the rest of the league much at all anymore. Though like I said above, I’m actually coming back from 2007-2009 where I was almost ready to give up on the league as a bad WWE knock-off.
The reason he gets past them is that after the top 2, there is 4-5 guys who would normally had gone no. 1 (Barzal has that talent in many eyes).
Gun to your head. McDavid, Eichel, Hanifan, and Provorov are off the board.
I know this is guessing, but who do you want out of the three left over?
Marner by far.
I like Strome, but he is a pure center, not sure of Barzal and a pure center as well, but Marner would be able to play LW for us tomorrow if needed.
We desperately need a LW for Giroux/Scoreacek.
Last question. Considering how the draft is supposed to pan out, who do you want @7?
Who is left of Provorov, Marner, Strome and Hanifin.
If by some reason none of those are left, I would try to trade back and then try to pick Kyle Connor
Anders —
Would you mind giving some more info on Marner?
Here’s a couple links.
http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=223194
http://www.hockeysfuture.com/prospects/mitch-marner/
Excellent.
Liking the digression to Flyers-talk (during these NFL dog days).
This season, only 1 guy scored better on a per game basis than Marner and that was McJesus (min 20 games).
He is also one of the younger guys in the draft (even 1 year matters a ton in that age range).
He can play center and winger and just a play maker.
As said, he could most likely start for the Flyers next year even if he isnt the biggest
great stuff!!!
thx
Is Hextall good? Like if Hinkie and Chip are 100 and Amaro is zero, where is Hextall?
Remains to be seen. I ‘d say above 50 so far. I really liked that he went outside the organization AND the NHL to go and get a coach he believes in. Regardless of whether it works out or not, he went after his guy.
He didn’t give any bad contracts so far and he’s working to get out from under some of the bad contracts Holmgren gave out. Holmgren was as bad as Billy King with the contracts.
He seems willing to let the young guys work it out in the AHL and bring them up when their ready, and so far, he hasn’t traded any really good assets for an aging veteran to win it all. He stays pat and tries to make moves to get younger and promote from within.
I also find it encouraging that Murray ended up not getting resigned to coach the Phantoms (now in Buffalo) and that he really seems to be moving in a totally new direction. And double thumbs up for making sure Timonen has a job when he comes back.
“Holmgren was as bad as Billy King with the contracts.”
Great, great comparison.
yep that says a lot.
Billy King or Amaro, who you got?
King v. Amaro . . .
I think Amaro takes the title with the Utley, Howard, Lee contracts. UNMOVABLE.
The guys King signed were eventually shipped out (though the NBA’s cap rules may have helped in that regard).
Lee and Utley aint unmovable. Also, just about everybody applauded those two contracts.
The only bad one is Howard and then trading just about every young guy and given bad contracts to old guys
I agree Utley and Lee were ok. But Howard was unbelievable, then you are right lots of old guys with big contracts. Like that LF a few years ago who was like 39, I can’t remember his name. Giving any reliever (even Paps, who has played well) such a big long deal was unbelievable.
Raul Ibañez
Yes that guy!!! I remember when they signed him to not a 1, not a 2 but like a 3 year deal and writers were like what the holy hell is Amaro thinking.
I’m glad the Flyers have hopefully turned the page. We really need the Phillies to clean house. Like really clean house. Give the whole set of keys to someone else. Until then, I won’t pay attention to them (other than occasional blog complaining like this).
Well, apparently they’re bringing in Andy MacPhail now, so he’s the one who would be doing the cleaning. I won’t get my hopes up until something is actually done.
thanks and what do you think of the coach? from what I read (very little), he didn’t seem the innovative type. Maybe the author of the one article I read wasn’t that impressed, but it just read as “well you won’t have all the best recruits anymore” like his success was based on talent and discipline rather than being super brilliant.
of course if you stink, discipline can get you back to respectable.
thoughts? I was glad to see any change of direction.
I like the sound of this coach. Yeah he coached some great talent, but isn’t that the mark of good coaches? IMO, that’s a yes. He’s big on details and getting the small things right. His former players rave about him, and discipline is what he preaches.
