Eagles shake-up front office, giving Chip Kelly more power

Chip Kelly is now in charge of the Eagles' personnel department, the result of an organizational restructuring announced by owner Jeffrey Lurie on Friday night that gives Kelly more power and leaves Howie Roseman with a new role but without control of the players on the roster.

Roseman, who had been the team's general manager, is now executive vice president of football operations. He will direct contract negotiations, salary cap management, and NFL strategic matters. He will oversee the team's medical and equipment staffs.

Lurie also gave him a contract extension.

But he will not have control of personnel. That is firmly and unquestionably in the hands of Kelly, who will hire a new personnel executive of his choosing.

"We are a good football team and we believe these steps will help make us a great team," Lurie said in a statement. "That step - from good to great - is the most difficult one for any organization to make. To do that, sometimes you have to step back and really look hard at where you are today and what you want to become."

The announcement came two days after the abrupt exit of personnel executive Tom Gamble, who was believed to be a close ally of Kelly.

It also came after a season in which there was tension between Roseman and Kelly, according to sources.

Lurie said after Sunday's season finale that Roseman would return as general manager. Less than one week later, though, Roseman is out in that role.

"After carefully listening and reflecting on the lengthy discussions that I had with our senior team, I changed my mind," Lurie said.

Lurie said the process started with the Eagles' year-end evaluations, when he met with executives and discussed what he termed as a way to "seamlessly integrate personnel and coaching departments." The model they adopted is one that is overseen by Kelly, giving the coach the power to find the players that the coaching staff seeks. Lurie said the decision was not made because of demands or threats, although the decision curiously came right after Gamble's unceremonious departure.

"I have a very good relationship with Chip that continues to grow stronger and stronger," Lurie said. "When we spoke, he was thoughtful, thorough and professional. There were no demands, no threats - quite the contrary - he was passionate, engaged and articulated a dynamic and clear vision on how this fully integrated approach will work. We look forward to seeing it come to life over time."

Kelly, who was hired from Oregon in 2013, is now unquestionably one of the most powerful coaches in the NFL. When he was asked about final say at his introductory news conference, he said control was never an issue for him and he wants to be a football coach - not a general manager. He envisioned a collaborative effort. Going forward, he will be in collaboration with someone that he hand-picks.

"This is not a one-man operation," Kelly said in a statement. "It will truly take a team effort to acquire and develop the best football players and then put the best team on the field each week. It will take all of us working together."

Lurie made a point in his statement to mention that Roseman will still play a "vital role." But it's a different role than the one Roseman held since 2010.

"Philadelphia is my home and the Eagles are my family," Roseman said in a statement. "My number one goal is to help bring a championship to this city and that will never change. I believe this will solidify the trust we have all placed in Coach Kelly."

The Eagles will now begin the search for a new personnel executive, with Roseman no longer overseeing that department. And there should be no ambiguity about who holds final say of the acquisitions, picks, and roster decisions. Kelly is in charge.