Remember the name Kiko Alonzo.
That and eight other names are linked to Chip Kelly from the Oregon days. Alonzo is a top notch LB and someone who, if healthy, can add a lot to a defensive scheme. How Kelly came to reacquire his college LB is a bit of NFL gossip fodder. Alonzo was traded straight up for Shady McCoy–an elite NFL running back in the prime of his career. This led to an important question: Is Chop’em Chip Kelly crazy? I say yes–if you can call money ball crazy.
Consider Kelly’s history. He came into fame at Oregon by recruiting 3 star players with a lot of speed and putting them in a scheme that highlighted their talents. He coached as opposed to getting better mainly through recruitment. His scheme was so fast and unpredictable that few teams ever stopped him. I have doubts about how well that will continue to work in the NFL. From all I’m hearing he let McCoy go because the RB didn’t buy into the system. Kelly brought in yet another guy that does and seems to expect to replace McCoy through free agency or the draft. These days everyone thinks the RB is pretty easy to replace. The same can be said for the wideouts, as Kelly has failed to reign in any talent at the elite level save for Maclin who himself could be on the move.
I think Kelly believes in his system entirely. That system is based on a line and a smart QB. He has the line but not the QB. Maybe these moves are about making the space to get that QB in the draft. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him pick up more ducks along the way.