I think he’ll need some veteran assistant coaches (maybe Timonen?) to help him with his transition to the pro-level game, but I think he’ll do okay. You want someone who will work relentlessly to become better, and he has those qualities.
Right now I’m not expecting big things the first year. Our defensive group at best is a low-2nd high 3rd-pairing group. MacDonald is stealing money, Grossman is overpaid, and I have no idea what to make of Schenn (Luke).
Hakstol will rely heavily on Hextall to give him some better players and ones that will fit his system. Whether Hextall can unload Vinny is a different matter. I’d give up a 2nd to get rid of that contract. But I like where this is headed, and like the Sixers I’m willing to be patient to see it play out.
I haven’t had many opportunities to break down Flyers tendencies and less than obvious needs, but one trend that jumps out from last season was their ability to hang with the elite teams in the league, but get handled by teams they should have beaten. This coach was made for that challenge. I don’t know if it was conditioning or just mental distractions and loss of focus, but I feel pretty confident that that bad habit will be addressed in a big way.
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/04/97/50/04975079b76ef69406b9300d5fff85cc.jpg
Saw that report too. Definitely would be more than OK if he fell to them, or even if they had to move up a slot or two to get him. He really is supposed to be a can’t miss D prospect, that could potentially play right away. No matter what the Flyers have currently as defensive prospects, you do not pass up this highly rated of a player. Really excited to see this draft.
@D3FB – you might get your wish.
couldn’t you trade back a little and still take Mario? I just haven’t seen him mocked this high.
I think my favorite rumor is Sixers take Kristaps and trade him to Orlando and then pick at 5 whoever Hinkie wanted anyway (Mario or Mudaiy etc.). And of course get something really great for trading back.
I’d love that too.
Hinkie leaks NOTHING… I don’t take any SIXER reports serious
..
A year ago today, the silly rumor was we were scrambling to trade up for Wiggins, when In in reality we were giddy about getting the best Prospect in the draft at #3
…
I’d assume hinkie will choose between Porzingis, Mudiay or Hezonja… Doubt he wants Russell, but we shall find out tonorrow
Yup. I agree Hinkie protects info better than Fort Knox, but interesting view from around the league.
Yeah when I hear someone say they know HINKie wants so and so, I automatically assume HINKie wants nothing to do with that player. I would almost be convinced we are going to drag Porzingis, the one thing that’s screwing with My head is Chad Ford is mocking us to him… If NO ONE was connecting Porzingis to us, I would feel that drafting him is a Lock(that doesn’t mean we WOULDNT trade him)…… Different GMs value different things in how they evaluate Best player available. An idiot like Phil Jackson who has no patiemce and thinks he can turn the knicks around over night, for him, a big part of how he views BPA is who is polished and can help them right away…. Hinkie doesn’t give a shit about your polished jump shot, not after he watched his coach Brett Brown Drastically improve horrendous shooters like NOEL and grant in one year… Heck, EMBIID has been hurt and we already grew him into a 3pt sniper… Hinkie doesn’t give a shit about Russells polished shooting..and he is inferior To Mudiay just about everywhere else. Size, body. Athleticism all go to Mudiay, ability to drive to the basket and score is DRASTICALLY better then Russell. They are both very talented passers with Great Vision, but MudiY will be the better passer. Shocked? Simply a case of help defenses having to step up and stop Mudiay from dunking on them which opens up more passing Lanes. russell is average at best at driving and scoring in traffic. We saw the games where ish smith was hesitant to keep it and score when he got in the paint, he got in trouble help defenders didn’t respect his threat to score and passing Lanes didn’t open up.. But in games where Ish was actually making some layups when he drove in traffic, help defenders stepped up and he was able to get all kinds of lobs and great passes to NOEL for an open Dunk… Mudiay being a drastically better threat to score driving in the lane will make him the better passer then Russell, because the pressure he puts on defense will creat passing lanes for open Bigs to Dunk. Or collapse the defense kick it out to open sniper Iike Covington and BOMBS away,,,. Not to mention this team is being built on a defensive foundation. Mudiay is a drastically better defender then Russell.. Both will help us on offense, but why would we spend the 3rd pick on a player we have to hide on defense, when we can get a player who helps our offense while also contributing to the elite defense we will build…
