Yes, because they could get Helton or the functional equivalent at literally any time. It's called playing to win instead of playing not to lose.
Personally, kind of glad that USC didn't wait around. Not a big Trojans fans, but this is a big time program, who can get top end talent.
As a fan of football, I have been dismayed at the lack of quality QBs coming out of college. A lot of that has to do with the number of programs running the spread offence and keeping their QBs in the shotgun for 90% of the snaps.
These QBs don't develop the ability to read defences and go through their progressions. Not something that they should be learning in the NFL. It should be refined when they arrive in the pros, but not something that they are basically learning from scratch.
So a program that big, like Texas as well, should be able to bring in QB talent and train them to be QB's who can read defences and go through their reads.
As for Chip, if he wants to, I am sure he will get HC offers to go back to college if he wants. As for another HC job in the NFL, he'd have to just be a HC and learn from his mistakes in Philly.
1) You have to get a feel for the game. If the other team just went on a 13 play 7 minute drive to score a TD, your Defense needs a rest, thus your Offense, if it plays uptempo, had better be able to string a couple of first downs together, otherwise, you're going to gas out the D
2) Learn to work with your players. That's where it's good to have a separate GM and HC.
As for the Eagles, I don't think that they were going to keep both Jackson and Maclin. Jackson's deal with the Eagles prior to him getting cut, would be over $10 million this season and Maclin got a huge offer from the Chiefs. They could only keep 1 of them. IMO, of the 2, better to keep Maclin and I think he is more versatile and running all of the routes. Jackson's speed, can only be taken advantage of if the OLine holds and you can go deep. McCoy, definitely, fit the scheme better than Murray. That system is setup for a back who is more elusive. Peterson and Lynch, for example would be terrible fits for Chip's system, whereas a Le'Veon Bell would be a good fit.
Chip gave out too much money for Murray, but really, the complaints about Maxwell, while warranted in that he is not a top end CB, they did need to upgrade the position and his salary would basically offset one of the WR (Jackson and Maclin). Letting the guards go was a mistake, but each team deals with contract renegotiation differently. Mathis lost quite a bit of money by getting cut by Philly.