When giving Chip Kelly total control of player personnel, Jeffrey Lurie made the same mistake he had made twice before. Under Ray Rhodes, Lurie gave him full control. He did the same thing with Andy Reid and Chip Kelly. The outlier here seems to be Reid, who took the Eagles on the best run they’ve ever had. But then, he wanted more power. And the team suffered because of that.
As we look back at this season, we could say the same thing about Chip Kelly. The season was an unmitigated disaster from start to finish, despite very few bright spots. Even those bright spots were dark. And it sounds like Lurie might not make that same mistake the fourth time.
Now, we’ve all looked at Lurie as a rock solid owner who everybody respects. What he did last year in giving Kelly total control of the team and shoving Howie Roseman to the corner was very unlike himself, if we’re to believe the reports from the time. Chip’s Chief of Staff, James Harris, was also let go. Is Lurie trying to regain control of his sinking ship? Or does he just not know what the hell to do next?
Make no mistake, this wasn’t about Chip wanting to leave. He was forced to leave.
About The Author
Nick Piccone has covered Philly sports and events for over 14 years. He founded Bleeding Brotherly Love in April 2011, and renamed it Bleed Philly in 2013. In 2015, he joined Sean Brace in launching Philly Influencer, which quickly became a top Philly sports and culture website. He covered professional wrestling for PhillyVoice from 2015-2021, and co-launched The Straight Shooters podcast in 2015, covering the entire pro wrestling industry. He also produces content for Fox Sports Radio Philadelphia and the Villanova Sports Radio Network. He grew up in South Philadelphia and South Jersey, and is a graduate of Neumann University.
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Nick Piccone
Ray Rhodes never had full control. You based your premise on a vague headline but obviously didn’t read the whole article. Way to go.
Yep, you’re right. “After last season, Rhodes made it clear that he would make the decisions on personnel moves. If he was going to be accountable for the team’s record, then he wanted to pick his players.”
That might be what he wanted, but it’s not what he got. First, there was Dick Daniels. Then, there was Tom Modrak. Rhodes never had the power Reid had.