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hinkie views BPA as simply which kid has the special NBA athleticism,. And special NBA skillset that can be developed as the best Player 4 years from now…. russell isn’t at all a bad player, but his upside is grossly over rated, he has the higjest Bust potential in the draft… And by HINKies definition of BPA! There is NO DOUBT in My Mind that Porzingis, Mudiay and Hezonja Talemt ALLE TRANSLATE to the NBA level more then Russell… russell ISNT bad at all, he just ISNT going to be one of the 3 best players from this draft, therefor, I see no way HinkIE can possibly pick him when I know Mudiay. Hezonja and Porzingis all have a higher NBA star upside…
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And MUdiay and Hezona match my theory that most of the time HINKie is Draftimg the kid that hasn’t been connected to the SIXERS a million times by “reports”… Mudiay and Hezonja clearly have more NBAS upside then Russell as far as I’m concerned, and there are a million “reports” that Russell is the SIXERS guy…mBULLSHIT! ‘Mudiay and Hezonja are better talents and both are flying umder the radar as SIXERS picks, which screams to those are HINKies targets, but I think we have to take Porzingis 3rd because he has the most value, but I could def see us trDe him for Mudiay or Hezonja…. Chad Ford connecting us to Porzingis is the only thing mindfucking me.. Is this Broken clock right twice a day Syndrom for Ford? Or is he also creating a smokescreen for Hinie, like all the reports that think they know HINKie wants Russell?
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I’ll be shocked if We pick someone other then Porzingis, Mudiay, or Hezonja… Drafting Russell would SHOCK and Baffle me…drafting Russell would be an epic mistake, and I simply believe HINKie is better then that..
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Can’t go wrong with Porzingis, Mudiay or Hezonja… Mario is going to be Gordon Hayward with zack Lavine athleticism… Hezonja has that elite kobe killer mentality. He would give us a closer, a guy who relishes an opportunity to take the big shot late in games… Been high on this cold blooded Croatian since he was like 16.. Finally he wilL be in the NBA…
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I’d give my left nut for a Mudiay/Hezonja backcourt tandem… If we,end up with Russell, it BETTER BE because we traded back to like #7 and he manages To fall that Far. I wouldn’t touch him in the top 4.. I have Russell and OKafor tied for #5 And #6
Huzzah!
That 2012 “Let’s Talk About Chip Kelly” piece is why I started reading this blog.
Remember when fans wanted to absurdly replace Bennie Logan? Most of the season bennie led NT in tackles.. For two years he has anchored a defense that grew into a FORCE against the run, and Bennie also gets more pressure on QBs then most NT who can’t even play on 3rd down. With Logan in the middle, not only is he growing into probably the best kept NT secret in the game who gets criminally under rated, but he is versatile enough to slide over and take snaps at DE, which we saw last year when they played Logan and Beau at the same time every now and then..
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logan led all NFL defensive tackles with 44 solo tackles next year. “Also PFF Rated Logan #2 DT among 81 qualifiers in “solo stops” (which are defined as solo tackles that constitute an offensive failure. Eagles run defense held RBs to 3.7 YPC last season which ranks #4 in the NFL, and we were one of 4 teams to not give up a 40yard run..
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logan may be the most Under Rated Eagle in Philly… He has been a BEAST for up, and a year ago, people still wanted to draft his replacement which was absolutely crazy talk….This kid will be here anchoring a quality defense worthy of playing in this city for years to come…
Agree 100%. He is definitely one of the most under rated Eagles.
Did Ross Tucker suffer too many blows to the head? Where in the hell is he getting the idea that CK tried to trade Bradford to get Mariota? Kelly flat out denied even getting to a point where names were mentioned in the talks with Tennessee.
