Zach Ertz, Chip Kelly on the same side now
Zach Ertz sent a handwritten thank you note to Philadelphia Eagles coach Chip Kelly after an interview at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Now, the second-round draft pick can thank the first-year coach with plays on the field. The Eagles made Erztz the second tight end to come off the board on Friday night and Kelly didn’t have to go to the team’s college scouts or personnel department for information on the 6-5, 249-pound playmaker.
At Oregon, Kelly saw firsthand what Ertz could do. It was a disputed touchdown catch by Ertz that forced overtime in Stanford’s 17-14 victory over the Ducks. That will give the coach and his new player plenty to go back-and-forth about.
“You could never isolate him into one spot, and whenever they got the mismatch he created, he made plays,” Kelly said, according to Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “I didn't relish coaching against him, and I'm very, very happy that he is on our side now.”
Ertz put up big numbers last season despite a lot of turnover at Stanford with quarterback Andrew Luck departing. It will be interesting to see how Kelly deploys the big target in his scheme.
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Brad Biggs covers the Bears for the Chicago Tribune