Eagles part ways with personnel chief Gamble

The Eagles and their vice president of player personnel, Tom Gamble, "have agreed to part ways," the team said Wednesday, describing the abrupt exit of the club's most powerful personnel executive besides general manager Howie Roseman.

Gamble was believed to be a close ally of coach Chip Kelly. The move was made after a season in which there was tension between Kelly and Roseman, according to several sources.

Roseman, Kelly, and owner Jeffrey Lurie were not available for comment, according to a team spokesman. Gamble did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

"We thank Tom for his service over the past two seasons and wish him and his family the best as they move forward," Roseman said in a statement. "I appreciate all Tom has done for our scouting department and our team."

Kelly was not quoted in the news release.

Gamble was the highest-ranking personnel executive who was hired since Kelly became coach in January 2013. They have a relationship dating back to Kelly's time as an offensive coordinator at New Hampshire. Kelly also interacted with Gamble when the latter scouted players at Oregon.

"If you're a college football coach, you know who Tommy Gamble is because he has been on your campus looking at players for a long, long time," Kelly said in April 2013. "I think that familiarity helped with us getting along together."

The Eagles hired Gamble in February 2013 to report directly to Roseman and have his hand in both the college and pro evaluation processes. Gamble came from the San Francisco 49ers, where he was director of player personnel. He is the son of the late Harry Gamble, a former Eagles general manger. The younger Gamble's career started in the Eagles organization.

Gamble has been viewed as a potential general manager, receiving interest from Miami last season and the New York Jets the year before. Kelly praised Gamble on Monday when asked about him as a candidate elsewhere.

"I think Tom does an outstanding job, and if he has the opportunity to do that, then I would support him in anything," Kelly said. ". . . He's a heck of a football guy."

The move puts the relationship between Roseman and Kelly under the spotlight. Roseman was believed to be influential in helping to land Kelly. When Kelly was asked about whether he has final say over personnel matters in his opening news conference, he said he is "not a general manager," "not a salary cap guy," and just wanted to coach football. He described it as a collaborative effort.

It was later learned that Kelly has control of the 53-man roster, a point that the coach has reiterated on a few occasions. Kelly was believed to be the driving force behind the Eagles' most recent offseason moves, with his imprint especially clear on the decision to release DeSean Jackson. When Lurie was asked about the decision in June, the owner said that the "head coach is the chemist."

Lurie gave Roseman an emphatic vote of confidence after the Eagles' final game of the season Sunday, saying Roseman would "absolutely" return as general manager. The owner did not discuss the relationship between Roseman and Kelly. He called them "two really valued executives," along with team president Don Smolenski.

"They have different roles, they cross over at different points," Lurie said. "I like to surround myself with not "yes men but strong, opinionated people that are really dedicated to making us really good."

Jeffrey Lurie, chairman/CEO

Don Smolenski, president

Howie Roseman, general manager

Chip Kelly, head coach

Scouting

Anthony Patch, director of college scouting

Rick Mueller, director of pro personnel

Tom Donahue, senior football adviser

Ed Marynowitz, assistant director of player personnel

Michael Bradway, assistant director of college scouting

Football operations

James Harris, chief of staff

Jake Rosenberg, director of football administration

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