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Ego, confidence of Chip Kelly reminiscent of Jimmy Johnson

PHOENIX – At one point Wednesday, someone asked Philadelphia Eagles coach Chip Kelly a question about scheme and talent, and how to fit the two together. This was standard brain-picking at the NFL owners' meetings. Kelly listened with a blank face, and then shot back, "That's the $64,000 question right there."

If you had listened to Kelly for even a few minutes – or a solid hour, as a few dozen reporters had – you would have come to realize this is a man who has never heard a question he can't answer. He exudes that confidence, that ego, that bring it on, I'm locked and loaded, and smarter than you. So when Kelly says, "That's the $64,000 question right there," two things come to mind.

Chip Kelly (AP)
Chip Kelly (AP)

First: He already has the $64,000 answer.

Second: You better have your checkbook because you never know with this guy.

What has become crystal clear about Kelly after this offseason is that he is a man who has no qualms betting on himself, his way, his answers, his timeline. And not just a small wager, either. Since taking over the dominant power position as both coach and general manager, he wasted little time discarding his aces and then plowing all his chips into the middle of the table. LeSean McCoy? Gone. Nick Foles? Out. Jeremy Maclin? See ya later.

Those stunning and aggressive roster moves defined this offseason, overshadowing the Ndamukong Suh signing, and dwarfing even the most assertive lineup tune-ups. Indeed, March has been equally divided into two parts: Asking what on earth Kelly was doing and listening as he brushed off doubters with titanium-plated confidence.

It's been a while since we've seen a coach like this, one with a monstrous appetite to inflict roster change at the highest levels of the depth chart, and the ego to never waver in the mission. This is the stuff of Jimmy Johnson during his re-mastering of the Dallas Cowboys. A philosophy where no cow was too sacred, no roster move too crazy, and no question that couldn't be answered by the master plan.

That comparison couldn't have been sweeter than when Kelly conjured the first chapter of the Jimmy Johnson history on Wednesday. Talking about his ideology of building through the draft, Kelly made a reference to the titanic Herschel Walker trade, which included 18 players and draft picks, and ultimately laid the foundation for a Cowboys three-ring dynasty.

"Philosophically? More players are better than one player," Kelly said. "The history of the game – study all the trades. What set the Cowboys going forward? They traded one player for multiple players. It's not an exact science, the draft; it's a better chance of hitting if you have more draft picks than if you have less draft picks."

That nugget came in the middle of Kelly railing on the media for constantly talking up an Eagles draft-day trade for Marcus Mariota. Which he says won't happen. Unless it comes with a cheap price tag. Which was hilarious because it suggests at least some level of interest. And yet, Kelly acted as if he'd been victimized by even talking about Mariota, his former quarterback at Oregon.

"How come no one asked Jim Harbaugh about trading up for Andrew Luck?" Kelly said. "Same scenario. Identical scenario. I never heard a word about, 'Jim, are you trading up to get Andrew Luck?'"

How 'bout them Cowboys? Head coach Jimmy Johnson (R) won three Super Bowls with Dallas. (Getty Images)
How 'bout them Cowboys? Head coach Jimmy Johnson (R) won three Super Bowls with Dallas. (Getty Images)

Not exactly an identical scenario, given that the 49ers thought they had their quarterback and Indianapolis was 110 percent sold on taking Luck first overall. But that's part of Chip being Chip. Much like Jimmy, he has no hesitation when it comes to jousting with the media – or throwing unintentional shade all over the place.

Just a few of the finer Kelly darts on Wednesday …

"If you move LeSean [in a trade], what's available? The guys that were available are one-cut, downhill runners. So can they fit into what we do offensively? Yeah."

Translation: Enjoy McCoy juking and running toward the Buffalo sideline.

"We didn't bring Sam [Bradford] to run the ball 75 times a game."

Translation: Stop asking about the friggin' knee injuries.

"Tim[Tebow] came in for a private workout. That's why they're private workouts."

Translation: Shut up about Tebow.

"I consider mortgaging the future giving up your draft, like, for Ricky Williams. Would I give up the whole draft for Ricky Williams? In my opinion, no."

Translation: Ha, Ditka.

None of this is bad. In fact, it's quite the opposite for the NFL. There is only so much Bill Belichick mumbling and non-answering that one can take. The league needs some personality in the coaching ranks. It needs the occasional unconventional spirit who repeats that he'll trade anyone on his roster for the right price (which Kelly has said repeatedly). It needs someone who looks a little nutty.

People thought that of Jimmy Johnson once. He was brash, loud and smarter than everybody. You'd almost never corner him into an, "I don't know," and he loved making sure you knew that. And trading Herschel Walker became a clear-cut win only over the course of time. But Kelly is right, it showed that more ammunition, more players, more bodies – if selected by the right hand – can alter the landscape of an entire league. It showed that calculated chance can be more valuable than blind sentimentality.

But right now, we know Kelly will swap out roster parts like he's restocking a shelf at Walmart. He'll let go of McCoy, Maclin and Foles (among others), and plug in Bradford, DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews (among others). He'll do things his way, with guys who believe in his plan. Most of all, he'll be happy to solve your $64,000 question. Not because Kelly believes he knows the answer. But because deep down, Chip Kelly believes he is the answer.

All you have to do is ask.