Tuesday Gus Update

Posted: January 15th, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 100 Comments »

This is not a done deal.  Per multiple reports, Gus Bradley and the Eagles still need to talk today.  The meeting on Saturday was limited since it was the eve of a playoff game for him.  That meeting lasted a couple of hours (barely a handshake compared to other interviews).

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Gus will arrive in Philly this afternoon around 3pm.  It sounds this will initially be Part 2 of the interview.  If things go well, it will segue over to contract talks.  Obviously the Eagles have serious interest, but they aren’t just going to hand Gus the job.  They still have some important issues to discuss.

I mentioned on Twitter yesterday that this is a huge opportunity for Jeff Lurie.  If he’s able to find the right coach and they win a Super Bowl together, that changes Lurie’s reputation and legacy forever.  You either have a ring or you don’t.  Lurie would give anything to be a Super Bowl winner.  That validates you as a player/coach/owner in a way nothing else can.

The Eagles seem to want to hire Bradley, but they just want to make sure before committing.  This is smart.  You’re choosing a man to run your billion dollar organization.  Make sure you’ve got the right guy.

* * * * *

Many of you want to know about Gus and the defense.  Would he run the Tampa 2, which he was part of in Tampa?  Would he run Pete Carroll’s 4-3 under that they used in Seattle?  I have no idea what Gus wants to do.

I need to go home and sort through old boxes of tapes to see if I can find a North Dakota State game from 2004 or 2005.  If I get one, I’ll study it to see what scheme Gus ran up there.  I’m trying to get some info on NDSU schemes, but haven’t had much luck so far.

There was something interesting that a guy named Eagle Jake pointed out to me on Twitter.  Dave Spadaro was asked about Lovie Smith.  Dave responded:  ”He interviewed and remains a candidate, I think, for a couple of jobs”.  Very interesting.  Could Lovie come here as the DC and Assistant Head Coach?

Gus has never been a HC before.  It would be highly advisable for him to hire at least one former HC to help him with the odd issues that come up from time to time.  Andy Reid had Rod Dowhower on his original staff.  He had a veteran coordinator in Jim Johnson.  Even Brad Childress had been the OC at a few colleges, including Wisconsin.  These men could be self-reliant.  That helped a lot.

If Gus did bring Lovie in as DC, the defense would likely be some variation of the Tampa 2.  That would be fine with me.  Seattle’s scheme is complex.  It takes the right personnel and the right teachers.  It can work without Pete, but he’s the guy with the vision behind it.

The Eagles personnel fit the Tampa 2 more than they do Seattle’s scheme.  That’s not a huge issue.  The team can adjust personnel.  Gus must run the scheme that he prefers.  Buddy Ryan didn’t have the right guys for the 46 when he got to Philly so he went and got them.  He kept his scheme.

We just don’t know what Gus’s scheme is.  He’s had 2 NFL stops and both times worked under a defensive guru who already had a system.

We’ll discuss this issue at great length if/when Gus gets the job and is able to tell us exactly what he does want to do on defense.

* * * * *

One thing I hope we don’t see is Gus surround himself with too many cronies.  A coach needs to hire the best people, not just guys he knows.

Andy Reid tried to hire Marvin Lewis to run the defense.  Marvin turned him down so Andy called Jim Johnson and that worked out.  Reid wasn’t friends with either guy.  Reid wasn’t friends with most of the coaches he hired.  Childress was a buddy.  Andy built a great staff because he hired the right people.

Andy chose JJ in part because JJ’s blitzing had given the Packers problems.  You wonder if Gus would have the same mindset and find a coach who gave his defense problems.

Mike Mularkey is a name to watch here.

2010 game – ATL 34 , SEA 18

The Falcons didn’t get a ton of yards (266), but only allowed 1 sack, had 1 turnover, and 4 penalties.  The game was in Seattle, never an easy place to play.  Atlanta had a balanced offense (35 passes, 37 runs)

2010 game – ATL 30 , SEA 28

Another win in Seattle.  This time Atlanta piled up 412 yards.  They allowed no sacks and had no turnovers.  There were 4 penalties.  Atlanta threw 42 passes and had 36 runs.

