Chip Kelly can only guess how the Dallas Cowboys are going to attack the Eagles this Sunday without superstar receiver Dez Bryant, out with a broken foot.

It beats the alternative.

If the choice is playing the Cowboys with Bryant as opposed to preparing for their NFC East arch-rivals without him, Kelly would take “the latter.

“He’s really good,” Kelly said of Bryant, the media tent bursting into laughter. “So, put a little bit more on the coaches and a little bit less on covering Dez, I think we’d opt for that.”

The Cowboys have options without Bryant, who likely will be sidelined four to six weeks after undergoing surgery.

Tight end Jason Witten (6-6, 251), wide receivers Terrance Williams and Cole Beasley, along with tight end Gavin Esobar (6-6, 254) are at the disposal of quarterback Tony Romo.

In Kelly’s mind, Romo is the key.

“One of the best quarterbacks in the league running the show,” Kelly said. “What a dynamic football player Dez is but it’s not like there’s a huge discrepancy. The key to that offense is the quarterback.”

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Technically they aren't on the roster.

But that hasn't stopped bloggers from noting how Eagles head coach Chip Kelly, formerly of Oregon has nine Ducks on the roster counting the trade for Kiko Alonso.

The group includes  linebacker Casey Matthews, defensive linemen Brandon Bair, Taylor Hart and Wade Keliikipi, running back Kenjon Barner and wide receivers Josh Huff, Jeff Maehl and Will Murphy.

Oh, and if you believe the rumors quarterback Marcus Mariota will join the list.

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For a creative use of social media, let's go to SBNation.com.

Sanchez confirms his hand is as big as a football.

It ran a Madden simulation with Mark Sanchez as the quarterback for all 32 teams in order to see if the current Eagles starter would win a Super Bowl.

Click here for the incredibly entertaining video.

I won't spoil it for you.

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Assistants always wait for Chip Kelly before hitting the field.

Cornerback Brandon Boykin returned to practice after sitting out a day with a sore hamstring.

Linebacker Mychal Kendricks (strained calf) joined his teammates at practice but wasn't in helmet or shoulder pads. That doesn't mean he won't play Sunday, according to head coach Chip Kelly.

"He's showing improvement," Kelly said of Kendricks. "He's moving, he's running a little bit more. He was running on the treadmills in the weight room and he's now out on the field doing some things."

Kelly, asked if he would play a player who didn't practice all week replied "it depends who the player is." Kendricks has a pretty good knowledge of what the Eagles do.

While Kelly reported improvement in Kendricks, the Eagles are two weekends away from their bye.

Also, offensive tackle Lane Johnson is rounding into shape. Johnson hasn't played since training camp due to NFL discipline.

Chip Kelly at podium in this panoramic of Thursday morning presser.

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In time, Chip Kelly expects the change in the Eagles' replay review operation to work out well.

Anyone know anything about shortening podiums?

But it didn't happen in the opener.

In the fourth quarter the Eagles appealed an incomplete pass by Jaguars quarterback Chad Henne on the grounds it was a fumble. They were denied. The call on the field stood.

In a long season, the new hire cannot help but do better than last year. The Eagles missed four of seven replay appeals.

Hiring someone exclusively for replays enables the coaches Kelly previously relied on to be his eyes in the sky to focus on their own jobs. All too often they're watching a monitor waiting to determine if the play in question should be reviewed.

"We don't get the same feed all the time that the people on TV get," Kelly said. "We're governed by the feed that we get in the box. And there's been some games where I've asked, shall we challenge? And our guys in the box say 'we haven't see a replay yet.' And it always seems like it happens when we're on the road. It's happened in two cities specifically this year when I wanted to challenge it but we didn't get a replay. So it's tough for those guys to tell me. And we're not going to challenge it because it is taking a timeout. We're not going to guess on what we saw. You've got to be able to see the replay."

The Eagles' replay guy is Frank Kosman, former ACC senior replay official per Phillymag.com/Birds24.7.

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Cary Williams can think of a million things he'd rather do than practice next week with the New England Patriots. He sees no benefit in doing so, unlike Eagles coach Chip Kelly.

Williams respects his head coach. He just doesn't feel the same way about the Patriots having put up with their arrogance and rules-stretching antics during a tour with the Baltimore Ravens.

If the Patriots even think about messing with Williams next week they're asking for trouble,. 

"I don’t care about whether they come after me or not,” Williams said. “That doesn’t scare me. My mentality has never been a punk, never been a guy that’s going to be a scared guy. I don’t play this game in fear … at all. I fear no man. As far as I’m concerned, hey, you put your pants on as well as I put my pants on. So we’re going to man-up when we get there.”

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Keelan Johnson joined the Eagles at training camp Thursday.

The 5-11, 209-pound safety was charged with aggravated assault on a police officer, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct two weekends ago in Tempe, Ariz. Aggravated assault and resisting arrest are felonies.