The same place the rest of the clown media got it- from fantasy land.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVQq3OhOvFI
Geez… Sneaky sneaky the Dolphins sorrounded Tannahill with some serious firepower. He has All types of Targets to throw to, It has to be the most improved arsenal of pass catching weapons since Last year when it was pretty Much just the Jarvis Lamdry show…. I’m having a Brain Fart. Where did MIke Walace end up?
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The key for the Dolphins Offseason is Cameron Jordadn, HECKUVA pass catching TE.. The problems is they took a major gamble on this kid who has had multiple concussion issues and the most recent one was pretty bad, kept him out of games for like a Month… I worry more about signing ys who have already had Bad concussions, then I worry about signing guys who have had ACL surgery….. I really really don’t want to see what happens if this kid has another concussion. Hopefully he never suffers anotner one again, but I would be too scared to invest in him.. But they have some nice weapons if they stay healthy. Jarvis Landry was Jordan Mathews biggest competition for best rookie Slot WR, now they added a Big, Jump ball WR in Devante Parker, a burner deep threat, Kenny Stills, and a veteran presence in Greg Jennings…
tannahill should show some big time Growth this year…
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I can’t even remember the Last time the Pariots had this much competitipn in the division.. Twice a year they have to play Both jets and Bills, two Top defenses… And Tannahill has an arsenal of weapons to attack the NE secondary which is probably now the weakness of that team…
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Really excited to watch That division battle it out this year.
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Giants should be much better… I think RG3 is horrible so I don’t have a positive opinipn of them… Although the Niners have Imploded, the Cardinals and improved Rams should make that a fun division again
Wallace got traded to the Vikings. And yeah the Dolphins look a lot better on paper..Kenny Stills, Jordan Cameron, Devante Parker, and Jay Ajayi on offense. And the addition of Suh should be nice for the D, drafting Jordan phillips, and Delmas should be a good addition with Reshad jones at safety.
I’m looking at targeting Tannehill and Cameron Wake (he should put up even crazier stats with suh on the inside) in the later rounds for my fantasy team
Surprised to see that early in the Offseason the Broncos had preliminary talks about trading PEYTON To the Texans .. Back then the Broncos asked PEYTON To take a 10milliom dollar paycut. Peyton agreed to a $4mil paycut, and the talks ended (he has a no trade call anyway)..
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For Denver to start kicking the tires on this I have to believe this will be Mannings last year in Denver and hopefully he retires after his time in Denver comes t an end, don’t want to see him act like a vagabond a play for 2 more franchises just because he doesn’t want to retire…
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P Diddy vs The Jackass former Jets assistant who tripped the opponent during the kick off return.. Went to War on UCLA campus? LOL God I hope a video surfaces of PDiddy vs. UCLAS assistant
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Any word on Brady sentence getting reduced? ISNT the scumbag Kraken’s 10 game suspension appeal tomorrow? This scumbag got to collect a free 12mil last year for doing nothing, and after what he did to his victim, he shouldn’t even be appealing this. Scumbag should have had some decency and accepted whatever punishment, because just the fact that they are letting him still play is disgusting..
Interesting that Ben Albright — who broke the story on Manning — also reported in March that Foles was headed to the Rams.
http://www.turfshowtimes.com/2015/3/9/8176195/allbright-rams-leading-contender-to-trade-for-eagles-qb-nick-foles
Albright relied, in part, on an earlier story from January 2015 on NJ.com that the Rams had asked Kelly about Foles’s availability in a trade.
http://www.nj.com/eagles/index.ssf/2015/01/eagles_nick_foles_draws_mixed_reviews_from_nfl_coa.html
And, yes, Elliott Shorr-Parks reported the Rams-Foles story in 1/15.
(No blind squirrel jokes, please.)
The punchlines to those blind squirrel jokes are just nuts.
Hey, they’re looking for you.
Are broken clock jokes acceptable?
Blind groundhog?
No jokes, but are mathematical theorems okay?
Give an Elliott Shorr-Parks a typewriter and an infinite amount of time and he will almost surely write an accurate report about the Eagles.