Mularkey wasn’t in Atlanta this year, but the players he developed beat Seattle 30-28 on Sunday.  The scheme is different, but I’m sure there were some elements that go back to the old system.

Back in 2008 Mularkey faced Gus when Atlanta took on Tampa twice.  Mularkey had a rookie QB in Matt Ryan so the numbers weren’t great, especially in the first meeting.  That was Ryan’s second NFL game and he lost 24-9 and looked like a rookie QB.  The rematch came late in the season.  Atlanta lost 13-10, but played better.  Ryan was picked off twice, but only sacked once.  Atlanta ran 43 times for 175 yards.  They only had 3 penalties.

I don’t know that Mularkey did a lot schematically that threw off Bradley’s defenses, but Mike did run a balanced offense that limited turnovers and penalties.  There is a lot to be said for that.  He also did this while grooming a young QB.

* * * * *

Ken Whisenhunt would be an interesting OC candidate.  He’s got a much longer history vs Gus Bradley.

2006: PIT 20 , TB 3

2007: TB 17 , ARZ 10

2008: no games

2009:  ARZ 27 , SEA 3 … ARZ 31 , SEA 20

2010:  SEA 22 , ARZ 10 … SEA 36 , ARZ 18

2011:  SEA 13 , ARZ 10 … ARZ 23 , SEA 20

2012:  ARZ 20 , SEA 16 … SEA 58, ARZ 0

Ken’s teams only scored more than 24 points in 2 games, both with Kurt Warner playing at a high level.  The coaches went 5-5 in their meetings, but Bradley and the defense were the better of the two units.

When you look at it like this, the case isn’t all that compelling for Whiz…as OC or HC.

* * * * *

Back to my point about not just hiring the guys you know.  Scott Pioli took over as Chiefs GM back in 2009.  He hired Todd Haley, who he knew from a Jets job in the past.  The staff got loaded with former Pats coaches like Romeo Crennel, Charlie Weis, and Brian Daboll.  That situation proved disastrous.

Thomas Dimitroff left the Patriots to go run the Falcons.  He hired Mike Smith, a coach he had never worked with.  They maybe had met in the past, but weren’t friends.  They hired a coaching staff from various places.  I’m not sure there were any ex-Pats on the staff.  Dimitroff didn’t try to re-create the Pats down south.  He built his own team and organization.  The results have been impressive.

If Gus gets the job, he should focus on hiring the right coaches and not just friendly faces.

* * * * * *

NFL Gimpy posted his new MAQB column.  He’s got lots of good info on the playoff games.

Gimp made one very interesting point.  The Niners offense did amazing things on Saturday night and broke all kinds of team records.  The records were held by teams that featured multiple HOF players.  Is there even one guy on the current Niners offense who you can see as HOF material?  I know that is a young group and we don’t know the future, but Gimp’s point is relevant.  When Montana, Rice, John Taylor, Roger Craig, and the gang were putting up freakish numbers, they were established, elite players.  What we saw this weekend was like a bomb going off.  Was the Packers defense really that awful?  Can the Niners repeat that?  If they do, are we seeing something special?

I do think we need Gimp to decide if he’s going to worship Russell Wilson or Colin Kaepernick.  Can’t have ‘em both.

_

  • Ark87

    Gus Watch is ON!

    • TommyLawlor

      He’s close.

    • Mac

      Is that similar to the tracker the put up for Santa on Christmas eve?

