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Chip Kelly: Defensive Coordinator Needs "Shutoutability"

    by Les Bowen
    Published 

MOBILE, Ala. -- New Eagles coach Chip Kelly said he doesn't need a defensive coordinator who thinks like Kelly ("God, no," he said when asked), or one who particularly favors a 4-3 or a 3-4 scheme. Kelly said his main criterion is "shutoutability."

Kelly said you want different types of people and ideas on a staff.

"You need really, really, smart people. People who are dedicated," Kelly said Monday afternoon after the North practice at the Senior Bowl. "You need people who are just a little bit 'off' too."

Much of the new coach's staff is here in Mobile, though Kelly doesn't want to make any announcements until the staff is complete. This can make for some awkward moments, such as when your Eagletarian introduced himself to Jerry Azzinaro, the new defensive line coach, who was wearing a "Jerry Azzinaro, Philadelphia Eagles" nametag, but is not officially the Eagles' defensive line coach, and thus can't talk about it.

Reportedly, Giants linebackers coach Jim Herrmann took himself out of the running for the DC post. "I'm not worried about who we don't get, I'm worried about who we do get," Kelly said. "I wanna make sure that that person is the right fit, because I don't wanne be like, 'God, I wish I'd spent a little more time and investigated this.' I've been pretty thorough, unless it's somebody that I've either coached with or had a real good working knowledge of.

"It's been fun. It's talking football, talking philosophies, talking strategies. It's stuff I love to do. To me, that's not work."

*Kelly said he got to meet with Michael Vick at NovaCare Friday. Kelly spoke with Nick Foles over the phone. He said talking to each of his players was a top priority after Thursday's introductory news conference.

*Kelly suggested that given the smaller NFL rosters, longer season and the need to have his team fresh every week, he will not try to bring his distinctive frantic-paced practices from Oregon to the Eagles. "The Eagles are not a cross-country team" he said.