There was a time when the Philadelphia Eagles had a pretty decent roster and was a favorite in the NFC East. That is until Chip Kelly came along. Things didn't start out poorly, but after three seasons, he's proved that he's not cut out for the NFL and must go back to college.
The Kelly era in Philly started out with so much promise. He was bringing the dominant Oregon spread offense to the pros with a tempo that's never been done successfully. Kelly was considered an offensive mastermind and a potential revolutionary to the next level of football.
But then he got a big head.
His stubbornness and need to control everything in the organization, taking over general manager duties on top of his coaching ones, was his undoing. Some coaches can get away with this, such as Bill Belichik of the New England Patriots, but Kelly's style was abrasive, arrogant and, frankly, just plain unsuccessful.
Granted, coming into his job, the roster wasn't great. But it was competitive. And the needs on the team were pretty obvious: fill out the offensive line and build up the defense in key areas.
If he did that, Philly would've easily been the most complete team in the division and a threat in the NFC.
Instead, Kelly took many of the good things on the team and turned them into weaknesses. He traded DeSean Jackson, let go Jeremy Maclin, drafted Marcus Smith with a first-round pick, traded LeSean McCoy and failed to bring in any significant contributors in from the draft or free agency.
All across the board, the more power Kelly acquired in the organization, the more he proved that he's just not cut out to run an NFL team. When the Eagles brass asked him to take less responsibility so they could hire a GM, he scoffed and showed how full of himself he is.
Personally, I don't think any front office in the NFL is going to want to give him the keys to the castle again. I know I wouldn't.
All in all, Kelly might get some interviews. But I think teams are going to realize he's not fit, in mentality or philosophy, for the pro game.
He needs to go back to college where he has all the say, and is able to do things his way without any complications. That mindset doesn't work in the pros, just like his offense.