(GEagle is currently attempting an experiment on this theorem with his 30+ posts per day)
Holy shit! I watched that replay of the Jets coach tripping the player and just noticed it was our very own Nolan Carroll who was the recipient of that dirty play.
Tommy, re: your long introduction to Chip. Of course you are biased, and that is a big reason you get a lot of love from your followers here. Not only do you acknowledge a bias, you advertise it, and most of us share it. That was a great piece you wrote from a removed position.
So I’m halfway through Carol Dweck’s book Mindset – yes this is the basis for CK’s culture. She has a whole chapter devoted to Sports and it all is becoming clear. Interesting and so far quick read. IMO, lots to take in outside of just sports.
worth buying?
Yes. It really makes you ask yourself some questions about yourself and your own abilities. Thoughtful research, but the book isn’t so much the research as it is a summary of it using examples we see in everyday life.
What if I am lazy? Won’t it make me feel bad?
the resistance from the establishment to change is s common theme in all walks of life. The best example I can think of is when Lord Kelvin (yes the dude who the measure of temperature is named after) claimed that there was nothing new to discover in physics… Within a few decades quantum mechanics was established. And yes Einstein was developing relativity at about the same time.
“God doesn’t play dice…” Science, by its very nature, tends to be very conservative. Ideas and theories that have built up substantial inertia through years of acceptance (or through well respected advocates) will require substantial evidence to challenge.
That is an interesting perspective, I never thought about it that way but it is true.
There is a saying that a theory can never die until the theorist who came up with it does. In other words, no matter how much evidence accumulates, people will believe in what they believe in, because this is how people do.
LOL, I got trolled heavy by the Birds 24/7 moderator for criticizing Huber. Go look at the comments
You’ve been warned, Tommy
That was highly entertaining. Loved the back and forth.
which article? who is Huber?
did you get banned? I don’t see any of your comments there.
No, sorry, the B24/7 page link, from fathers day (Sunday)
“Golden Tate’s 16-game pace stats in the five games Calvin Johnson was limited in or missed last season were 125-1,917-10.” — Why chip kelly doesn’t need to spend money on WRs.
So you’re saying we should trade for Megatron because he’s under performing and injury prone..?
Exactly. Though those numbers look like djax numbers.
But can he block?
My god the most hilarious news would be Chip benching Megatron for Pooper. I think my sides and head would explode at the same time if that happened.
His stats last year ended up being: 99, 1,331, 4
Pretty disappointed by the the Philadelphia Magazine piece all around. Nothing terribly new or insightful, not particularly well written, and capped it off with an unannounced visit to Kelly’s private residence which I thought was in poor taste. They write some interesting pieces from time-to-time but this wasn’t one of them.
I agree. He writes it like wow, I found the guy’s house. that isn’t news.
You mean stalking isn’t considered news?
ha. But really it’s written like he uncovered a lot of stuff. And he didn’t. He uncovered that Chip sits on the couch and watches tv just like the rest of us.
more of a hobby lol
It bugs me that when Chip’s dad declines to talk about Chip, Huber doesn’t feel like an ass digging for gossip from his subject’s polite and elderly father, what he really regrets is not asking a follow-up question after he was declined..
It shows not only that he’s a bad person, but a bad journalist too.
lol, i try not to be too judgey, it’s a job that makes a living off of famous people, and unfortunately for famous people that comes with the territory. I just wish they left the families alone.
I think it takes a certain kind of jerk-ness to be a journalist. “Bad” person is an overstatment for parallel sentence structure.
If you’ve known professional news people or journalists, you might agree (and they would probably agree too).
That jerk-ness allows them to do their job. —scoop up dirt on Chip Kelly? Track down his dad! That’s the gig.
But then the guy’s there and he doesn’t even do the minimum of what the job entails -asking a single question. That’s doing a bad job.
Chip Talk
Posted: June 24th, 2015 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 144 Comments
Love him or hate him, Chip Kelly continues to be a compelling figure.
Tommy, what is not to love about this coach?
He has to be the most talked about coach in Football and his methods are proven to work on the highest level.
