Chip: Johnson Not Impacted By New Proposal

Player reps could vote on  a new drug proposal Friday that, if passed, would lead to the reinstatement of certain players currently suspended as a result of a failed drug test.

Is Lane Johnson one of the players that would be impacted by the new agreement?

“From what I understand, no,” said Chip Kelly.

As NFL.com explains, positive tests for drugs such as amphetamines will go from the performance enhancing drug policy to substances of abuse. 

While each case will be considered individually, those who failed tests during the 2014 league year (Wes Welker, Orlando Scandrick, Dion Jordan, Reshad Jones) who wouldn’t have been suspended under the new policy would likely be reinstated immediately.

Johnson, who said he took a prescribed medication without running it past the trainers first, remains in the performance-enhancing drug category. He is eligible to return after the Eagles’ Week-4 matchup at San Francisco.

More On the Replay Hire

Kelly confirmed that he has added former ACC senior replay official Frank Kosman to the staff to help with challenge situations on game days. 

“Just want to get better at every aspect,” said Kelly. “I analyze everything after the season and how do we improve on what we did the year before, and just thought that was the right way to go.”

Kelly clarified that while Pat Shurmur was the one communicating with Kelly from the coaches box last year, the decision on whether to challenge was a collective effort. He also made the point that gathering visual evidence in potential challenge situations can be easier for a viewer on their couch than it is for a coaching staff on the road.

“The other misconception that goes on there, we don’t get the same feed all the time that the people on TV get.  So when you get, hey, you should have challenged that because on TV they got that,” he said. “We’re governed by the feed that we get in the box.  There have been some games I’ve asked should we challenge, and the guys in the box say we haven’t seen a replay yet.  And it always seems like it happens when we’re on the road.  I don’t know how that happens.  But it’s interesting that we never get an opportunity sometimes.  But it’s happened in two cities [last] year when I wanted to challenge it, but we didn’t get a replay.  So it’s tough for those guys to tell me.  And we’re not going to challenge it because it is taking a timeout, if they haven’t seen it.  We’re not going to guess on what we saw.  And the replay is huge, but you have to be able to see the replay.  I know in two specific incidences we didn’t get any replays in the booth.”

That shouldn’t be the case. Here are the league rules regarding the replay process:

It is mandatory that all clubs provide television monitors in the press box booths used by both coaching staffs. The visiting team must be provided with the same number and size color television monitors as the home team. Each coaches’ booth must have at least two (2) monitors, one of which must be at least 32 inches. All television monitors must be high definition units. No additional replay capability is permitted other than that provided by the televising network.

The network television feed used in the coaches’ booths will be supplied directly from the network television truck, minimizing the delay between live play and the broadcast. This feed is identical to the feed used in the Instant Replay Booth. Prior to each game, the Instant Replay Technician, a League employee, will be responsible for confirming that both coaches’ booths have the correct video feed.

Yet time and again, visiting teams have had a tough time getting the appropriate replay angles.

“That’s why we play eight games at home and eight games on the road,” said Kelly, “because everything evens out, right?”