Say it Ain't So- Shady McCoy gets Shuffled Off to Buffalo

Eagles' head coach Chip Kelly has gone out of his way to put his unique stamp on this team in his first two seasons at the helm; however lately he has been tattooing his name all over the place at the NovaCare Complex with some of his recent player personnel moves. I can appreciate the rational behind releasing some high-priced veterans that are no longer worth the cost of their contract, but trading away your top player in running back LeSean McCoy to open-up cap space is a whole other situation.

I get the math behind this move, but I am not sure I fully understand the logic when it comes to winning games next season. McCoy is an electrifying playmaker that has the ability to change the momentum of a game with a single play. I also understand that running backs are not a high-valued commodity in the NFL, but I also know that you still need a certain level of talent in all the skill positions to win a championship in this league. How far would Seattle have gotten the past two seasons if Marshawn Lynch was not on the roster?

My real take with this whole situation is that Kelly wants to rebuild the entire team in his image. Ego is a powerful tool that can be used to build dynasties as well as set a franchise back years with bad decisions. Regulars to this blog are well aware of how I feel about Jerry Jones as the owner/general manager of the Dallas Cowboys. Last year's record aside, we all know how much success his team has had behind his egocentric dictatorship once he parted ways with Jimmie Johnson in the mid-90's.

Eagles' owner Jeff Lurie wants nothing more than to bring a Super Bowl title to the City of Brotherly Love, but he has obviously drank that Oregon Kool Aid that Kelly had been peddling before taking his medicine show to the NFL. I think it is great to have a head coach with a world of confidence that their system is the right recipe to win world titles, but giving them all the power in personnel decisions in the duel role of general manager has failed more times than it has succeeded in this league.

I will reserve final judgement of Kelly's plan for next season and beyond until after the draft. I actually like the swagger he has brought to Philly after Andy Reid's show dragged on for a few more seasons than it should have, but I also have to question what is driving some of his decisions? Maybe he does have the master plan that will bring an end to a 44-year NFL Championship drought, but anytime ego is the driving force behind some of the bold moves that men in power make, it becomes a recipe for disaster.