The 2013-15 era in Eagles lore may go down as the reign of Chip the Terrible.
Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson labeled fired coach Chip Kelly a "dictator" who was incapable of change or listening to input from his players, which led to his downfall, according to Philly.com.
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"Maybe the ego got in the way," Johnson said. "Too much power. Control. Not being human about things; not working together, with the team, instead of being a dictator."
Johnson was not what would be considered a Kelly malcontent, Philly.com added. He was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2013 NFL draft --- Kelly's first as coach of the Eagles.
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That didn't stop him at throwing shade at the ghost of Kelly inside the Eagles locker room.
"Get back to a more traditional style of offense," Johnson said. "I've been running this tempo (bleep) since college. I'm pretty damned tired. It takes a toll on you. You do it over a period of time, a lot of guys in this league aren't going to last . . . Bigger guys, it's harder on your joints. A lot of pounding. Your hips. Your back. All you're doing is torqueing all day.
"Practice here is pretty much the same, from (voluntary springtime) OTAs through training camp to the end of the season. No other guys in the league go from April through the end of the season. It takes a toll on you. At the end of the year, I feel like I'm going to fall apart."
Philadelphia quarterback Sam Bradford, however, indirectly refuted Johnson's claims of Kelly being unapproachable, according to ESPN.
"I don't know what his relationship was with other people, but I had a great relationship with Chip," Bradford said. "He gave me an opportunity after being injured. I'll forever be grateful for that. It's tough."
Bradford came to the Eagles in a trade from the Rams in March, so he was not as privy to the carnage of players Kelly sent away as Johnson.
Johnson did not shy away when asked whether Kelly created a culture of fear.
"To be honest, yeah," Johnson said. "We'd tell our position coaches, but I don't know if it ever leaves that room . . . Maybe there was an intimidation factor . . . After Shady (LeSean McCoy) and all those guys were (subtracted), it opened up some eyes."
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