  • begatts

    Tommy, I know you just frowned on Gus possibly hiring cronies, but I did some research on a possible OC candidate and came away impressed.
    Carl Smith was Seattle’s QB coach this season. Smith seems to have done a fantastic job with Russell Wilson. But going back even further than that, Carl Smith was OC in JAX back in 2005, 2006 & 2007. Here are JAX’s offensive ranks according to ProFootballReference.com:

    2005: #12 Pts, #15 Yds (QB was Leftwich & Garrard, Fred Taylor and MJD RBs, absolutely nothing at WR)
    2006: #9 Pts, #10 Yds (QB Garrard, Taylor and MJD RBs, again zilch at WR)
    2007: #6 Pts, #7 Yds (Garrard, Taylor and MJD were the offense. Seems Reggie Williams was the star of the WR corps – yuck!)

    He was fired after that season. Not sure why. The ate up some yards and scored the ball with absolutely nothing at WR. You can only do so much.

    2008 & ’09 went to USC to be QB coach under Pete Carroll. Mark Sanchez and Matt Barkley were his pupils.
    Smith might be good hire to run the offense.

    • TommyLawlor

      I’ve known about Carl for about 20 years. Veteran coach. I don’t think I would hire him to be the OC. I’d be open to him as the QB coach, but would prefer someone else as OC. Smith struggled to get a good passing game going in JAX. He ran the Jags offense in 2005 & 2006. Dirk Koetter replaced him in 2007. Jags ran the ball really well in ’06 and that boosted their overall numbers. Saints had an erratic passing game when he was their OC years ago. Can teach QBs, but he’s not meant to design and run an offense.

      • begatts

        That’s fair.

    • TommyLawlor

      And I’m not against him hiring a person or two that he knows. I don’t want the staff to be filled with them. That’s when you’ve got a situation that you may have passed on better candidates.

      • begatts

        That said, what do you make of AR’s coaching staff in KC? Seems like he’s going back to the well, doesn’t it. Seems as if AR is not as plugged into the league and the top new assistants as he was when he began here back in 1999. Many re-treads on that staff it seems.

        • Mac

          KC has upped the ante by hiring AR. Their plan is to try to go 8-8 or 9-7 and eek their way to relevance, which is different than taking aim at a SB (imo).

        • TommyLawlor

          Andy mixed in new faces and some role changes. New RB, OL coaches. New DC. Not sure if they’ve hired a LBs coach yet. Nagy becomes the QB coach. Pederson is the OC. These are new roles for them. That keeps things from getting stale.

          Also, a HC keeping a staff together is different than an assistant surrounding himself with friends in his first job. There are established relationships with a HC. An assistant taking a new gig must create a certain dynamic with his staff. Can help if the guys aren’t buddies.

  • Ark87

    Here’s a question, is it possible to have too much experience on a coaching staff? Like having a former HC for both an OC and DC (say MM and Lovie Smith). Is there a risk of the HC being marginalized by being sort of the least experienced person in the room?

    • TommyLawlor

      Possible. There needs to be a balance of experience and young/new coaches. You need new ideas. You also want a couple of veteran guys who can help you with their experience.

    • http://twitter.com/MFlicker Mike Flick

      I think too many big Egos could be a real problem.

    • D3Keith

      We’ve got to make a decision here. Is MM still Marty Mornhinweg, or is it now referring to Mike Mularkey? In this case it’s clear who you mean, but going forward, can they be MaMo and MiMu?

      Lol, that’s a terrible idea, forget about it.

  • shah8

    I don’t think GB was an especially good team. In a number of unfavorable ways, they could be compared to the Detroit Lions, but better and more functional. Along that vein, I suspect that had Joe Webb not stunk it up so bad as a passer in the first half, the first playoff game would have been quite a bit more competitive than it really should have been for playoff floatsam like the Vikings (think Raven’s demolition of Colts).

    Next, New England West ran into the key problem of Sam Cassel. None of those coaches that came with Pioli are bad, except for maybe Haley–and for just about any of the years that organization hung around, had they had a genuine QB, the rest of the squad would have been drastically better, more playoff games, more playoff victories. Remember, in the Eagle’s case, JJ inherited a great deal of genuine talent.

