Eagles Wake-Up Call: A Changeup For 2015

We’re always discussing new ideas and ways to improve here at Birds 24/7.

And one thing Tim and I talked about recently was the Wake-Up Call. We get a good amount of questions from you guys in the comments section, on Twitter, via e-mail, etc. But we don’t always get to answer them.

So we’re going to try something new for the Wake-Up Call in the offseason. Each day, we will choose a reader question and make that the topic of the morning post. In the coming months, access to players and coaches is somewhat limited, but as you all know, there’s always something to discuss with this franchise.

You can submit your questions in a variety of ways: in the comments section, on Twitter (@Tim_McManus and @SheilKapadia), via e-mail (tmcmanus@phillymag.com and skapadia@phillymag.com) or on Facebook. We’ll choose one each day and answer it.

One more note: We’ll go through the questions once a month and randomly select a reader for a free Birds 24/7 t-shirt. So be sure to participate!

As always, your feedback is welcome on the new setup.

Now let’s get to today’s question:

@SheilKapadia I really don’t see Chip losing any power after just two years.Clearly Kelly is more important to the @Eagles than Howie?Right?

— John (@jberrodin) January 1, 2015

Here’s what seems to be clear: Jeffrey Lurie wants Chip Kelly to be his head coach and Howie Roseman to be his general manager. What sometimes gets lost in all of this is that Lurie is the ultimate decision-maker. He’s not out in front like Jerry Jones, but Lurie is still calling the shots.

Tom Gamble’s departure provided further proof that no one should underestimate the Lurie-Roseman relationship. We’ve seen multiple coaches and executives come and go: Joe Banner, Andy Reid, Gamble and others. Yet Roseman has stuck around, moved up the organizational ladder and remained in Lurie’s good graces. It doesn’t seem like the owner has considered any development where he’d cut ties with Roseman.

Best-case scenario for Eagles fans: Kelly and Roseman realize that Lurie is the boss, and they work together to move the franchise towards a Super Bowl-caliber team.

But if Kelly isn’t a fan of Lurie’s preferred setup, then there’s no telling whether he’ll want to stick around for an extended period of time. And there’s no doubt that others – both at the college and professional level – will come after him.

Of course, results on the field always have to be factored in. If the Eagles went to the NFC title game this year, would Gamble still be here? Would Kelly’s influence have grown in terms of offseason decision-making and personnel?

The coach doesn’t like dealing in hypotheticals, but those are some of the scenarios to consider when discussing the future of this franchise.

WHAT YOU MISSED

What they’re saying about Roseman, Gamble, Kelly and more.

Making sense of the Gamble move and what it means for Kelly and Roseman.

End of year Eagles awards: MVPs, LVPs, Most Improved and more.

T-Mac on Nick Foles and the durability question.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING

Reuben Frank of CSN Philly offers his take:

Gamble was Chip Kelly’s guy. Kelly made it clear to the Eagles when they were pursuing him for their head coaching job after the 2012 season that he wanted a pure football guy he was comfortable with in the front office, and Gamble, who he had known for years, was at the absolute top of his list.

The Eagles already had a general manager in Roseman, but Kelly has always seen Roseman as a contract guy, a salary cap guy. He wanted Gamble to evaluate players, and he got him.

And here’s Greg Gabriel from the National Football Post:

When you look at how the Eagles have drafted and what they have done in free agency the last two years, a grade of “average” may be too nice. According to some in the know, the scouting department lost clout in the process, and most personnel decisions were made more on coaches’ opinions rather than scouts, with Gamble siding with the coaches.

With the Eagles losing three out of their last four games and missing the playoffs, Roseman had a chance to regain some of his lost control and jumped at it. That meant Gamble was out. It will be interesting to see how the rest of the offseason plays out as far as free agency signings and the draft. I expect Roseman will have a lot more “say” in who the Eagles draft/sign in 2015.

COMING UP

T-Mac, who was the first to report that the Kelly-Roseman relationship had cooled, will offer some additional perspective.