Eagles announce structural changes; Chip Kelly to oversee player personnel

The Philadelphia Eagles announced structural changes to their front office Friday, giving head coach Chip Kelly more control over player personnel decisions.

As part of the changes, general manager Howie Roseman has been elevated to executive vice president of football operations. He will continue directing contract negotiations, salary cap management and NFL strategic matters, while overseeing the team's medical and equipment staff.

Kelly will now oversee the player personnel department and will lead efforts to hire a new personnel executive - a process the team said will start immediately.

"We are a good football team and we believe these steps will help make us a great team," chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie said in a statement. "That step - from good to great - is the most difficult one for any organization to make. To do that, sometimes you have to step back and really look hard at where you are today and what you want to become."

The moves come off the heels of a mutual parting of ways between the Eagles and vice president of player personnel Tom Gamble. Several reports have made mention of increased tension between Roseman and Kelly, culminating with the departure of Gamble.

As Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com notes, the moves likely had more to do with Kelly wanting more power and being unhappy with the current setup than Roseman not doing an adequate job.

The question now becomes whether this restructuring is merely a Band-Aid fix for a much bigger problem, or a recipe for success.