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Philadelphia Eagles Fix Their Mistake By Giving Chip Kelly Full Control

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Maybe the Philadelphia Eagles heard me. On Friday afternoon I discussed how owner Jeffrey Lurie made the wrong the decision in siding with former general manager Howie Roseman in his ongoing power struggle with head coach Chip Kelly. However by Friday night, Lurie seemingly changed his mind and made some important structural moves within the front office.

Roseman received a “promotion” and a contract extension to become the Executive Vice President of Football Operations, where he will manage the salary cap and negotiate contracts, along with being in charge of the equipment and training staff. However, he will have no say in player personnel.

That job now belongs 100 percent to Kelly.

So, is it really a promotion when a guy goes from having a say in which players will be on the field for the Eagles to managing the equipment and training staff?

Lurie made a bold move, but it was the correct one. Kelly always had final say in roster decisions from the moment he signed his contract in February of 2013, yet Roseman was heavily involved on the on-field product as well. Now Kelly will put together his own player personnel staff, and his first task will be replacing the recently fired Tom Gamble. The new incumbent will likely receive the general manager role.

Giving Kelly the definitive power is very unusual for a guy entering just his third NFL season come September. He essentially has the same control Bill Belichick has with the New England Patriots. While the decision is a wise one, there is no denying the pressure that will be on Kelly starting immediately.

After going 20-12 in his first two seasons but failing to make the postseason this year, Kelly must fix the holes that are on this roster. The secondary needs the biggest band-aid, as you can argue that three starting positions need to be filled. Safety Malcolm Jenkins is the only player who is safe.

On top of that, Riley Cooper did not belong in the starting lineup this season, and as a result Kelly and the Eagles need to take a serious look at bringing in another threat to start opposite Jeremy Maclin (who the team still needs to sign). Jordan Matthews still belongs in the slot for the time being.

This team is not far off, but they are not as close as the teams that will be fighting for a Super Bowl this season. Kelly was just given a ton of power, and now he must come through.

Max Zelenko is a Philadelphia Eagles/NFL writer for www.Rantsports.com. Follow him on twitter @maxzelenko, “Like” him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.

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