    Mike Mularkey is not really hot stuff. He was gone from Atlanta for a reason, and he was a failure in Jax for a reason.

    I…kinda doubt Lovie Smith will accept something less than a HC job. I also think that if the Eagles wanted to go this direction, that Bradley does not offer much of an advantage to Smith. Is there one beyond the unknown of a fresh face?

    • TommyLawlor

      Mularkey left ATL to become the HC in Jacksonville. The Jags fired him because the new GM wants to hire his own guy.

      As for KC…I never said the coaches were bad. The point is that when you build a staff you need to hire the best guys and the right guys. Rarely does that mean hiring a bunch of guys you know.

      • http://www.facebook.com/matthew.verhoog Matthew Verhoog

        In business you often make better factual decisions when interacting with people who are not your friends.

        • http://twitter.com/Germs33 David Roberts

          Groupthink is, almost always, antithetical to progress

          • Ark87

            Groupthink isn’t antithetical to progress so much as groupdecision.

      • shah8

        People were not very happy with Mularkey in Atlanta, and I got the strong vibe that had he not gotten a job, he would have been dismissed regardless. A bad idea by a bad GM, and dismissed heretofore. Let’s see if *he* ever sees a new HC opportunity.

        About the coaches, I would dispute that. Weis turned dog poop at QB into something decent for one year in 2010. Crennel has gotten some really impressive defensive performances out of his group, and left the team rather stacked at defense. Broadly speaking, I think there was only one real error in that Haley was head coach (he seems to be a pretty flaky hothead). It doesn’t matter if they are friends or not, there’s no need to be macho. The best coaches are the best coaches.

        • TommyLawlor

          Mularkey might be done as HC material. I’m not saying the guy is some elite genius. He might be the best OC available, though. He’s had success in multiple stops. He’s shown he can develop a QB. If I had my choice of any OC in the world, MM wouldn’t be close to the top. That’s an irrelevant discussion.

          Besides, we’re trying to hire a veteran coach who can run the offense. Bradley needs to concentrate on the defense and running the team overall. Just like Andy let JJ run the D, Gus would need someone who could run the O. Mike has the background to do that.

          Charlie Weis is the coach in Kansas and couldn’t be less relevant if he tried.

          Romeo Crennel’s last Top 10 D in yards or points…2004.

          The best coaches are the best coaches. Charlie and Romeo just aren’t the best coaches. Or even close.

          • T_S_O_P

            Mike Mularkey comes with some serious baggage; his initials!!!

          • TommyLawlor

            Are you still an Eagles fan, TSOP? I figured you’d be following Marty to his new team.

          • T_S_O_P

            I’d take him at Leeds United; he can’t have less of a clue than the current joker despite knowing nothing.

    • begatts

      Of course Lovie would prefer a HC gig, but if he’s not hired by a team to be the HC what does he do? Sit it out for a season or two? It would be pretty tough to become a HC again doing that. The only way back to being HC would be to have a good showing as a DC somewhere. Why not Philly? Lovie is a Kiffin disciple as is Gus, so there is somewhat of a connection there.

      • shah8

        Lovie Smith is more closer to the Marty Schottenheimers of the world rather than the Wade Phillips of the world, and when Marty was out of a job, he just went to a TV studio instead of becoming a coordinator again.

        More than that, I strongly doubt that Gus Bradly would welcome having a subordinate like Lovie Smith, who would always bee a perpetual threat to his job, and who probably knows the HC job quite a bit better than Gus–as in, he wasn’t an unsuccessful coach, you know…

        Just not parallel to LeBeau to Tomlin or Phillips to Garrett situation.

        • TommyLawlor

          If Gus is scared of hiring someone like Lovie, then Gus isn’t HC material. You must be confident enough to surround yourself with the best people.

          Lovie wouldn’t be a “subordinate”. He would be an advisor. He would be the LBs coach and Asst HC or the DC. You plan on him staying for a year, maybe two. We all expect Lovie to be a HC in the near future. If you can get him for a year or two to help your defense, do it. Give him a young coach to develop to take his place.

