Morning Phil-Up: Can Eagles Afford Jeremy Maclin & LeSean McCoy?

And so the Eagles finally have ended their general manager search.

Ed Marynowtiz, who was already in the organization, was named to the position yesterday.

Chip Kelly released a statement, praising Marynowitz as the “most impressive” figure that he spoke to during his search, making it a no-brainer to hire him above the other candidates.

Let’s get real, Chip.

No one else wanted this job.

The Eagles searched high and low, interviewing as many talented scouts and executives from other successful organizations as they could, only to be turn down left and right.

The job the Eagles were offering was not an enticing one for potential GM candidates.

This is a position where the general manager would not have as much power as those candidates would have wanted or needed to succeed. Because Chip Kelly wields all of the power when it comes to roster decisions, and after hearing of the recent power struggle that took place between him and Howie Roseman, it’s not hard to imagine why a lot of the guys the Eagles interviewed said “thanks, but no thanks.”

Be sure to check out these articles from around the web as you start your morning.

Can The Eagles Afford Both Maclin And McCoy? – Philly.com

The Eagles have a number of tough decisions to make in order to shape the team for next season.

Among these choices will be what to do with LeSean McCoy and Jeremy Maclin. It may not be possible to keep both of them on big contracts and leave enough room for the club to properly address the other areas of need.

Maclin is set to be an unrestricted free agent, and is also ready to command a contract worthy of an elite receiver. The Eagles want to keep him, but as of right now the two sides are struggling to come to terms on an agreement.

McCoy has a contract that screams for a restructuring, and even though he said he’d be open to such a thing, the Eagles have to be concerned about whether or not McCoy is about to decline further than he already did a year ago.

If it came down to choosing one or the other, I’d go with Maclin. A number-one receiver is harder to find than a good running back, and they also have a considerably longer shelf life.

Tom Gamble Returns To 49ers – CSNPhilly

Several weeks after being fired by the Eagles, Tom Gamble has caught on with the San Francisco 49ers, the team that he previously worked for before joining the Birds two years ago.

Gamble returns to the franchise that he helped build into formidable force in the NFC. The Niners could certainly use a familiar voice that is capable of bringing some stability to an organization that has gone through turmoil ever since Gamble left.

There has still been no word from the Eagles or Gamble explaining what went wrong and led to Gamble’s dismissal from Philadelphia.

Foles On Mariota, Trade Rumors – Birds 24/7

Nick Foles spoke to the media at Radio Row at the Super Bowl, and addressed various questions about his future with the Eagles.

Foles predictably downplayed the trade rumors surrounding him, along with the team’s reported interest in drafting Marcus Mariota, and stated that he was focused solely on continuing his preparation for next season and that he expects to be an Eagle moving forward.

The one thing of note that Foles said was that he hadn’t spoken to Kelly since the end of the season. While Kelly has certainly been very busy with power struggles and interviewing countless general manager candidates that weren’t interested in working with him, it is a little odd that the head coach and quarterback haven’t had any interaction since the end of the season.

It’s worth noting that Kelly cut off all communication with DeSean Jackson following the end of the 2013-14 season, and ultimately ended up releasing him.

What To Expect From Zach Ertz In Year 3 – The 700 Level

Eagles fans have been waiting for Zach Ertz to break out and emerge as one of the league’s great young tight ends.

However, Ertz’s production hasn’t been what many have expected. A problem which I put solely at the feet of Chip Kelly.

Kelly has used his tight ends poorly in his first two seasons. While some will argue that the injuries on the offensive line forced Chip to keep his tight ends as blockers throughout the year, the tight end usage was a problem in Kelly’s first season as well.

The Eagles have seen how high Ertz’s ceiling is. When given the opportunity, he can put on some dominating performances like he did against the Redskins late in the year. However, the head coach has got to take it upon himself to start devising ways to make Ertz a focal point of the game plan and take advantage of his enormous talent.