Heath Evans on Chip Kelly: “He just doesn’t belong at this level”

Heath Evans, a former NFL fullback and current NFL Network analyst, joined the Murph & Mac show on KNBR 680 and criticized San Francisco 49ers head coach Chip Kelly and his ability to be successful in the NFL.

Evans was asked if he has seen anything in Kelly's offense that makes him believe that the head coach is going in the right direction. "I haven't," he answered. "The main complaint from day one, even four years removed now from when he got the job in Philly, was that the tempo was going to slay his defense and now we've seen that repetitively for four seasons.

"The mindset of, A, leading a team is one thing. I think that's what's most important. Two, play design is probably third on my list of what it takes to be successful. But protection and offensive line protection is equal to play design or slightly right under because it's, obviously, a part of play design. When you look at how I see a stop press working based on plays that he puts on tape, he just doesn't belong at this level and it's never going to work. It's never going to hoist the Lombardi. And just the leadership of man aspect, this just isn't his cup of tea."

Evans went on to state that some of the stuff that he sees on tape is "repetitively stupid." He also doesn't believe that QB Colin Kaepernick has the power or ability to call audibles at the line of scrimmage or that he has been coached not to do so. "One of the main knocks about the tempo the three years in Philly and some this year in San Fran is that when you get up there and you don't give your quarterback any pre-snap tell of what that coverage is, you're handicapping your team," Evans said. "And why wouldn't you force that defense to tell you something?"

"I don't know what Trent Baalke ever saw on tape from three years in Philly that he had a chance to do anything productive with Chip Kelly," Evans continued. "You've got to start over (and) move on before this storied, awesome franchise is completely run amok."

Evans went on to comment on the comments by OT Joe Staley that Kelly should remain as the 49ers head coach. Evans stated that a lot of guys with the Philadelphia Eagles said that when Kelly was there but changed their tune once he was gone.

You can listen to the entire interview on KNBR 680.