Everything he has done, is to put this team in the best position possible to win games now, and he had not mortgaged our future in doing so.
If you think about all that he has accomplished in his first two seasons, without having a cast of players that he feels are “wired right” or that has fully bought in on his vision of what a professional NFL team should look and play like.
What I find most intriguing is that he not only wants skilled players at any given position, but no matter how good a player is, if he does not conform to the way Chip wants his players to act like, on and off the field, he would rather have a different player who fully buys in , or they will not make this team.
He is not intimidated by Diva players, who try and dictate how they wish to be treated as Chip has shown us all that trying to get around, or trying to use perceived leverage will not work.
The level of character Chip demands should also reduce the chances of players getting in any kind of trouble on or off the field.
Once again, how can you not love a coach who holds his players to such high standards as Chip clearly does.
I think we are going to see what happens when Chip has what he feels is a capable QB running his offense and players surrounding him that will run through walls to win for this coach.
I foresee many wins this season coming by way of high scoring leaving opponents in catch up mode as we are changing gears.
And I expect our defense will be good, which should also bode well for the W L column.
IMO this Eagles team is going to really good and the real question should be how good will they be?
It’s a 2 sides of the coin thing. Everyone see’s the same coin, but most only really see 1 side. Genius/Madness, competitive/jerk, private/un-personable, or the big one I think Chip boils down to: confident/arrogant. Same attributes but with positive/negative connotations. In sports these thing tend to be sorted out in hindsight based on results. In real time these things are all based on perspective.
If you strongly identify as a traditionalist, or consider the nfl a player’s league and things to that nature you will hate Chip and think he’s arrogant for casually dismissing things like time of possession and talented players. Those people won’t like Chip if they aren’t Eagles fans ( who balance out to an even skeptical if they are both of these things).
Well said Ark87. TRUTH.
Andrew Brandt has an article saying why didn’t Chip extend Bradford as part of the trade. Makes no sense to me. His basis for Bradford wanting an extension is stupid. If you made $50M and are going into Chip Kelly’s system, why would you take a cheaper deal? You don’t need long-term security for your family. Not mentioning Bradford’s rookie deal makes the whole article stupid.
I typically really like Brandt’s articles so I’m not bashing him.
For those who don’t visit there, BGN has a cool article about the legend of Norm Willey.
http://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2015/6/25/8840425/philadelphia-eagles-norm-willey-seventeen-sacks-one-game-1952-legend-philadelphia
That is the most logical move. I don’t know why people are head over heels for Mudiay when he hasn’t faced legit competition and played in the worst basketball league China has to offer
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Also would be interesting to see what Kinkie does if the Lakers grab Russell at #2. I feel like Hinkie’s inner NBA2K child will come out and he will deal the pick and once again another shitbag season of Sixers basketball to come.
I agree which is why part of me wants the Lakers to pick Russell. Because then Hinkie will Hinkie, and it will be glorious.
I am with you Rob I am dying to see what Hinkie would do in that scenario.
Think hinkie is going to get back into the lottery via a range of 2nd picks and salary dumps for playoff teams, think that is where the action happens.
Think Hinkie takes the best player at the top of the draft, he has done that with Noel and Embiid i think he will continue to.
So with that logic then the Sixers would take Russell if he is there but what is he goes 2 and Okafor is there at 3, would Hinkie really pull the trigger on another big man?
Looks like you got the first part of your wish so far!
sh#t when is he going to do his Hinkie thing.
this is such a misinformed post
What exactly is misinformed in that post?. Have you seen that much tape of Mudiay? Did you know I’m right that the league he played in in China was horrendous. Are you going to tell me the level of competition he faced out there was more challenging then the American players Russell played with?
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You have your right to your opinion but just going off what we know of the 2 players I don’t get how anybody thinks Mudiay is better.
Why would you of all people question GEAGLE’s thoughtful, restrained posts? At least he comes up with something every 90 seconds to post!
And if anyone should be providing constructive criticism to other posters, it’s our own GEAGLE.
Best hope LA doesn’t take him.
