Are You Confident In Jeffrey Lurie?

Jeffrey Lurie wants the next head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles to “understand” what Philadelphia football is all about. Seriously, is that the marketing approach to convince the media and fan base that everything is going to be alright now that Chip Kelly has been fired?

Jeffrey Lurie still believes in Howie Roseman, and although he won’t label the guy with the general manager title, the control is back with Howie, the man who has more lives than a cat.

I believe Lurie is trying to make up for the “mess” Chip Kelly left, and regain some form of trust. Lurie can’t turn back the clock and fix all the damage, so he has vowed to find the “right” guy who understands the passion and history of the team.

I get that he was trying to be open and honest but Lurie should have been a bit more cautious with his use of wording. Lurie should have not been scared to find a general manager for the Eagles, but he went back to his comfort zone with Howie Roseman. Lurie went from being the man with firing Chip, to a man that many question once again.

Hiring a head coach who has Philly ties will not erase the damage that Chip Kelly created with the state of the Eagles franchise. There is certainly a personality of what Eagles football means to the city of brotherly love, but the real thing that needs to change is “winning.”

Winning will fix a lot of things, whether the head coach is a guy that gives the majority of fans the warms and fuzzy feeling or a guy that is “all business.” The Eagles have zero Super Bowl titles. Is it more about bringing in a guy who knows the best place to order a cheesesteak or a guy who has been part of a team that has raised the Lombardi trophy?

If bringing the “Philly” feel back to the city is important, there are several ways to reconnect the fanbase with the team. Bring a former player back to the coaching staff. Sign a Philly player in free agency, which translates to a guy that plays with a chip on his shoulder, one that fans can identify with. Bring back the Kelly green jerseys. Offer some free giveaways for home games, the least that can be done with how much is being charged for parking these days.

Lurie was invisible when Kelly took over full control of the football team, but now he wants to be “more involved” and available to the media. His commitment to a “team” approach with the coaching search has a lot of people worried including myself.

The state of the Eagles franchise is up for debate. Some believe a new coaching staff and some minor tweaks to the roster will immediately lead to a playoff appearance while others see the Eagles finishing last in the NFC East.

It’s too early to predict with so much uncertainty. I hope Mr. Lurie gets it right this time with the coaching search, Eagle fans have been suffering a lot since the last playoff win in January of 2009.