Chip Kelly has spoken.
Again.
One day after Eagles owner Jeff Lurie met the media, Kelly spent a full hour in front of the microphones Wednesday at the NFL Owners meetings in Phoenix.
Kelly answered all the questions. He explained the money behind dealing away the team's all-time rushing leader LeSean McCoy and replacing him with two big-money backs, including DeMarco Murray. He said the team actually wanted to keep Nick Foles while adding Sam Bradford, but the Rams wanted some players at the last minute. He stressed the team is very high on the seemingly always-injured Bradford's potential, without necessarily saying he will in fact be the Eagles starting QB. He indicated Jeremy Maclin got too rich for the Eagles' blood. And maybe most important of all, he touched on the touchy issue of control of the roster and personnel.
It's clear that now lies totally in Kelly's hands, with Howie Roseman clearly in a lesser role. But Kelly backed up what Lurie said, that Roseman is still a key part of the team and that he values his input.
All of it certainly sounds like a master plan for the Eagles' franchise.
So why am I still not convinced.
Why do I fear Kelly is in fact thrashing around in the NFL personnel wars, being taken advantage of by more experienced front office types.
And why do I still have the nagging feeling that Kelly still is plotting a master coup on Draft Day to get the guy he covets, Oregon QB Marcus Mariota, to run his much-debated 'system.'
I hope I'm wrong. I hope all of this works out. Certainly bedraggled Philly fans looking at a long walk through the desert of the final drabs of both the Sixers and Flyers seasons, and the less-than-optimistic outlook for the Phillies, want the Eagles and Kelly to deliver.
Right now all we can do is wait. And hope.
In Chip We Trust.
Do we really have any other choice?
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