The Eagles excused Johnson from the early portion of training camp to tend to those legal matters and in the words of the player, "not be a distraction."

Grateful for a second chance.

Johnson declined to discuss the legal stuff or how it would play out but was grateful Chip Kelly gave him another chance.

"I need to come out here and give him everything I've got because he could have easily got rid of me," Johnson said. "To be in that situation I was in, it was a situation I wish I could have avoided."

The undrafted free agent out of Arizona State who played in two games for the Eagles last season.



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Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie wanted Jimmy Johnson to be his head coach back in 1995.
 

Chip Kelly reminds Lurie Super Bowl winning coach Jimmy Johnson,.

Johnson left the Dallas Cowboys after winning back-to-back Super Bowls when he feuded with owner Jerry Jones. Ray Rhodes ultimately got the nod as head coach of the Birds.

Lurie knows a lot about Johnson based on the flirtation and having bounced football matters off the Fox football analyst.

Lurie understands why some believe Kelly is like Johnson.

"There are some similarities there," Lurie said Wednesday. "I don’t know if you can carry it all the way. But certainly Jimmy was very cognizant of what it takes to bring a team together. People focused on his bravado and his intelligence and all that but he comes from a pretty savvy psychology background and he had a feel for what brings 53 men together and your staff together.

"And Chip has a lot of those qualities. He knows what it takes to have a common purpose to bring people together. And it’s not about who’s the best team on paper. What team has the best stats. What team accomplishes this. It’s not about who runs the fastest offense. It’s just about how to bring people together in a common goal where you can compete against 31 other teams trying to do something similar. They have a similarity that way and a self-confidence."

More as this develops at Delcotimes.com/sports.

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Former Eagles cornerback Lito Sheppard, a two-time Pro Bowl defender, is mentor defensive backs on press coverage.

Lito Sheppard with Eagles CB Bradley Fletcher.

Sheppard is attending Eagles training camp as part of the Bill Walsh Minority Intern program. Assistant coach Tra Thomas, a Pro Bowl offensive tackle in his days with the team, also was in the program.

“Just getting to know Lito and knowing what a career he had here as an Eagle and getting a chance to get him back here, he can help impart some wisdom on some of our young corners and young safeties in terms of how he saw things,” Kelly said. “I think it’s a positive impact on all of us.”

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Chip Kelly put a date on the start of Eagles training camp.

Kelly said he wouldn't see his players for 35 days. That would take them to July 25, a Friday.

“I think the important thing for them is it's not getaway day," Kelly said Thursday before the final minicamp practice. "We have another day to improve and get out there and get better as a football team, and I think that's their approach right now. They've had a good session so far this morning and we'll go out and wrap it up. I think the real message is it isn't getaway day. It's let’s finish up strong, it's our last opportunity to get some real good quality work in before we come back here on the 25th, and I think they feel the same way."

After a respite, the coaches will get back to work. The same with the players albeit on an individual basis.

"I don't look at this as any break from what we've just done," Kelly said. "This is our life's choice and we enjoy it. This isn't like Fred Flintstone and 'yabba-dabba-do' and we're trying to get out of work. It's another day. And we'll finish with some different things before we get some time off. I don't think anybody in our situation as coaches is like `I can't wait to get out of there.' Most are like `I can't wait to get back in there.' "

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The Eagles brought veteran Nolan Carroll in to play press coverage.

Chip Kelly bristled when it was suggested Carroll II was an under-the-radar signing.

Kelly said Wednesday Carroll (6-1, 205) would push Cary Williams and Bradley Fletcher for playing time and contribute on special teams as a gunner.


"We didn't think it was an under-the-radar signing," Kelly said. "Obviously I don't write the articles. And thank goodness we didn't read them because he didn't feel that way to us. We had him targeted very early as a guy we wanted to bring into this organization. I think he's got the requisite length that we're looking forward at the corner spot. Especially as an outside corner. He's an outstanding special teams player.

"I've been really impressed with Nolan in the short time that we've had him here. I think he's stuck out. and I know some of you guys are excited he's stuck out."

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Reporters got a taste of the Chip Kelly Experience Tuesday.

Near the end of his media availability, Chip Kelly was interrupted by the loud music he has played for Eagles practices.



Instead of ordering the music off (after all, he is the head coach) Kelly answered what football media relations Derek Boyko, moments before the interruption, called the last 'two questions.' Only a small handful of media heard much of the answers, much less the questions. The video is difficult to understand.

At first it seemed funny. It's basically the the type of chaos he wants his players to fight through. Only these aren't his players. He explains why he does things the way he does them, to his players. Is it asking too much for the media to expect the same courtesy?

It's another example of how  Kelly feels about the press. Or doesn't care about the press.

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It's been awhile since Chip Kelly issued his first depth chart with the Eagles.

Amazingly not much has changed. Then again Kelly spent much of his time implementing his system and changing the culture.

This draft as well as the release of Desean Jackson should be a much better indicator of how he feels about the personnel.