Tag: Chip Kelly

Chase Coda cherishes the opportunity to carry on family legacy at Oregon

It took four seasons, but Chase Cota is finally back home playing for his favorite childhood team.

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It took four seasons, but Chase Cota is finally back where he belongs.

Oregon recruited the son of famed safety Chad Cota when he was one of the top players in the state coming out of Medford. The Ducks really wanted the 6-foot-3, 210-pound receiver and it was a surprise when Chase chose to go play for UCLA instead.

But thanks to the pandemic year of 2020, Cota still has one more year of eligibility and he has decided to play his final season where his father helped lead the Gang Green defense.

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“It was definitely still a tough decision because it was like, as much as it’d be great to come back home, which I ended up doing, and playing for the Ducks after I grew up a Duck fan, it was also just like the best spot for the last year of college football,” he said. “I thought I could fit in the best and have an impact and set myself up for success.”

At UCLA, Cota caught 67 passes for 883 yards and scored six times. With his size and experience, Cota could have gone to a few other schools. Coming to Oregon wasn’t a sure thing. But Cota says that he clicked with the new coaching staff and coming back home was the right thing to do.

“I really liked Coach (Junior) Adams and Coach (Kenny) Dillingham. I just thought my communication with them and hearing what they had to say about the offense and the opportunity. It sounded really good,” he said.

The Ducks have a receiver room full of talent but are low on experience. They’re all either freshmen, redshirt freshmen, or sophomores, except junior Isaah Crocker. Having a senior with Cota can only be beneficial for all involved.

“It’s not like I came here because there are no receivers,” Cota said. “There’s a bunch of really good receivers here so just to be in a really good room and to think that I can help enhance it is the experience I wanted to be in.”

Contact/Follow us @Ducks_Wire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinion.

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Every Eagles’ 1st-round pick under GM Howie Roseman

NFL Draft 2022: Looking at every first-round pick selected during Howie Roseman’s tenure as GM of the Philadelphia Eagles

the Eagles only have two first-round picks in the upcoming NFL draft after a trade with the Saints, but they’ll still be a team to watch on Thursday, April 28, with Howie Roseman likely to make another move or two in hopes of improving a retooled roster.

The first round of the draft is where teams find Pro-Bowl talent or a consistent starter.

Roseman has hit and missed on draft picks during his tenure (2010-14, 2016-present), and we’re taking a look at all of the first-round picks selected by the Eagles general manager during his time in Philadelphia.

The QB sneak is coming back to Oregon’s offense, per OC Kenny Dillingham

After spending a decade ignoring one of the most simple and effective plays in football, the Ducks will add the QB sneak to the playbook.

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If you’re an experienced Oregon Ducks fan, then you know the frustrations of watching your team be in a 4th-and-1 situation, and decide to run a shotgun or pistol-formation with a run up the middle getting stuffed for a turnover on downs.

In fact, you know that frustration well and have likely wondered why the Ducks wouldn’t simply put their QB under center and run a sneak up the middle. Simple, right?

Yes, but it’s not a formation that the Ducks have run in the past ever since Chip Kelly came to town. Until now.

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On Saturday afternoon when meeting with the media for the first time this year, offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham clarified that yes, his offense will be occasionally operating from under center, and yes, QB sneaks could be on the menu.

“We will, we’ll see that,” Dillingham said. “In terms of advantage, I don’t want to get too much into that, but everybody can see the advantages of under center. Better play action when you’re under center, you’re closer to the line of scrimmage for QB sneaks. Right? Obviously, those are common sense answers that everybody in the country goes under for.”

If it’s common sense, then why didn’t Oregon do it before under previous regimes?

“That’s just a philosophy thing,” Dillingham said. “You’ve got to remember, some teams only line up in the shotgun. On the most important play of the game, are you gonna change every way you operate? On the 3rd and 1, are you gonna run something you practice 4% of the time for the most important play? So there’s nothing wrong with that philosophy, either. I do believe in getting under center, though.”

That answers that. All spring, we have been interested to see the type of offense that Dillingham is going to run with the Ducks, and how successful it can be in spreading out the field and being aggressive downfield. However, when that first 4th-and-long situation comes up, and the QB lines up under center for a sneak, you might want to get your cameras out.

That will be a historic moment.

Contact/Follow us @Ducks_Wire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinion.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

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8 things to know about Falcons QB Marcus Mariota

Marcus Mariota: Eight things to know about the Falcons’ new quarterback

There’s been quite a bit to process in Atlanta over the last few weeks. From Calvin Ridley’s suspension, to Deshaun Watson rumors and now Matt Ryan being traded after 14 seasons, Falcons fans are in a state of shock to some degree.

But you can’t dwell for on things for long in the NFL, and shortly after Ryan’s trade was announced, the Falcons signed free-agent quarterback Marcus Mariota to a two-year deal worth a reported $18.75 million.

Mariota, 28, is an affordable option with enough upside to make things interesting this season at the very least. Atlanta hasn’t yet ruled out drafting a quarterback, but it seems very likely that we see Mariota finally get a chance to start again either way.

