After two years in the NFL, Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly is no longer the new guy on the block, no longer willing to make concessions as a head coach-in process, still just looking to figure out exactly what it is his team needs to do to take that important next step from good squad to great.
One of the biggest obstacles currently between Kelly and a postseason run as he embarks on his third NFL seasons is a defensive secondary that will feature three new starters, only one of which is set in stone. While safety Malcolm Jenkins and big money free agent cornerback Byron Maxwell form one half of a high-quality starting defensive backfield, the other two spots are pretty much up in the air.
Walter Thurmond and Nolan Carroll seem to be first in line to round out the Philadelphia secondary, but this early in the process, that's almost assured to change.
A player many in the media expected to make a serious run at locking the starting gig next to Jenkins down this offseason, former fifth-round pick Earl Wolff, has struggled to return from a knee injury which required "mini microfracture" surgery.
Kelly, meeting the media today for just the second time since Eagles organized team activities began last week, addressed questions about a bevy of players.
His response in regards to Wolff's prognosis and outlook for the 2015 was telling, according to several Eagles beat writers.
Chip says Wolff was cleared a few weeks ago to do more. It's all about pain tolerance #Eagles
— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) June 9, 2015
IMO that was a shot from Chip to Wolff. Didn't sound too happy Wolff isn't out there. #Eagles — Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) June 9, 2015
Chip said Earl Wolff was cleared by Dr. Andrews "weeks ago," but it's up to Wolff what he can handle in terms of playing through pain. — Jimmy Kempski (@JimmyKempski) June 9, 2015
Chip says Earl Wolff cleared by Dr. Andrews. “It’s what he can tolerate.” Translation: not thrilled with Earl. — Les Bowen (@LesBowen) June 9, 2015
"Earl has done nothing except stretch, so we haven't seen...there is no progress right now," Kelly said, via Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com.
Wolff, who has been working mostly off to the side with the other injured players thus far in OTAs, did take part in position drills Tuesday, per Brandon Lee Gowton of BleedingGreenNation.com.
Former Eagles safety Quintin Mikell is in town as a coaching intern for Philly through training camp and, per Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer, paid Wolff some close attention.
Wolff, still just 25, has appeared in 18 games for the Eagles over two professional seasons. In that time he's amassed 52 tackles, one interception and six passes defensed.
Wolff saw time with the starters in the latter portion of his rookie year as the Eagles made a push for the playoffs, but the knee injury which cost him nine games in 2014 and ultimately resulted in the surgery he underwent this offseason, sidelined him for the remainder of the season and the Birds single playoff game against the New Orleans Saints.
Wolff certainly showed promise during that handful of starts, but his play also made it clear that he needed time to develop and hone his technique.
It doesn't help Wolff's case that Thurmond seems to be making a great impression on Kelly thus far.
"Walt's done a really nice job," Kelly said, via Les Bowen of The Philadelphia Daily News. "He's probably been our most productive guy in the secondary in terms of pass breakups and strips and things like that. He always seems to be around the ball, so he seems like he's fitting in there right now. But again, we still don't have pads on, we're still evaluating guys with helmets and shorts and T-shirts. But he's been very productive so far."
If Mikell, new defensive backs coach Corey Undlin, defensive coordinator Billy Davis and Kelly can get Wolff back on track, he could very well push and, perhaps, even overcome Thurmond for the second safety spot.
"We'll take a look at that," Kelly said earlier this offseason, via Phil Sheridan of ESPN. "That's what this process is all about, the offseason, you get a chance to see guys on the field. What is Earl like in Year 3? There's guys on our team right now that can certainly play that role but it depends where they are when you get a chance to see them through OTAs, through minicamp, through preseason camp."
Of course, if Wolff is going to show anyone anything, he needs to get himself back on the field first.
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This article has been edited.
