LeSean McCoy has his theory on why Chip Kelly has gotten rid of so many popular Philadelphia Eagles players the past two seasons. He thinks it’s a matter of Kelly clashing with star players.
“I don’t think he likes or respects the stars. I’m being honest,” McCoy told The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane on Monday. “I think he likes the fact that it’s ‘Chip Kelly and the Eagles.’ ”
McCoy says he has not spoken with Kelly since being traded to Buffalo, but that’s because he did not pick up the phone either time the coach called him. He also was confused by the team’s motivation for trading him. Kelly said it was a matter of money, while owner Jeffrey Lurie said McCoy wasn’t Kelly’s preferred style of running back. McCoy leans towards believing Lurie’s explanation, which seemed to be validated by the contract the Eagles gave DeMarco Murray.
McCoy’s comments make it seem like Kelly finds it difficult to manage the star players.
“The tension – the this or that – he doesn’t like that. He don’t like the way you dress.”
In addition to trading McCoy, Kelly got rid of DeSean Jackson, and he also let Jeremy Maclin walk in free agency.
Despite McCoy’s theory, I think there’s a better explanation for all of this. Kelly probably feels like wide receivers are the easiest to plug into his system, so he finds no reason to pay guys like Jackson or Maclin big money. As for McCoy, he was able to get a great player in return, and he was able to sign other running backs he believes will be effective.
The way I would equate it is this: Does Billy Beane trading away big-name players mean he doesn’t like star players? Or does he just run his team in a way he believes is the most effective cost-wise? I think that’s what Kelly is doing. It probably also doesn’t hurt him to have fewer large personalities around either.
