By ALEX SMITH

STAFF COLUMNIST

People change their minds. It is a fact of life. Sometimes we think we want one thing, but then after sleeping on it, we want something different. Earlier this week, Chip Kelly changed his mind. After initially turning down offers from the NFL, Chip Kelly betrayed the University of Oregon and jumped ship for the Philadelphia Eagles… and I love it.

After firing Andy Reid following a disappointing 4-12 season, my hometown Philadelphia Eagles needed a head coach. Chip Kelly was the man I wanted right away. He has been called an offensive guru, known for his quick-strike spread attack at Oregon. His teams at Oregon have been known to have drives that last less than a minute and have only taken roughly 15 seconds in between plays. Kelly drew interest from the Eagles, the Cleveland Browns and the Buffalo Bills, but reports came out saying that he turned down all NFL offers and would go back to the Oregon Ducks. I believed what I had read, so I moved on and thought about other candidates. Then, almost out of nowhere, the Eagles landed Kelly.

Many people who follow the NFL are saying that his system will never work on the professional level. They are calling it a gimmick. And you know what? They may be right. But I applaud the Eagles for taking a risk. I am tired of teams hiring coaches who have been out of the league for years and just recycling coaches who have been recently fired. For all the people who are saying that college coaches do not transition well to the NFL, I say that the last two coaches to make the jump to the NFL are Jim Harbaugh and Pete Carroll, both of whom took their teams to the playoffs this year.

Kelly’s system will work in the NFL, and the Eagles have the best roster for his style. The Eagles roster contains so many speedy playmakers, such as DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, LeSean McCoy and Bryce Brown. They don’t have many big, physical players, but Kelly is all about quickness. The quarterback position is pivotal in the spread offense. While a running QB can aid the speedy system, it is not necessary. As of right now, the Eagles have a QB (Michael Vick) who can run and a young QB (Nick Foles) who is more of a pocket passer. The Eagles can choose to cut Vick before Feb. 2, save a ridiculous amount of money and theoretically go out and sign or trade for a QB that would be the best fit. Simply put, they have a lot of options.

There are people out there who will continue to rip Chip Kelly. They will call him a quitter and liar. I do not care what people say because once he gets going people are going to be talking about how to stop his offense. Chip Kelly has come to the NFL and other teams should be very worried. Chip, Chip, Chipadelphia!