Here are eight things to know about the team’s new QB.

Former Duck defensive back Jaylin Davies transfers to UCLA

Former Oregon cornerback Jaylin Davies has announced he has committed to play for UCLA.

With a new coaching staff, transfers are expected to come and go.

Defensive back Jaylin Davies is one of those players that went and he announced that he will be transferring to UCLA and will be playing for Chip Kelly.

Going to UCLA makes sense for the 5-foot-11, 170-pounder who originally hails from Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., and Matei Dei High School.

When he committed to Oregon, Davies was a consensus four-star recruit and top-20 cornerback nationally by most of the recruiting services and one of the top corners to come out of California.

But with the emergence of Twikweze Bridges, Dontae Manning, and a whole host of others, Oregon is very deep in the defensive back position so Davies must have felt he’ll see more playing time with the Bruins.

Besides, the kid is going back home and you can never fault him for doing that.

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LeGarrette Blount calls out Chip Kelly for lack of support during suspension

In a recent interview with @johncanzanoBFT LeGarrette Blount had some interesting comments about his time playing for Chip Kelly.

The start of the 2009 football season marked a new change for the Oregon Ducks. No longer was long-time head coach Mike Bellotti running the show, but rather former offensive coordinator Chip Kelly had stepped up to take his place.

Expectations were high for Oregon after a nice win in the Holiday Bowl the year before, and with Jeremiah Masoli and LeGarrette Blount leading the way, there were reasons for optimism.

Unfortunately, that optimism faded away rather quickly, with the Ducks dropping their season-opener to Boise State, 19-8. Things went downhill quickly, as well, with Blount making national headlines in the aftermath of the game, punching Broncos’ DE Byron Hout and dropping him to the ground. Blount had to be restrained and escorted off of the field, and would serve a suspension for the majority of the 2009 season, only coming back at the end of the year.

While some believed that suspending Blount for so long was a little harsh, the Oregon legend said this week that Kelly initially wanted him out for the entire season. In an interview with The Oregonian‘s John Canzano, Blount opened up about that season and admitted that he didn’t feel like his former coach had his back. You can listen to the full interview here.

“I think that is very misconstrued,” Blount said. “Without getting into details about that I feel like me personally along with probably a handful of teammates or so looked out for me and supported me and had my back more so than he did. He wasn’t someone that was calling my phone or reaching out to me on a daily basis type thing. I think it was the pressure of people feeling that I was punished unfairly. I think the pressures of that put it in motion for me to be able to come back and play at the end of the season. Because his initial reaction was to suspend me for the entire year. I don’t think he ever really fully supported me.”

Blount returned for the final regular-season game against the Oregon State Beavers and played in Oregon’s Rose Bowl appearance against Ohio State as well. In total, he had 14 carries for 87 yards and 2 touchdowns in those games.

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Where does Oregon rank among the top-25 winningest football programs in past decade?

The Ducks may not have the history of an Ohio State or Notre Dame, but in the past decade, they’ve been as good as anyone.

When you look at the entire history of the college football landscape, the Oregon Ducks can’t hold a candle to the blue-blood schools, such as Ohio State, Notre Dame, USC or Texas.

However, when you look at the more recent history, they are absolutely among the best teams in the nation. Since the turn of the century, the Ducks have become a national brand thanks of Phil Knight and Nike, and the program’s rise has produced multiple national championship game appearances and numerous Rose Bowl victories.

Ahead of spring football, 247Sports ranked the top-25 teams in the nation according to their records for the past decade. So where does Oregon rank? The Ducks have a 91-27 record (.771) and have routinely been among the top of the Pac-12 conference. Here’s what 247Sports had to say:

Another big-name program with an uncertain future. But the Ducks have been here before. New head coach Dan Lanning, the architect of a Georgia defense that carried the Bulldogs to their first national championship in more than 40 years, will be Oregon’s fifth head man since 2012. Mario Cristobal got the program back on the right track with a 12-win campaign and Rose Bowl appearance in his second year in Eugene. It is up to Lanning to keep Oregon among the nation’s elite programs. And with Lincoln Riley now calling the shots at USC, things could get much more interesting in the Pac-12.

So, how good has Oregon been since 2010 compared to the rest of the nation? Let’s take a look:

Dan Lanning fully expects to continue Oregon’s history of offensive innovations

An up-tempo offense and efficient execution is going to be key for Kenny Dillingham’s offense at Oregon.

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For the better part of 20 years, Oregon and Nike have been known for bringing innovation into the college football world with futuristic uniforms and a changing style of play. It’s been a hit-and-miss endeavor to be sure with mostly hits and just a few misses.

That innovation ramped up on the field when the Ducks hired Chip Kelly and his offensive schemes and tempo were the talk of those inside the industry. Oregon did everything as quickly as possible. That plan brought the Ducks to the brink of two national championships.

When Mario Cristobal was at the helm, things slowed down a little, but he brought efficiency to the Oregon program. It was more calculating and the winning was nearly at the same level. Cristobal won a Rose Bowl and several conference titles.

