Chip Kelly has one of football’s most brilliant offensive minds. He has turned the Philadelphia Eagles into an offensive juggernaut. During his two years as head coach the team ranked 2nd (2013) and 5th (2014) in total offense.
Although, those seasons were just a prelude of what’s to come.
Philadelphia accumulated some serious firepower on the offensive side of the ball. The Eagles acquired Sam Bradford and DeMarco Murray over the offseason. However, the most integral additions to this new look Eagles team might be at the wide receiver position, as both Jordan Matthews and Nelson Agholor lead a potent Philadelphia aerial attack.
Matthews isn’t a new addition to the team, but this isn’t the same player we saw last season. The Eagles drafted the Vanderbilt product in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Going into his second year, Matthews has the upside of some the NFL’s most celebrated young stars. He should grow exponentially from a rookie season that saw him record three 100+ yard games.
What’s most remarkable is that Matthews accomplished his gaudy numbers with Matt Sanchez and Matt Barkley under center for half the season. It’s scary to think what he can do with a serviceable NFL QB for a full season.
Matthews new running mate, Nelson Agholor, comes to the Eagles as an NFL-ready prospect from USC. The 22-year-old finished a strong collegiate career with a spot on the Third Team All-American roster. Philadelphia felt strongly enough to take him with a first round selection, and he had already drawn rave reviews from those in the Eagles camp.
Due to his small frame, many have compared Agholor to former Eagle, Jeremy Maclin, who ironically enough, is the player Agholor is replacing on the Eagles roster. The Agholor-Matthews combination will thrive under Chip Kelly’s high-octane offense, especially with Sam Bradford running the show.
While a member of the St.Louis Rams, Bradford was one of football’s best QB’s. Of course, that’s when his health allowed him to stay on the field. However, given the Eagles get a full season out of Bradford the potential for two 1,000 yard receivers is a distinct possibility. While Bradford will undoubtedly see a spike in statistics because of the duos presence, one NFL Executive believes that the two receivers can help each other, especially when it pertains to Matthews.
“I look at Matthews as a good receiver, very solid in every aspect, but not a No. 1 guy,” the executive told Fox Sports. “Agholor is a No. 1. So now Matthews won’t have that pressure on him. They’ll be good together.”
The Philadelphia Eagles have high hopes for the Matthews and Agholor combination. It’s a good bet that the duo will be just as deadly as other dominating two receiver teams such as Atlanta (Roddy White/Julio Jones), Green Bay (Jordy Nelson/Randall Cobb) and Tampa Bay (Vincent Jackson/Mike Evans).
Chip Kelly has been heralded as an offensive mastermind. With two game-changing wide outs at his disposal, it’s time the Eagles take the next step towards a Super Bowl.