Eagles are signing G/C John Moffitt per Ross Jones of Fox Sports. Moffitt is a former 3rd round pick of SEA. Has played in DEN’s zone-blocking system. Bigger guy though at 6-5 319. Had substance issues in the past which led to his retirement but he’s apparently past those and has been training with Jay Glazer for a comeback. Don’t think Chip would sign him if he wasn’t convinced his issues are likely to stay in the past.
Any specifics on those issues? Weakness with drugs?
He is committed to excellence which means no drugs. Is he good enough for a Chip Team? We will see.
FYI – Stoutland likes his film.
I let it go the first time I saw you post this, but now the second time… “weakness” for drugs is an incredibly shitty and outdated way to look at addiction.
It is how Tommy LaSorda explained the Darryl Strawberry’s poor decision making. I’ll stick with it. Especially for folks with access to unlimited levels of high quality health care to address all of the components of addiction.
Is he any good, I have never heard of him.
Talented kid.. Mauler in the run game. Not as athletic as Molk or Kelce, but he is significantly more talented then Molk, much stronger .. big Strong Kid who unlike Molk Also brings Guard versatility… IMO at this stage, he is the most talented backup center we could have hoped to add at Camp… If he gets in shape and stays clean he should easily beat Molk
Thanks, sounds like a good versatile kid added to the interior of the line. Like it.
Man, with Kelce injury history I was scared to death about going into the season with Molk and Vandervelde as his back ups.. If Mofitt plays to his talent level he should have no problem making my our roster and makese feel much better about kelce’s backup
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I’m happy enough with him just being able to backup Kelce, but I wonder if he has any impact on the Guard
Competition?
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We already had a strong #2 team offensive line, he should make it even more talented…
I think of him more as a guard that has some center versatilty than vice versa.
Chip likes him and his story. He will be given a chance to prove himself. I personally think he has a great chance.
Let’s see what he can do. Then decide if he is worthy to contribute for a Chip team.
Good thing Mofitt allegedly had a “lead foot” when I posted about signing him LOL… Welcome to the team kid, glad to have you, stay clean and make sure Molk and Vandervelde NEVER make our roster again
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Awesome signing! Some Girth and legit NFL talent at backup center with Guard versatility. Kid is a Mauler in the run game. happy to add him to training camp, hopefully he pans out and makes the roster. Best backup center on our roster
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Thrilled with this signing, hopefully his Deamons are in the past. We suck at center behind Kelce, I assume he makes the roster as long as his issues are really behind him…
If he’s done being weak with drug use, I’d love to see him win a starting guard job. I don’t trust Barbre / Tobin as our starters.
It was a joke.
Or did you miss the 2 inch picture of Frankenstein and the link to his combine numbers?
Not very observant
Haha. I missed the picture and didn’t click through to the link -so he’s not the only jerk that missed the joke!
But, yeah, for a guy who spouts off “inside knowledge” with 15 predictions a day let’s give him his moment as a scouting genius on this one.
And no blind squirrel jokes.
You didn’t post about signing him.
Here’s what you wrote, and you won’t find the word “sign” in your comment, just “sniffing”:
OPPORTUNITY might be Knocking Boys.. Retired(Drug problem) former All American G/C out of Wisconsin Mofit drafted in 2011 by seattle is looking to make a comeback… talented guy, probably dwarfs Vandervelde and Molk in terms of center ability.. Mauler type in the run game (320lbs).. Wouldn’t mind sniffing around the kid seeing where his head is at..
Warren Sapp is being charged with domestic abuse for “hitting and stomping on his girlfriend in Vegas”?
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This fat 300lb slob stomped on a woman weighing 200lb less then him? Are you kidding? Can a human be more disgusting?
Yes, he can be drafted instead of Sapp, cost additional picks, suck at his job, and sexually harass bar staff during training camp.
Okafor huh, anyone think Sixers keep him? Seems like trade bait to me.
Looks like they’re keeping him.
Wonder how that’s going to work. Either they’re really worried about Embiid’s foot or they’re trying to build a monster PF/C rotating trio.