Eagles News: Comparing Chip Kelly to Bill Walsh

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Memorial Day and Football - The MMQB
Kelly and Walsh each entered the league with cutting-edge offensive systems that many pundits deemed too finesse-oriented or pass-happy to succeed. Leaping from Stanford to the 49ers in 1979, Walsh believed that his offensive scheme could make up for San Francisco’s talent shortcomings, but he quickly realized that the same could not be said on the other side of the ball. In his second and third drafts, after starting his pro career 2–14, Walsh spent 14 of his 22 picks on defensive players, with 13 of those coming in the first six rounds. Likewise, in his second and third drafts with the Eagles, Kelly (who likely subscribes to Walsh’s belief that he can scheme his way out of any offensive talent deficiencies) spent 10 of his 13 selections on the defensive side of the ball.

Having Tebow is a plus for Eagles - Inquirer
Is Kelly smarter than everyone else, or is he just amusing himself by taking a whack at the puzzle to see if he can solve it? I don't think this is any lab experiment. I think Kelly looked at Tebow's college career, in which he completed 67.1 percent of his passes, and figured he could finagle a compromise between Tebow's pro and college numbers. If he could get Sanchez, who had completed 55 percent of his passes, to complete 64 percent for the Eagles, why couldn't Tebow do the same in a very specific set of read-option play packages designed just for him? There is no reason why not.

Fan-Demonium: Lessons For The Draft Class - PE.com
Not all players have the same drive as Johnson. That was the big issue with Watkins. He was willing to work hard, but he wasn't driven to be a great football player. He liked football, but he loved firefighting. That was his passion. Watkins saw football as a way to make good money. Being a professional football player is not easy. It is not anywhere close to being easy. You need a certain amount of dedication to succeed. Watkins didn't have it and it showed. He was naturally talented enough to be an outstanding player in college, but the NFL is the best of the best. Watkins lack of passion for the game kept him from being the level of player he needed to be. The talent was there. The desire was not.

Early Birds: State of the Roster: Defensive line - Inquirer
The strength of the Eagles’ defense was up front last season and Chip Kelly predictably did little to supplement the unit this offseason. Not one free agent was signed and a defensive lineman wasn’t selected until the seventh round of the draft. Mihalik is an intriguing prospect. It’s unlikely he’ll crack the 53-man roster, though. He spent most of his career at Boston College as an edge rusher and will have to learn how to two-gap as a four-technique defensive end in the Eagles’ scheme. Mihalik has impressive length (6-foot-9), but after seeing him for the first time during rookie camp, it’s clear he’ll need time to bulk up. He has narrow shoulders.

Projecting the Eagles' starters on defense - NJ.com
No Mychal Kendricks? That would have been hard to believe at this time last year, as he has the talent to be a serious playmaker for the Eagles. With Kelly's love for Ryans, and the team's acquisition of Alonso, however, it's hard to see Kendricks breaking into the starting unit. A trade of Kendricks is possible, especially if another team finds themselves in desperate need of inside linebacker help during training camp.

NFC East Roundup: Shanahan Talks RGIII - Birds 24/7
Here’s a look at the latest from around the NFC East: Mike Shanahan offered some thoughts on his former quarterback, Robert Griffin III, during a recent radio appearance.

How the 2015 NFL Draft reshaped every team's depth chart - SB Nation
The Philadelphia Eagles have undergone a bigger change than almost any team in the league over the past couple seasons. Head coach Chip Kelly is making this his roster and with a completely rebuilt offense, will the team find success? That likely has a lot to do with whether or not Sam Bradford can actually play a season without succumbing to injuries.

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