OT: (Edit) Chip Kelly to the Browns? Cleveland media now reporting "expect an announcement tonight"

Submitted by mGrowOld on

Yesterday evening local Cleveland radio reported that Kelly to the Browns was a virtual certainty and while he's going to talk to both the Eagles and the Bills today, by tonight there will be an announcement of his hire.  Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland said he would be very surprised if this doesnt happen today and that the team is "backing up the brinks truck" to make this happen.

http://espncleveland.com/common/more.php?m=49&action=blog&r=19&post_id=…

But even if Chip doesn't end up here it seems a virtual certainty he'd coming to the NFL next year and he's going to run "his" offense in the pro's.  Lots and lots of discussion around here concerning his system and if it can work given the roster size he'll have to work with and the potential for QB injury.   And in Cleveland the roster will need to revamped (Brandon Weedon is NOT a spread QB) to function properly but it sure looks like the Brownies are about to take the plunge.

Personally I think it will work - at least at first - simply because it will be so radically different than anything the other teams practice for each week.  The Patriots have incorporated elements of his tempo and the Redskins and Panthers run variations of the spread but no team yet has gone "all in" on the uptempo spread offense.  Until now.  Spread QBs can be had pretty cheap (I'm thinking Alex Smith running the show) and other spread-type players (linemen/slot receivers) are also not terribly valued in the NFL so putting together the roster on offense shouldn't require a lot of cap space.  Leaving lots of room for spending on the defense where it will be surely needed.

Will it work?  I think so and for the first time in the last 10 years or so I'm actually excited about Cleveland Browns football.  My only question is if he comes will we have to start wearing alternate jersey's and helmets every week?

EDIT: Cleveland Plain Dealer Browns beat report Mary Kay Cabot is now reporting that the Browns and Kelly are meeting again tonight and has been told by sources inside the Browns organization to expect an announcement tonight.  For those of you unfamiliar with Grossi or Cabot they are NOTHING like the Detroit sports media and if they report something like this you can generally count on it actually happening.

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2013/01/cleveland_browns_meet…

 

bronxblue

January 5th, 2013 at 1:54 PM ^

My concern with Kelly in the pros is that his system relies on everyone being largely interchangeable; he's lost so many QBs and RBs and just replaced them with someone of similar abilities that it is hard not to see them as by-products of a system.  But in the NFL, the talent is more dispersed, so you can't horde players who are competent replacements.  And while most college kids will run through walls for their coaches, a $6MM RB or OL isn't necessarily going to subsume his ego for the better of the team.  And when those guys go down, they hamstring the team's ability to replace them because of the contract's terms as well as team culture.  And that doesn't even address the fact that competent defenses have found ways to stymie him.  So while I think he'll have some success just playing with tempo, I'm not sure he'll be better than an average coach in the pros.

Blue Mike

January 5th, 2013 at 3:29 PM ^

I read somewhere yesterday that Chip Kelly isn't planning to bring a spread offense to the NFL like what he had at Oregon.  Instead, he'll run an offense like what New England runs, only more up-tempo and less huddling.  I believe Kelly consulted with the Pats last year on that offense, so that might make some sense.  

robmorren2

January 5th, 2013 at 4:14 PM ^

That's what I assumed he would do, and I'm interested to see how it pans out. It seems like when teams go no-huddle that they have a lot of success. Even guys like Brady & Rodgers look better than usual when they increase tempo. I'm not sure the Browns have the QB or skill players to do it though. I think Kelly would have fared better in KC or Philly, where there is much more speed & talent on offense.

Butterfield

January 6th, 2013 at 2:04 PM ^

And the Browns have given up on Kelly and are starting their search from scratch, as reported by espn. I love this in so many ways.... Cleveland deserves moar pain, but I want to see Kelly face consequences at Oregon rather than taking the Carroll way out.