The next logical step in the Ducks’ evolution is to combine the best of both worlds. That’s what new head coach Dan Lanning, along with offensive coordinator Kenny Willingham, hope to achieve. When asked if he wants the Ducks to run ramp up the speed of play on the offensive side of the ball, Lanning laid out his plan of attack.

“It has to be a weapon for us. I also think that sometimes those numbers get skewed a little bit just like if we’re in a game and we’re doing really well, that pace is going to change down the stretch,” he said. “If the game is in hand or you’re scoring quickly, that doesn’t always equate to 80 plays. But I know how uncomfortable it can make a defense, and we want to be able to do that in this league.

“There are two things that I think people don’t realize: It’s one thing to go fast, but it’s another thing to be fast and efficient. And we want to be fast and efficient. We don’t want to just be fast. That’s something obviously that Coach Dillingham has great experience in with his past as a coordinator in this system.”

Jake Crandall, Montgomery Advertiser via Imagn Content Services, LLC

It seems as if Lanning and Dillingham have a guy tabbed to run the show in Year 1 with former Auburn quarterback Bo Nix. As a freshman with Dillingham calling the plays, the five-star recruit experienced immediate success and was the SEC Freshman of the Year in 2019. It also happened to be his one-and-only season with Dillingham and it was Nix’s best season as a Tiger.

Nix threw for 2,542 yards (196 ypg), completed 58 percent of his passes with 16 touchdowns and just six interceptions. Whether Dillingham’s departure for Florida State and Nix’s numbers dropping off some is a coincidence remains to be seen, but everyone will find out as the 2022 season goes along.

With USC hiring of Lincoln Riley, it’s obvious the Trojans are all in on recapturing past glory. In order to stay a step ahead, doing the same thing won’t benefit the Ducks. They’ll have to keep being innovative on the field as well as off the field.

Lanning seems to be a guy who gets that and has plans to implement to stay ahead of the curve.

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Panthers HC Matt Rhule reportedly ‘sent some feelers’ out for Chip Kelly

Chip Kelly could be the rockstar offensive coordinator Matt Rhule and the Panthers are looking for . . . if it was 2013.

Okay, now the Carolina Panthers are cookin’. Kudos to head coach Matt Rhule for finally targeting that rockstar offensive coordinator in Chip . . . oh.

Sorry, folks. Just looked at my calendar and it turns out it isn’t 2013.

In an intriguing addition to Carolina’s search for a new play-caller, Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network reported on Tuesday that Rhule has “sent some feelers” out for UCLA Bruins head coach Chip Kelly.

Kelly, of course, has the experience Rhule is coveting. After serving as the offensive coordinator for the University of Oregon from 2007 to 2008, he was promoted to head coach starting in 2009.

Over his four-year stint at the helm in Eugene, Kelly led his high-octane Ducks to a combined 46-7 record with a BCS Championship appearance in 2010 (against Cam Newton’s victorious Auburn Tigers).

He then made a much-publicized jump to the NFL as the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles in 2013. But his three years there, along with a one-year stop as the man in San Francisco, resulted in a 28-35 mark in the pros and a ticket back to the college ranks.

Coincidentally, there could be another one of those tickets readily available for another certain coach if the Panthers go further south in 2022.

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Frank Gore on almost signing with the Eagles; The role Nick Foles played in his reneging

Frank #Gore on almost signing with the Philadelphia #Eagles and how a Nick #Foles traded made him renege and choose the #Colts

Back in 2015, during Chip Kelly’s final season as head coach in Philadelphia, star running back Frank Gore agreed to sign a deal with the Eagles that included $7.5 million guaranteed in the first two years.

The deal was supposed to essentially be a slam dunk for Philadelphia, but the future Hall of Famer backed out of his agreement and eventually signed with the Colts.

Gore is now boxing and as he prepares for a matchup against former NBA point guard Deron Williams, the running back spoke with the Associated Press’s Rob Maaddi and gave some insight into why he backed out on his deal.

Taking into consideration a trade of their quarterback and some roster purging, Gore told Maaddi that he signed on to play with Nick Foles and once that didn’t happen, everything else became something of a domino effect.

“Nick Foles called me, I committed to him and said I was going to come. He called me, said congrats, can’t wait to get on the field. And then the next day he gets traded. Then I see Jeremy Maclin, he goes to Kansas City. Then I’m like, ‘Man.’

“At the time, 10 years, 11,000 yards, I’m trying to win a championship. I got a taste of the Super Bowl with San Fran but we didn’t win, so I’m searching to go to a championship. I see Nick Foles get traded, I see Maclin go to Kansas City, and they already let DeSean Jackson go [to] Washington. I love the coach, that’s my dog Chip Kelly, we still talk. But I just felt like when I saw the pieces leaving, we couldn’t win a Super Bowl there.

It was one of Kelly’s final moves, and the next offseason Doug Pederson was hired, Carson Wentz was acquired in the draft after Philadelphia parted ways with a ton of assets and the rest is history.

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