The 2016 NFL season is still seven months away, which means there is plenty of time for people to comment on a whole range of topics. Given the turmoil that surrounded Chip Kelly during his time in Philadelphia, it should surprise nobody that some of his former players have things to say.
The latest to join the discussion is now offensive lineman Evan Mathis, a free agent following one year with the Denver Broncos. Mathis had wanted a restructured deal in Philadelphia, but Kelly refused to re-do the deal. Mathis then asked for his release, and was eventually released after skipping OTAs. He signed a one-year deal with the Broncos in August, and walked away with a Super Bowl ring.
Broncos beat writer Mike Klis got a chance to chat with Mathis via email, and Mathis weighed in on Kelly as a coach. He told Klis that he did not think Chip Kelly was building a championship team. He pointed to issues with the offense and Kelly's ability to work with "certain personality types:
"Two of the main issues that concerned me were: 1. A never-evolving, vanilla offense that forced our own defense to play higher than normal play counts. 2. His impatience with certain personality types even when they were blue-chip talents. The Broncos team I was on would have eaten Chip alive. I don't think he could have handled the plethora of large personalities."
The personality issue has been brought up before, so that will certainly be something to track. Of course, Mathis disagreed with what Kelly was doing, and was not pleased when he did not get a new contract done. I think there is value in considering his comments, but I also think we do need to take them with the proverbial grain of salt.