From his departure from the Eagles prior to the 2015 season all the way up until Chip Kelly's firing in December, there have been many different quotable moments for LeSean McCoy when it comes to the now former Eagles coach.
But on Wednesday, in the hours leading up to Kelly's introduction as San Francisco 49ers head coach, McCoy offered some kind words for Kelly and some advice for the 49ers players.
"The one thing I will say about Chip is that he wants to win," McCoy said on NFL Network. "He’s very, very intelligent. The offense, they’ll find ways to get the big numbers, they’ll find ways to put the stats up offensively. With him coming in there, no matter how good of a player or low player you are, if you just automatically believe him — no matter if it sounds crazy, you’re like 'what is he talking about' — if you just automatically believe and buy in, I think you’ll be fine."
It's quite the turnaround from McCoy's stance on Kelly during the days after his trade out of Philadelphia. There are likely two reasons for this.
McCoy had no reason to be upset with Chip Kelly, the coach. McCoy got the playing time a starter and star running back deserves and was featured in his offense. But Chip Kelly, the GM, decided the Eagles needed to do whatever it took to add on the defensive side of the ball, even if it meant dealing the star running back.
McCoy, however, has seemed to not only enjoy success with Rex Ryan in Buffalo, but found him to be a coach that understands his style of play better than Kelly.
"Rex is a lot more laid back," McCoy said. "He's been with teams where the veterans kind of lead the team. There are guys that put players in a position to be more accountable. I think it should be like that. Andy Reid was like that.
"I think Chip Kelly is a guy who is more hands on. There's not really a lot of leaders on the team. He's the leader. He's the guy setting the rules."
If that's the case, perhaps the Eagles made a good call in looking for an Andy Reid type as their next head coach. McCoy clearly seemed to think the Eagles lacked leadership among players in the Chip Kelly era, and now they have a chance to get some of that back with Doug Pederson, a coach for the Eagles when McCoy was drafted in 2009, leading the way.
Kevin Durso is managing editor for Eagledelphia. Follow him on Twitter @Kevin_Durso.
