LeSean McCoy: Chip Kelly does not respect the stars
LeSean McCoy is the latest former Eagle who is not shy to voice his issues with head coach Chip Kelly.
Chip Kelly has been no stranger to controversy, after a flurry of moves in his first two seasons have significantly shaken up the look of the Philadelphia Eagles.
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The first domino to fall was sending Pro Bowl receiver DeSean Jackson to the Washington Redskins last offseason. Jackson has always been a controversial player, who had allegedly cussed out his new head coach, along with other temper tantrums. But Kelly’s handling of the matter earned him instant critics in the media.
The hype surrounding Kelly and the Eagles’ offseason moves was amped up significantly this year, sending the 2013 rushing champ and 2014 runner-up LeSean McCoy to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for promising 24-year old linebacker Kiki Alonso. Within 24 hours, they released another Pro Bowler in wide receiver Jeremy Maclin.
The two moves sent the media into a frenzy, with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith going so far as to suggest that the moves symbolize a problem that Kelly has with black players.
McCoy would not go that far, but he did admit that he believes Kelly has a problem handling stars.
"“I don’t think he likes or respects the stars, I’m being honest,” McCoy told The Philadelphia Inquirer regarding head coach Chip Kelly. “I think he likes the fact that it’s Chip Kelly and the Eagles.”"
McCoy’s statement might have some merit to it, if not for the fact that he was replaced by the only running back to finish the 2014 season with more rushing yards than him last season, DeMarco Murray.
In addition to adding, Murray, the man who Philly got in return for the McCoy trade is a high-profile player himself. Alonso is considered to be one of the elite linebackers and rising defensive stars in the NFL, so the ‘Chip Kelly has a problem with stars’ argument falls on its face here as well.
The reality is, the Eagles made moves that bettered their team, not moves to rid themselves of star players. Not only did Philadelphia upgrade its defense with the McCoy trade, it improved its offense shortly after. Not only is Murray the reigning NFL rushing champ, he is also the downhill runner and power back that Kelly’s high-powered offense was lacking last season.
Sorry LeSean, but Chip Kelly’s moves have nothing to do with a problem regarding star players. They were simply business moves, and ones that have made the Eagles a potential contender in 2015.
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