Here goes:
1. Chip Kelly did a great job in Philadelphia this season. He has won on the big stage. He knows what it takes to win.
2. He has every right to shape the roster the way he wants to. Interestingly, the Eagles recently cut a great character guy in Jason Avant, and that release drew a bunch of public comment too. Avant is a role model, grew up in a rough neighborhood, made his way to Michigan and, in his 20's, has helped raise a nephew from the same neighborhood. Not much gets said about Avant, who, admittedly, is a possession receiver, but the continuous commentary about Jackson, especially from Philadelphia sports talk radio show hosts with not all that many sources, has been excessive. Jackson did play well at times, but he also mailed it in at times (especially when he pouted and wanted a new contract). He is replaceable. Must be slow sports news days in Philadelphia.
3. No Eagle cried out in anguish that he'd miss Jackson. Not a single one. And, in the day of prominent social media postings, that's saying something.
4. Former Eagles coaches -- Andy Reid in KC and Marty Mohrninwheg (offensive coordinator for the Jets) passed on Jackson.
5. The last chance hotel of the NFL, the Redskins, never known for chemistry, took him. Given their track record, that should scare no one.
6. Brian Dawkins was on the Mike Missanelli Show the other day (Mikey Miss is the leading sports talk show host in Philadelphia). He backed the team, implying that Jackson needed to grow up and develop better habits.
7. If what's said is true -- about Jackson's insubordination and chewing out Kelly in front of the team -- then he should be gone, period, and that's that.
8. Stephen A. Smith might think that he scored a big coup with the Jackson interview, but the first portion shown on ESPN was awful. Smith needed to press Jackson hard, and he gave him easy ways out. Smith asked him whether he was hanging out with gang members, and Jackson replied, "Not if they're doing bad things." Smith didn't follow up and ask the obvious, which is, "so you are hanging out with gang members, then, at times?" That would have been an appropriate follow-up questions, but Smith didn't get there. And had he, that might have begged the question of whether Jackson ever displayed gang signs during games.
9. Chip Kelly has the Eagles on a roll. He also sent a message. It seems that his players are following him. He also knows what he's doing, as he took a team that played terribly the year before he got there and made the playoffs and came within a few seconds of winning that playoff game. DeSean will go to Washington, where he'll need to change his ways despite the enthusiasm of new head coach Jay Gruden. It remains to be seen whether he'll do all things better in D.C. than he did in Philadelphia.
Friday, April 04, 2014
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