Because Chip Kelly's system is different -- and from a player's perspective, a bit unpopular -- he leaves himself open to plenty of criticism.
The latest comes from Cary Williams, a defensive back Kelly cut who now plays for the Seahawks.
Williams' gripe was that Kelly's revolutionary practices, which include a rigorous amount of conditioning, don't really work. He said his current team has the right idea and that players need to be better rested.
"We was talking about the fact that our conditioning and things like was going to kick in because we worked harder than everybody in the National Football League with the Chip Kelly thing," he told 710 ESPN in Seattle. "We got out there, we got our teeth kicked in. So all that conditioning didn't necessarily work. Preparation wasn't necessarily the greatest neither that week. When you're going up against teams that prepare well, practice well, coach well, it's difficult in games like that. I think towards the end of the year we were exhausted and we got outcoached the majority of the games."
Williams' opinion is not an unpopular one around the league with many players, especially those on defense, standing in protest of the high-intensity workouts and game plan.
But perhaps this also gives us a window into what exactly Kelly is trying to do with his roster. The only players who seem to be complaining about the system are the ones who aren't there anymore. Maybe he's looking for players who can thrive in that situation and accept his teachings. Maybe he's looking for athletes who live for conditioning.
Either way, it was clear the Williams-Kelly marriage wasn't going to work out. Whether it was truly about some extra sprints or not, we'll never know.
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