The Philadelphia Eagles will soon get their chance to pitch their head coach position to Chip Kelly. However, it seems that the Eagles will have to wait their turn, as the Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills are also getting a head start with Kelly.
The Browns and Bills will interview Kelly for their own head coaching job over the weekend, according to USA TODAY’s Mike Garafolo and Erick Smith. Right after Kelly coaches the Oregon Ducks in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 3, the rush to hire him will finally begin in earnest.
The Eagles have been considered as the favorites to land him, but they knew they’d have to outbid other teams first. The Browns and Bills seem to be the first official challengers for him, although they don’t have the resume and status that the Eagles do.
Nevertheless, both Cleveland and Buffalo had better records than Philadelphia in 2012 anyway. Although neither franchise has made the playoffs in years and the Bills haven’t gotten there in this century, they might be further along in their rebuilding process than the Eagles.
The Browns finished 5-11 but could have been better if not for some close losses -- one of which was to the Eagles in Week 1. The Bills were 6-10 and were mainly hampered by their defense, although they could use Kelly’s offensive innovation to balance that out.
Yet despite the Eagles’ 4-12 record and general incompetence in 2012, they still have the personnel and the major market to outshine the Browns and Bills. However, Cleveland and Buffalo will still have their chance to make their best pitch over the weekend, just as Philadelphia will do. In addition, they have to wait and see if any other teams reach out to him, although the Arizona Cardinals and Kansas City Chiefs may be busy fighting over former Philadelphia coach Andy Reid.
After weeks of rumors about Kelly and the Eagles, the time is finally almost at hand for the two sides to actually talk. The minute the final gun sounds in the Fiesta Bowl tonight, the race for Oregon’s perhaps soon-to-be former coach can begin at last, with at least three teams already in their starting positions.
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