For fans of the Philadelphia Eagles, it probably seems ridiculous to suggest that Chip Kelly's roster overhaul this offseason hasn't already been discussed, picked apart, eviscerated and reassembled, argued ad nauseum and just generally beaten into a bloody, senseless media-driven pulp.
But for most NFL fans outside the tri-state area, what Kelly has done in Philly, while intriguing, likely hasn't garnered the same type of headline domination.
As such, Peter King's suggestion that Kelly's revamping of the Eagles skill positions is an offseason story most have paid "far too little attention to" to this point seems not only ridiculous, but outright wrong.
King's suggestion that the Eagles could be putting together a top rushing team in 2015, on the other hand, seems right on point.
"Added: running backs DeMarco Murray (the number one rusher in the league in 2014) and Ryan Mathews (number seven in 2013), first-round receiver Nelson Agholor. Subtracted: running back LeSean McCoy, wideout Jeremy Maclin. With Murray, Mathews and Darren Sproles-who, I'm told, is still a major favorite of Chip Kelly-I think you'll see the Eagles be a top three rushing team in 2015. That is: If they're efficient at it, the Eagles will be in the top three in the NFL in rushing attempts this year," King writes.
Kelly replaced the shifty, make-em'-miss McCoy with a pair of one-cut-and-go runners with the ability to break tackles in Murray and Mathews. Sproles, despite his diminutive stature, has a very similarly physical, foot-in-the-ground running style.
In short, Kelly pretty clearly wants to eat up yardage in the run game, post continually positive plays and use it as the engine for a smart, powerful offense.
"We want to get back to running the ball," Eagles running back coach Duce Staley said recently, via Sheil Kapadia of PhillyMag.com. "We want to get back to just taking over the line of scrimmage. You do that of course with the offensive line. And you do that with good running backs."
Kelly's focus on the run game really isn't new and won't just be to take advantage of his new offensive toys, though - as King notes, it could serve the dual role of aiding recently acquired quarterback Sam Bradford's return from his second ACL tear of his left knee.
"In Kelly's first two seasons as an NFL coach, his Eagles were fifth in 2013 and seventh in 2014 in rushing attempts per game. With a quarterback, Sam Bradford, that the Eagles don't want to expose to more punishment than necessary, and a potential workhorse back in Murray, the Eagles are strong candidates to run the ball more than half of the offensive snaps. That's something no one thought Kelly would do as an NFL coach."
Kelly has proven time and again during his short NFL career that he's willing to do whatever it takes to win. Whether that means spreading it out and running the rock or crafting a high-flying aerial attack, Kelly will put together whatever gameplan allows the Eagles to score points and walk away with a 'W.'
With Kelly in full control of the Philly personnel, allowing him to finally bring in his preferred type of bruising ballcarrier and affording him the ability to take a long view of the process of assimilating Bradford into his offense, it seems now more than ever that the running game will get an even larger share of the limelight for the Eagles in 2015.
