Will Chip Kelly Get It Right With The San Francisco 49ers?
Chip Kelly was named Head Coach for the San Francisco 49ers earlier this week, with 12 Draft picks in the upcoming NFL Draft he may be the right person to turn the team around.
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Earlier this week, former Oregon Ducks and Philadelphia Eagles Head Coach Chip Kelly found a new job in San Francisco as Head Coach of the 49ers. His time in Philadelphia has been well documented. He had successes and failures, but the latter is what is talked about. He did make the playoffs in the City of Brotherly Love, on several occasions, but control of Player Personnel is what I believe was ultimately his downfall. He was fired before the final game of the Regular season against the New York Giants.
Less than a month later he was hired in San Francisco and will look to bring a fresh set of eyes to an organization that has struggled for the better part of the last decade. Jim Harbaugh did take the team to three Playoff appearances and a Super Bowl loss from 2011-2013, but the storied Franchise has been defeated by injuries and better teams the last two seasons. Is a quick turnaround possible? I beleive it is with Kelly at the helm.
One of the main reasons is 12 picks in the upcoming NFL Draft. 12. There is a lot of work to do, specifically on the Offensive Line that has been in disarray going back to last season with players departing and ‘retiring’. Colin Kaepernick should thrive in the system that Kelly runs on Offense and Carlos Hyde could also be a force playing the role he will be familiar with as well. Kelly runs a similar style Rush Offense to what Ohio State was running when Hyde played for the Buckeyes.
Everyone in the media knows that Chip Kelly has an ego, that he will likely need to keep in check with his new position. On Twitter, following his hiring one twitter handle hit the nail in the head with what Kelly may be thinking when it came to a former Quarterback he coached at Oregon:
BREAKING: Chip Kelly has traded the entire 49er roster, coaches, stadium, and the city of San Francisco to the Titans for Marcus Mariota
— NOTSportsCenter (@NOTSportsCenter) January 14, 2016
While this made me laugh, Kelly has to understand the job he needs to perform in San Francisco. It may take a few years, but with what he already has and what lies ahead in the Draft, the 49ers could be contenders in 2016 for a Playoff spot. Kelly in San Francisco also renews one of the biggest rivalries from College Football.
Chip Kelly and Pete Carroll butted heads when Oregon and USC met on the College gridiron, now they will meet twice a year when San Francisco plays Seattle. The former Oregon Coach will be entering his third season in the NFL and will have new eyes on what he has to do build a competitive team. It will be fun to watch.
Next: Pac-12 Basketball: Oregon, Arizona Heading in Different Directions
San Francisco will not face Philadelphia during the regular season beginning next September, but they will face New England at home and Carolina and Miami on the road. Kelly had back to back 10-6 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles before the fallout this season where injuries and decision making played a big part in his firing.