• March 19, 2024

If Chip Kelly Succeeds, It’s Going To Mean Trouble For “Problem Players”

ChipKelly211Chip Kelly is trying to put The Bad Boys of the NFL in the unemployment line.  If Kelly and his Birds team make the playoffs and then go deep into the post season, it’s going to create problems for the “Problem Players” currently in the NFL and in college, and on their way to the league.

For the entire week, I’ve been in Aurora, Ohio with all of the 2015 NFL Rookie class.  We’re talking to them about being professionals, who prepare themselves to produce on the field, and have their lives in order off the field.  We’re working with them on controlling their tempers and thinking about the ramifications of their actions before doing anything that they will regret.

It’s not easy to communicate to young twenty-two year old men with money in their pockets about how they should carry themselves with their careers, their families, their friends, their finances and the females in their lives.  We call them the Five F’s, football, family, friends, finances and females.  Mismanaging their relationship with any of them could cost them dearly.

Many of these youngsters have grown up without the benefit of the example that I had in my dad, Jesse Cobb, who served in the Army before he and my Mom raised me and my three brothers and three sisters.  I grew up knowing that life wasn’t all about me.   I saw what it meant to be a man, who was willing sacrifice for his love ones.  I knew how to sit down, get my emotions in check and follow directions.  I was taught that when I was five and six.  Some of these youngsters are just learning some of these lessons at twenty-one and twenty-two.

When I hear, “Hey Mr. Cobb”, when I walking through the Bertram Inn and Conference Center in Aurora, Ohio, I don’t know what kind of question I’m getting ready to answer.  We don’t assume they know the answers.

Some of these youngsters are being asked to grow into manhood, while living in the bright spotlight of NFL stardom.  It’s not an easy thing to do with cameras everywhere and ESPN, TMZ and other media outlets looking for the latest hot story.  These young men are chased by shady businessmen, who are looking to make a quick buck and beautiful women, who are looking to hook onto the next popular, rich professional athlete.

If they lack character and self control, there’s a good chance that they’re going to make some mistakes.  Those mistakes could destroy them and their potential careers, and it could happen in an instant.  They are walking targets and if they lack good decision-making, they could drive their franchises and coaches crazy with problems.

On the other hand, I had a NFL front office person tell me this week, he thinks you need some players on the team, who have an  edge to them.  He said you need some of those guys to stir things up your team.  “You needs some guys who will be “Thugs on the field” in order to build a champion”, he said.

Do you need guys who may be “Problem Players” off the field to push your team to championship level?  For years I’ve heard that you need those types of guys to be a championship team.

Think about how Hall of Famer Michael Irvin pushed the Dallas Cowboys to a Championship level.  He had his problems all the field, but he was a leader in that organization.  Ask Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith or any of the players on those teams and they’ll tell that Irvin was the one who demanded excellence from himself and his teammates.

Hall of Famer Warren Sapp, whom I saw is in more trouble today, was a great leader for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  I’ve have heard his Buccaneer teammates talk about his leadership on the squad.

Defensive end Charles Haley had some major issues during his career, but he just went into the Hall of Fame and he won five Super Bowls, two with the Niners and three with the Cowboys.  He was a leader on those Super Bowl Championship teams.

Kelly has basically said he’s not dealing with any more “Problem Players”, who have already shown they are going to be challenged to get through this maze of potential trouble.  He wants guys who have already shown they can ignore the distractions and focus on being prepared to produce on the field.

Chip wants players who will put the team first, stay out of trouble and be willing to do just about anything to get better and help the team win.

He wants nothing to do with many of the players I see walking around here in Ohio this week.

He’s willing to take a pass on talented but troubled players like the first pick in the draft, Tampa Bay’s Jameis Winston, who was accused rape and suspended from the team for a game this past year.  Yes he did lead them to a National Championship and he did win a Heisman Trophy, but he’s not Kelly’s type of player.

Kansas City Chief’s talented cornerback Marcus Peters was considered by some to the be the best cornerback in the draft, but he was suspended for the season a year ago because of blowing up on the sidelines during a Washington Huskies game.  He’s not a Chip Kelly guy.

Denver Broncos pass rushing phenom, Shane Ray tested positive for marijuana just before the draft.  He’s not a Chip Kelly guy.

Dallas Cowboys talented pass rusher, Randy Gregory, has had a litany of off the field problems, which means he’s not a Chip Kelly guy.

Currently, talented and troubled players are pursued by teams despite the problems they have had off the field, but more and more teams and coaches will starting avoid them.   If Kelly succeeds by building a championship team here in Philadelphia, the “Problem Players” will be headed for more trouble.

Everybody’s watching Kelly.  I’ve been quizzed by people from all over the league about what he’s doing.   Is there more than one way to skin a cat?

Sidenote:  Where did that expression come from?

GCOBB

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deserteagle
deserteagle
June 26, 2015 11:47 am

The omission in all of this ,is the societal background ,of where many (not all) these athletes come from.Some call it the “hood” .You can’t re-shape a young man ,when his youth,shaped ,who and what he is at his core.The hang ons ,will attach themselves ,looking for a free ride ,the women will do what they do ,temptation ,will be what it is.You have a lethal toxicity and re-negotiating it is not realistic .i have expressed many times ,Talent trumps Culture.Its incumbent on the GM and Coach to harness the talent ,and surround it with caapable veteran leadership.To assume that you can assemble a complete squad of “choir boys” is just not living in reality.These have been pampered athletes there whole lives.You do have the ability to chose athletes that have matriculated and have stable home lives ,with parental guidance,minimizing the distractions that are inevitable.

