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Eagles Report: The Genius of Chip Kelly

It's not always sunny in Philadelphia, particularly as training camp opened. But the weather couldn't slow down the efficiency of Chip Kelly and the Eagles

The Eagles worked through the rain on Saturday. (Michael Perez/AP)

The Eagles worked through the rain on Saturday. (Michael Perez/AP)

When you walk onto Chip Kelly’s practice field, you enter one of the most unique experiences in football anywhere. So as a football junkie, I was excited. And it lived up to the billing, not only because of the fast pace but it was also a multi-sensory experience with non-stop music. But something was missing (again, just like the Ravens): the real fans. Sure, there were some sponsors and youth outreach groups on hand, but the general public has only three opportunities to watch practice this summer—and none of them are at the NovaCare Facility (two sessions at Lincoln Financial Field; another at Franklin Field). I’m sure there are logistical reasons at play, but for a team that trained in the open at Lehigh for so long, it’s tough to see.

One vivid memory from watching practice

LeSean McCoy is a freak of nature. It’s one thing to watch the reigning NFL rushing champion shake, shimy and cut on a dime during a game. But to see him do it up close, in a meaningless non-padded practice at training camp is something else. I mean, it’s just unnatural, and he does it with such ease, total body control and his vision of the field never wanes. He’s like a great NBA point guard who not only can break ankles with a killer crossover, but is in total command of the floor at the same time.

How this team can go 12–4

Foles hands off to McCoy. The two will do plenty of damage in Kelly's offense again. (Gavin Baker/Icon SMI)

Foles hands off to McCoy. The two will do plenty of damage in Kelly's offense again. (Gavin Baker/Icon SMI)

In order: 1) Former Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins solidifies the deep middle of the field and has great chemistry with either Nate Allen or Earl Wolff, whoever is at the other spot; 2) They find a more consistent pass rush between the defensive line and outside linebackers; 3) RB LeSean McCoy continues to be great and healthy; 4) Nick Foles comes close to replicating his 27 TD, 2-INT season of a year ago and stays healthy; 5) The combination of WRs Jordan Matthews, Brad Smith and Josh Huff, along with RB Darren Sproles and TE Zach Ertz make DeSean Jackson’s departure a distant memory.

How this team can go 4–12

The only way this talented team goes 4-12 is if Foles and McCoy are injured for most of the season.

Now, from fantasyland …

1. Former Saints running back Darren Sproles will be lined up all over the field—even with McCoy on the field at the same time—and will definitely get a lot of touches. Sproles, 31, has lost some of the explosiveness that allowed him to run away from defenders, but he’s still quick in a box.

2. Former Jets and Bills receiver Brad Smith was running as the slot receiver on the first day of camp, but it’s only a matter of time before it’s the job of second-round pick Jordan Matthews. The Eagles love him.

3. One of the best emergency fantasy quarterbacks this season could be, yup, former Jets whipping boy Mark Sanchez. He’s clearly ahead of Matt Barkley (who reminds me of Matt Flynn in that his arm will never allow him to be more than a good backup) and looks more comfortable in Kelly’s scheme, which takes a lot of the mental work out of the passing game for quarterbacks. Sanchez’s arm, after labrum surgery, was about 90 percent in offseason practices, but his ball had considerable heat at the start of camp. If Foles goes down, because of how prolific this scheme is, fantasy owners shouldn’t hesitate to pick Sanchez up.

The starters

How I project the lineup, with competitive spots in bold:

 

OFFENSE

WR

Riley Cooper

LT

Jason Peters

LG

Evan Mathis

C

Jason Kelce

RG

Todd Herremans

RT

Allen Barbre (Lane Johnson*)

TE

Brent Celek

WR

Jeremy Maclin

3rdWR

Brad Smith/Jordan Matthews

QB

Nick Foles

RB

LeSean McCoy

TE

Zach Ertz

K

Alex Henery/Carey Spears

 

DEFENSE

LDE

Cedric Thornton

NT

Bennie Logan

RDE

Fletcher Cox

OLB

Connor Barwin

ILB

Mychal Kendricks

ILB

DeMeco Ryans

OLB

Trent Cole

CB

Cary Williams

CB

Bradley Fletcher

SS

Nate Allen/Earl Wolff

FS

Malcolm Jenkins

3rdCB

Brandon Boykin

P

Donnie Jones

Barbre will start during Johnson’s four-game suspension. The last time Barbre started at right tackle to being a season, with the Packers in 2009, it was an unmitigated disaster. But it’s five years later, and the Eagles were buoyed by his 52-snap performance at left tackle against Green Bay in Week 10 last season ... It won’t be long before Matthews is the third receiver … Henery needs to be better than he was last season, so competition is good … Looks like Nate Allen has the edge as strong safety.

Best new player in camp

Malcolm Jenkins, safety. Purely because of what they had last year at the position. You can definitely argue that his former Saints teammate Sproles showed the best, but Jenkins is a huge upgrade on what the Eagles have put on the field at safety for years now. They need him to be very, very good. Not sure if he’s that good, but we’ll see.

Strong opinion that I may regret by November

Nobody will be pining for DeSean Jackson once the season starts. Yes, some fans were up in arms when the Eagles released the popular playmaker, who then signed with rival Washington. But when you combine Kelly’s scheme, which is designed to create space, and the weapons around Foles, the Eagles will be more than fine.

Something I’ve never seen before

MMQB from Eagles Camp

Peter King and The MMQB RV stopped in for the opening of Eagles' training camp. Check out the stories. 

EAGLES CAMP HUB

Kelly runs, by far, the most efficient practice in all of football. There is no wasted time on the field. I mean, why have guys standing around and watching when you do team drills side by side on the same field? And he’s also just smart. At one point, the offensive starters lined up against the

entire

defensive unit. At every defensive position, the four-deep roster was lined up, one behind the other at each position. As the offense was shifting and motioning, the defensive players went through their checks and calls. Each side of the ball only took a few steps into the play, but that’s the most important split second. By having the four-deep defense on the field, the less experienced players could mirror and learn from the players in front of them. That’s just smart. And it’s so simple. That’s the genius of Chip Kelly.

What I thought when I walked out of camp

They're a definite contender because of the improvement on the defensive side of the ball during the second half of last season, but are they good enough to compete with the NFC’s elite? I have serious questions about that. I think the Eagles are a peg below Seattle, San Francisco, Green Bay and New Orleans, but after seeing Washington on Thursday, there’s no doubt the Eagles are the class of the NFC East. To do better than that, Philadelphia needs to show they can match the physicality of the elite. Not sure they’re ready to do that quite yet.

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