Flipped

Posted: February 10th, 2018 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 307 Comments »

There is a downside to winning the Super Bowl.

First, good for him. DeFilippo deserved the job and I wish him well. He made sure he took a job he actually wanted and with a team where he can succeed.

What does this mean for the Eagles?

They need a new QBs coach. Press Taylor had the title of Offensive Quality Control/Assistant QBs Coach this past season so he is an obvious candidate. Here is PE.com’s bio on Taylor, who has been with the Eagles since 2013.

If the Eagles want a more experienced person for the job, they could move WRs coach Mike Groh over to work with the QBs. Groh wants to be more than just a WRs coach, even though that is something he excels at. He was an offensive coordinator and QBs coach at the University of Virginia and wants to get back to one of those roles at the NFL level. Here is his bio.

The Eagles could always move Groh to QBs and Taylor to WRs, giving both young coaches a promotion. Part of the challenge is rewarding your own coaches to keep them happy, while also making sure you are hiring the best candidates. The Eagles could look at outside possibilities. I tend to think they’ll focus on internal candidates for this position.

Losing Flip would hurt a lot more if the Eagles didn’t have Doug Pederson as the head coach. Pederson has a strong relationship with his QB. Flip certainly did a great job with the Eagles QBs this year and replacing him won’t be easy, but this won’t be a crushing change like when Ray Rhodes lost Jon Gruden after the 1997 season. The Eagles offense fell apart. Carson Wentz has established himself as a top QB and Nick Foles has been a Pro Bowl MVP and Super Bowl MVP so I think he’s in good shape.

Flip did spend more time with the QBs than any other coach. He knew what to say to them and what not to say. Finding the right coach who can push the same buttons isn’t as easy as hiring the guy with the best resume. Flip also did a lot of work on the Red Zone offense, which was 2nd in the NFL. That will take someone with a good feel for X’s and O’s.

The Vikings have a full staff so I don’t anticipate DeFilippo trying to bring any coaches with him. So what about players?

The Vikings have free agent QBs in Sam Bradford, Case Keenum and Teddy Bridgewater. My guess is that they will let Bradford walk. Keenum is the guy who makes the most sense, but how much can you commit to him financially? He might want to test free agency, hoping to land a huge deal from a desperate team. Minnesota would love to have Bridgewater pan out as their franchise QB, but they can’t completely commit to him. He’s thrown two passes in two years.

Could DeFilippo convince the Vikings to trade for Nick Foles? Minnesota is a very talented team. They are built to win now. There is a strong argument for them trying to get a QB who is ready to win right now. Foles just showed he can deliver in the postseason. He and Flip obviously have a solid relationship. The Vikings saw firsthand how good he can be when things are clicking.

It would not shock me for the Vikings to make a run at him.

That said, I still think Keenum ends up back there. He played really well this year and is a known commodity to them. Foles has a higher upside, but is more risky because of his highs and lows, as well as the fact he would cost at least an early pick. I can’t see the Eagles dealing Foles for less than a 2nd rounder.

And I don’t think the Eagles will just shop Foles. I think they would only trade him if it is something that he’s on board with. I’m not sold that he wants to leave.

Thank you to John DeFilippo for helping to develop Carson Wentz and for helping the Eagles to win a Super Bowl. Now you better focus on a way to slow down Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham and the rest of the Eagles defense. No mercy will be given when the Vikings and Eagles play in 2018.

*****

Frank Reich is a possibility to be the next coach of the Colts.

I’m not sure if the Frazier interview is strictly to fulfill the Rooney Rule. Frazier was part of the staff that led the Colts to the SB win in 2006. It could be that Jim Irsay wants someone he’s familiar with and has had success with.

I have mixed feelings on Reich. From a selfish standpoint, I hope he doesn’t get the job so the Eagles have staff continuity. I also think Reich does more than people realize and he’s a key part of the Eagles success. At the same time, part of me would like to see him rewarded for what he helped the team accomplish. The Colts would be a good fit for Reich so he would have a chance to win there.

We’ll talk more about the OC situation if Reich leaves. Lots of moving parts with that one.

*****

Mike Jensen wrote a terrific story about a fan’s wild trip to the Super Bowl.

It will be a long time before I get tired of stuff like this

_

Coaching Update

Posted: January 4th, 2016 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 204 Comments »

No real groundbreaking news today. But there are rumors and reports to discuss.

Apparently Mike Shanahan wants to coach the Eagles. I would be shocked if the Eagles even talked to him. Some of you will think I’m nuts because the guy has multiple Super Bowl rings and a good track record. Shanny can coach. But he’s a bit lacking in the personality department.

Shanahan is unbelievably tough on his QBs. He is a perfectionist that holds his QBs to incredibly high standards. Jake Plummer hated dealing with those expectations. Donovan McNabb never realized how much he loved Andy Reid until he went to play for Shanny. RG III and Shanny weren’t together long, but had a very bizarre relationship.

Jeff Lurie fired Chip Kelly in large part for his people skills. There is no way he’s going to turn around and hire a guy that is more awkward than Kelly.

*****

The Colts might not fire Chuck Pagano. That situation gets weirder and weirder. I can only think that owner Jim Irsay saw how the players responded to Pagano’s speech and had reservations about whether firing him was the right move.

We’ll see what happens there.

*****

This could be good news.

Some people have read this as meaning the Eagles could be planning to move back to the 4-3. That certainly is possible.

But don’t read too much into it.

Vinny Curry isn’t meant to start in the 3-4. He’s undersized for a DE and isn’t a natural OLB. But you have to remember that teams play almost half (or more) of the game in their Nickel or Dime packages. Curry is a great fit in those looks. He can play DE, DT, NT or be used as a stand-up rusher.

The key to this report would be to know what kind of offer the Eagles made to him. 4-3 teams will want him as a starter. They could offer pretty good money for his services. If the Eagles offer him big money, that could be a sign the team wants the new staff to play the 4-3. You aren’t going to pay a role player big money.

I hope the report is true and the Eagles are opening talks, no matter what their plans are. Curry is a disruptive pass rusher and those guys are very valuable. I would hate to lose him.

*****

The Eagles made a few simple moves today.

Two guys from the practice squad weren’t retained, TE Chris Pantale and CB Mike Lee.

Raciti, Bunche and Boyko are the 3 key players on that list. Raciti can play DT in the 4-3 or DE/NT in the 3-4. Bunche and Boyko both project as OGs in the NFL. Bunche was a good run blocker this summer.

*****

Chip Kelly might be a candidate for the Giants job. Some people are reporting this while others refute it strongly. I hope Chip goes elsewhere. I don’t want him in the division.

*****

That could be really interesting to listen to. McDermott is an interesting possibility. His tenure with the Eagles didn’t end well, but I don’t know what kind of relationship he has with Jeff Lurie. They might still be friendly. We’ll see. Should make for a good listen in the morning.

_

« Older Entries