Philadelphia Eagles coaching rumors: Chip Kelly said to be at the top of the list

It was reported by Jason LaCanfora of CBS sports last week and now locally by Zach Berman of the Inquirer who cites 2 NFL senior personnel officials who identify Oregon Ducks coach Chip Kelly is the Eagles prime target in their search to replace Andy Reid.

The Cleveland Browns, led by Joe Banner, are said to be the other team with their sights set on Kelly. La Canfora says it's still "50/50" whether Kelly would even want to leave the college ranks at this point.

The Ducks will play in the Fiesta Bowl on Thursday, so if Kelly starts taking NFL interviews, they should happen pretty quickly after that. The Eagles have scheduled interviews with the 3 Falcons coordinators on Wednesday in Atlanta and so far have nothing confirmed beyond that.

Kelly has complied a 45-7 record since taking over Oregon, building them into a perennial national title contender. He's become known for his meticulous practices and preparation as much for his innovative style and ideas as well as aggressiveness.

Have you ever read football stats guys writing about why teams should go for it more on fourth down or try 2 point conversions more often? Chip Kelly does that. He's in many ways just like your typical football coach in that he's obsessive about the game and preparation, but he's also very different in trying new things in a game that aggressively tries to stay the same.

And before any makes the argument that his so called "gimmicky" offense can't working in the NFL... Go watch the Patriots, it already is working. They lead the league in points per game and yards per game and have done so running concepts very similar to what Kelly does at Oregon.

Now, a fair argument against Kelly is that the only NFL stadiums he's ever stepped into would have been ones he bought a ticket to. He's never been in the NFL in any capacity and it is very different from the college game. There's a long line of college coaches that have jumped to the NFL and failed to adjust or connect with pro players. There's also guys who have done it, with Dick Vermiel being the most notable example here in Philadelphia.