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One of the keys to Chip Kelly‘s success will be the play of Jason Kelce. He came on as a rookie, solidified the line as a starter and spent last season on the sidelines after a knee injury. Kelce is the anchor of the line and the team needs him at full strength, especially with all the adjustments inherent in Kelly’s system. A report came out yesterday that Kelce sat out practice with muscle fatigue.
This is a problem for more than one reason. Kelce had all last year to rehab from his knee injury. He knew what would be expected when he arrived in camp. He knew this system would make him more active, and fatigue is not an acceptable reason to miss time. Is this the start of more problems with his physical conditioning? If he can’t take camp, how can he start an entire game or series of games? How can he start the season?
CSNPhilly reported that Dallas Reynolds and Julian Vandervelde split reps at center in Kelce’s absence. Neither of these names inspire confidence. We saw the results of the Reynolds experiment last season as the line was a horrible mix of sub-par players. The team needs starters across the line and Kelce’s lack of physical conditioning could severely damage their performance in Kelly’s first year.
There is no excuse for a veteran player to miss practice due to fatigue, especially after a season off for rehab. This is bad news for the line and another challenge that Kelly must overcome in his first training camp.
Matt Shaner is a Philadelphia Eagles writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow m on Twitter @MDShanersports, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