Eaglehaslanded
Eaglehaslanded
June 26, 2015 12:00 pm

Word is that the Eagles are bringing in unretired Guard John Moffitt, formerly of the Seahawks and Broncos. Mofitt, who has troubled past, has reportedly cleaned himself up after retiring. Mofitt has a history of public intoxication, trespassing, arrests, and use of PED’s. Hmmm, does he fit the Kelly culture, what is the criteria of a bad guy in the locker room?

paulman
paulman
June 26, 2015 12:43 pm
Reply to  Eaglehaslanded

I read where they signed John Moffitt already who played College Ball at University of Wisconsin and is a very good Run Blocker and would fit this Eagles 1 Cut and Go ,Zone-Blocking Scheme very well… I was very high on him coming out of College as a NFL Guard before he ran into his issues…

Eaglehaslanded
Eaglehaslanded
June 26, 2015 12:48 pm
Reply to  paulman

Clemson left tackle Isaiah Battle is applying for the 2015 NFL supplemental draft. He is 6’7″ 290. He has had some issues, but I think the Eagles need to look at him with a late round pick. He is entering the draft due to him having a baby due this summer, perhaps, this will make him accelerate the maturation process.

Eaglehaslanded
Eaglehaslanded
June 26, 2015 12:51 pm
Reply to  paulman

Yes, I too have read they signed him. I do not think it has been made official yet though. I don’t know, his performance rating has been very low since he entered the league and started. Sounds like he is just a guy, looks like a guy from Duck Dynasty….Quack Quack!!

Butch007
Butch007
July 3, 2015 7:40 am
Reply to  Eaglehaslanded

…he’s white so all of that stuff is irrelevant. Welcome to the Chip Kelly Eagles era.

DEPLORABLE

haveacigar
haveacigar
July 3, 2015 8:02 am
Reply to  Butch007

yeah its all about the skin color! ask mathis, foles and herremans…
or you can ask ryans, maxwell, murray, matthews et al.

zilents44
zilents44
June 26, 2015 12:56 pm

he is a good run blocker but his pass blocking is not so good. but worth a flier but I definely want that clemson kid…..he is light but hell a talented with good athletic ability….peters future replacement

Eaglehaslanded
Eaglehaslanded
June 26, 2015 1:10 pm
Reply to  zilents44

Z44, thanks for the scouting report. I never watched him play, but, that which I read about his skillset is good.

greenfan
greenfan
July 3, 2015 8:55 am

I scratched my head when I saw the Moffit signing. Numerous addiction and substance abuse issues, combined with the fact that when he “retired” after 2 years in the NFL he said that he lost his desire to play. Maybe that was just his addiction talking, and from Jay Glazer’s reports he has turned things around, but there are plenty of red flags.

In the end he was signed to a minimum contract, so it is really a low risk / high reward from a money standpoint, but with as much attention that Kelly puts towards his locker-room culture, it is also an opportunity to introduce a player with a questionable past. I am sure that he will be on a short leash, and this only serves to point out that the coach has a concern with his OL to take a risk on this guy.

haveacigar
haveacigar
July 3, 2015 9:04 am
Reply to  greenfan

green fan you say ‘low risk’ in the beginning of the second paragraph and then you last words are ‘take a risk on this guy’– there is no risk– none whatsoever…

also, remember this now that its kelly’s locker room he can bring in guys that may have had a past– the locker room is able to police itself–

greenfan
greenfan
July 3, 2015 9:23 am
Reply to  haveacigar

I said low risk / high reward from a money standpoint. The risk that I mentioned at the end referred to disrupting Kelly’s Culture movement. Same word, different references.

haveacigar
haveacigar
July 3, 2015 9:25 am
Reply to  greenfan

understood
but i believe that the locker room is now in fine shape– i have to give fraudman credit he predicted early on the exact individuals that kelly was going to purge.
i think this move also is very low risk in the locker room… the players/coaches will know in less than a week if he is serious about his comeback and if he’s not… bye bye

haveacigar
haveacigar
July 3, 2015 9:31 am

also, i don’t know if drug addiction is a culture thing?

on a serious note lots of hs and college athletes recovering from injury are getting hooked on opiates during rehab then when the script runs out they turn to either expensive black market or cheap heroine. (my guess with NO FACTS, hunch is that is what happened to moffitt.) It is a major problem- i had rotator cuff surgery 10 years back- very high profile doc who has done some pro athletes- anyway after the surgery the guy kept pushing percoset and vicodin on me– luckily i managed the pain with ice and advil– i kept saying i don’t want them- his response- ‘I don’t want pain to interfere with rehab’– um and i’m not a pro athlete- imagine the pressure on them during rehab– awful!

greenfan
greenfan
July 3, 2015 9:56 am
Reply to  haveacigar

I would think that a guy with a drug addiction could easily disrupt “the culture thing” of a locker room. With Moffit I think you also need to see if he still has a desire to play, after quitting once already..and that can disrupt a locker room if he is a starter and they are depending on him.

As far as your second point, I suspect the same thing. As a father with HS athletes, but really just teenagers in general, this trend scares the shit out of me. My father has always been very anti pain killers, in fact when he donated his kidney to his sister he refused the pain-killers for fear of addiction. I had some kidney stones a few weeks ago, very painful, and the doctors were pushing the pain killers. I did not want them in the house with teen and 20’s living in the house. This is a big problem in society in general, but I can see where Moffit could have started down the painkiller road….hell, didn’t Brett Farve have the same problem?

haveacigar
haveacigar
July 3, 2015 10:33 am
Reply to  greenfan

They’d get him out or to rehab before it became an issue.
I think if my kid had an operation I’d seriously look to medical pot before the poison that docs prescribe.