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In empowering Chip Kelly, Eagles recognize what they have -- unlike 49ers with Jim Harbaugh

Exactly how close to DEFCON 1 the situation in Philadelphia got is unknown. Here is what's known: Eagles team owner Jeffrey Lurie smartly identified talent (coach Chip Kelly) and, unlike the San Francisco 49ers' infighting with Jim Harbaugh, found a way to keep him happy, namely by getting everything out of his way.

"It's most important that we find players that match what our coaches are seeking," Lurie said in a statement after announcing the move on Friday that ostensibly "promoted" both Kelly, who assumes final determination on the roster, and general manager Howie Roseman, who is now the "executive vice president of football operations."

Meanwhile, Tom Gamble is out as vice president of player personnel.

(USA TODAY Sports)
(USA TODAY Sports)

It's clear Kelly won the power struggle here, as the coach heading into his third year will now "oversee the player personnel department." He'll hire a GM, but it's his GM.

Lurie followed a very smart and effective NFL blueprint. If you have a great coach or a great quarterback you can win. If you have both (or something close) you can win the Super Bowl. Whatever you do, don't let one of them walk out the door, leaving the team, like the majority of franchises, endlessly searching for another great, or even competent, one.

Kelly has put together a pair of 10-6 seasons since coming to the NFL from the University of Oregon. Last year, the Eagles were bounced in a home wild-card game. This season a December slide, including a puzzling loss at Washington, left them out of the playoffs. Still, they survived the loss of a starting quarterback (Nick Foles) to put together a respectable season.

It's a bit early to declare him a "great" coach, but the 51-year-old is certainly a unique figure in football – innovative and daring, charismatic and extremely confident. He has shown a high level of potential. Some of it may be marketing. Some of it may prove to be less cutting-edge than it currently appears. It's clear, however, Philadelphia has something intriguing.

Lurie certainly wants to let it ride and see if it can deliver a long-awaited Super Bowl for an otherwise strong franchise. So he doubled down on what Kelly envisions.

"When we spoke, he was thoughtful, thorough and professional," Lurie said. "There were no demands, no threats – quite the contrary – he was passionate, engaged and articulated a dynamic and clear vision on how this fully integrated approach will work. We look forward to seeing it come to life over time."

This is the opposite of what the 49ers did with Harbaugh, boxing a highly effective coach (three conference title game appearances and one trip to the Super Bowl in four years) into a front office he couldn't coexist with and eventually forcing him out. Harbaugh surprised many NFL insiders last week by returning to the college ranks at the University of Michigan.

Kelly would have his pick of NFL or college jobs, where they'd likely provide him maximum control, should he want to bounce also. Lurie just decided to make such a deal in Philadelphia.

Bill Belichick (AP)
Bill Belichick (AP)

Nine years ago Kelly was at the University of New Hampshire. He spent just four seasons as a major college head coach. When he arrived in the NFL from Oregon in 2013, he noted he just wanted to coach and wasn't qualified to be a GM. His "college offense" immediately went faster than anyone in the league had seen – the Eagles ran four plays in the first minute of his first game.

Kelly is now Bill Belichick, only without all the Lombardi Trophies. That doesn't mean it's a bad idea. In New England, Belichick was recognized as a great coach and was ceded all power even if through the years he has proven to be an uneven executive (he had a heck of a 2014 though).

The tradeoff is worth it. Take the great with the occasional bad. Let the excellence on the sideline count for more than growing into the job and making inevitable mistakes (there are no perfect general managers or talent evaluators).

Kelly wants the Eagles to play a certain way and that requires a certain group of players, not just in their on-field ability but their off-field dedications, meeting room intelligence and commitment to the whole process. "Logistics" is how he used to sell it on the college recruiting trail and television commercials. That means quick, streamlined decisions.

Ideally any organization has a system of checks and balances led by two excellent and competent leaders who can work well with each other – one in charge of acquiring talent, the other in coaching it.

That is such an exceedingly rare possibility though and doesn't account for the bold personalities. If you find coaches that you believe are better than most or all of the rest of the league, then you stick with them. If they bristle at working under or with someone else, then let talent win out and make it so they don't have to any more.

No one thinks Belichick would do well with a real boss cancelling his football decisions. No one would even dream of putting such a restraint on him.

It isn't entirely different than how Kelly got the Oregon head coaching job in 2009. He spent two seasons as the offensive coordinator, his style of play helping revolutionize college football. As other schools began coming after him (Syracuse in particular) Oregon quickly promoted head coach Mike Bellotti to athletic director and gave Kelly the head coaching job. Bellotti lasted just nine months as AD. Kelly played for a BCS title in his second year.

So now in the NFL, it's all on Chip Kelly. He can pick the players. He can approve the draft picks. He can surround himself better with people he trusts.

Philadelphia saw enough in Kelly to keep him happy. The path is clear. Kelly will prove if it was worth it or not.

San Francisco is still searching for its next Jim Harbaugh.