Though it would seem clear considering the way he was pursued and acquired this offseason, Eagles coach Chip Kelly cleared up any questions about who has the power over his roster.
Asked Tuesday if he had final say on the 53-man roster which will be carved out this weekend, Kelly’s answer was clear.
“Yeah,” he replied, via Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com.
Kelly was the belle of the offseason ball, taking long lunches and traveling to meet with teams before coming back to the Eagles and their five-year, $32.5 million deal that made him one of the league’s highest-paid coaches.
So it makes sense that he’d have authority, though he says he hasn’t had any conflicts yet with General Manager Howie Roseman, saying they “are on the same page with everything.”
“There hasn’t been a decision that’s been made personnel-wise since I’ve been here where I’ve felt [one] way and he’s felt the other way,” Kelly said. “No, I’m not amazed that it has been [smooth]. If you analyze it, there’s never been a situation when we’ve been going from, ‘It’s this guy or that guy,’ and then two guys are standing on soap boxes saying ‘We’re going one direction, not the other direction.’
“I think when you have guys that are professional and can see the other side of it and understand how it fits in the grand scheme of things, I think he sees the big picture. I see the big picture. So I think that’s why we get along so well.”
Kelly had no NFL experience when he walked in the door, so he was wise to insulate himself with people more familiar with the salary cap and pro personnel.
But since he’s the one reshaping the image of the team, it makes sense that he can shape it as he sees fit.