Seth Vigdor
Chip Kelly took full control of the Eagles’ personnel decisions back in January, and with Philadelphia free-falling to the depths of hell this season, decisions and moves that were made under Howie Roseman are starting to look not as bad, save for Marcus Smith. The NFL is apparently taking notice of this, too.
NFL Insider Mike Garafalo is reporting that Roseman could draw interest around the league. Per Garafalo:
Since Chip Kelly sought and received control of the Philadelphia Eagles’ personnel department back in January, executive VP of football operations Howie Roseman hasn’t said a word publicly.
Right now, the Eagles’ season and Kelly’s declining popularity in Philly are saying plenty.
It’s fair to wonder whether the Eagles are worse off as an organization now that Kelly has final say on personnel. From the Sam Bradford trade to the signing of DeMarco Murray and Byron Maxwell, many of Kelly’s moves have flopped. And considering the team was in much better standing when Roseman was in charge, that only makes the former GM look better.
And not just inside the Eagles’ building. There’s talk around the league Roseman could draw interest elsewhere, depending on which positions open. That’s because, from the outside, other owners are seeing the mess Kelly is overseeing right now and realizing Roseman was doing a fine job as GM. And let’s not forget how many teams wanted a shot at Kelly for a few years but that Roseman and owner Jeff Lurie were able to nab him.
Sure, it backfired for Roseman because Kelly staged a coup after only two years, but he was one of the biggest coaching hires in recent history. It even took patience and some finesse because Kelly initially balked, perhaps in part because he wouldn’t have full control over personnel. (Not yet, anyway.)
Depending on how the Eagles’ final month-plus plays out, this could be a delicate situation for Lurie. Since he bought the team in 1994, there have been a number of front-office shuffles that resulted in veteran decision-makers getting fired. Yet, Roseman survived, albeit in a marginalized role. There’s a reason for that — Lurie has a tremendous relationship with Roseman and wanted him as a safety net in case Kelly the GM failed.
If other clubs come calling for Roseman, Lurie might have to decide whether to stay patient with Kelly or make a quick move so he doesn’t lose Roseman.
It’s a fascinating dynamic and it could be very interesting to watch.”
Chip Kelly was so concerned with bringing in his type of guy that he gutted this Eagles team by getting rid of their best players – players that Roseman, along with Andy Reid to a certain extent, brought in. It was a major gamble that had a very big chance to fail and a minuscule chance to succeed, only because we’ve never seen anything like it in the NFL.
Right now, it’s not looking good. But, Chip should be given time to right the ship, and that’s where we’re at right now.
So, will Roseman ever get that power back? It’s not likely. Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie and Roseman are close, but I don’t think that would prevent Sir Howie of heading elsewhere to do the job Lurie tabbed him for before Kelly came on board. I’m sure Roseman will end up somewhere, but I’m not convinced it’ll be here. Roseman’s had issues with the last two coaches here, and that’s probably drama that’s not even worth going back to.
With USC hiring a new head coach and Les Miles staying at LSU, along with Chip saying he hasn’t talked to any colleges, it’s becoming more and more likely that Kelly will stay in the NFL. But, will it be with the Eagles? And if it’s not, will Lurie let his boy Roseman get away? Do you really want the distraction of Howie Roseman coming back to the team? I don’t. So if another team in the league wants to take a shot with Roseman, get ‘er done.