          Lovie wants to be a HC, but if that gig isn’t available, go get well paid as an assistant and work for a high profile team if you can. Keep your name out there for the next HC gig. The Eagles are in a down cycle, but still have tons of media and get plenty of attention.

          • shah8

            Think about what you’re saying: A former Head Coach, who’s been so, for what, eight, nine years, is all of a sudden going to accept a LB coach job.

            Oh sure, and Andy would love to coach QBs again, if he didn’t get that Chiefs job.

          • shah8

            More or less, as Lovie Smith is not remotely comparable to the Mike Singletary story.

          • TommyLawlor

            Lovie’s former boss Mike Martz lost a SB, got fired a few years later, and has been OC with a couple of teams.

            This isn’t unprecedented. I think it has a lot to do with if the guy wants to make money and work or sit out. He made good $ in the last few years and might want to stand his ground and wait for a HC gig.

          • deg0ey

            It also depends on what direction he wants for his career. To use a personal example, I’ve been a school teacher for a number of years and, someday in the future, I want to move into training other people how to teach. I like the idea of sharing my experience with those just starting their career and still being involved in the profession without the stresses that go with the job on a day to day basis.

            Obviously that’s not a move that would suit everyone, but maybe Lovie would relish the idea of taking on a similar role as mentor/tutor to Gus as he starts out on his HC career. He could make use of his 30+ years of coaching experience and do something that’s potentially just as rewarding as being a head coach in his own right (s’important to remember it’s not all about money or winning super bowls in this profession)

          • TommyLawlor

            Dude…I’m not saying this is a fact. I have no idea. I think Lovie is a HC, but there are only 32 jobs. The man can sit unemployed for a year or he could make $1M and work with a young coach here in Philly.

            This would all be up to Lovie. I think he got somewhat of a raw deal in Chicago. I’m a big fan of his. I’d love to have him, but wouldn’t blame him for a second if he sat out and wanted to only take a HC job in 2014.

          • Mac

            I for one am holding you to this Tommy. If we don’t get Lovie as our new DC then I am going to stop buying sunglasses tomorrow! (p.s. please follow through with my current order for 1 billion pairs, i will send payment on the 32nd).

          • TommyLawlor

            But I need that sunglasses money to pay for the Gus Bradley Fatheads I just ordered!!!

          • D3Keith

            Plenty of fired head coaches go right back to work as coordinators (Spagnuolo, Mornhinweg, Gregg Williams, Mularkey) and position coaches (Raheem Morris, Marinelli, Jauron, to an extent, Bowles)

            Very few jump right into another HC job, either immediately (Fox, Reid) or after sitting out a year (Fisher). Sometimes you sit out and never come back (Cowher, Gruden, Mangini).

            Lovie is right on the cusp of where he’s earned enough respect to sit out and have options. Given how tepid the response to him has been this offseason, however, with SEVEN openings besides the Bears, I would think he’d benefit from being a high-profile DC, where he would be one of the top candidates out there, if not *the* top candidate for several teams that are still doing hiring.

            Lovie I also think is a tough sell personality-wise, not to players, but to fans and for a TV gig.

  • ACViking

    Re: Potential “Loser” OCs v. Jim Johnson

    T-Law reviewed the records of a couple former HCs who’d been OCs.

    Some may see their OC records as a mixed bag.

    My reaction . . . so what.

    Jim Johnson — as Tommy noted in an earlier post — was an UNEMPLOYED ex-LB coach when Reid hired him.

    I assume if we had this kind of social media in 1999, a lot of people would have crapped all over AR’s choice because Johnson’d been fired and had a bum’s record.

    I haven’t a clue who the OC’ll be if Bradley’s coach.

    But I’ll repeat something I wrote before about Sean Payton — now considered an offensive genius: Payton had his play-calling duties stripped by Giants’ HC Jim Fassel . . . and the G-men went to the SB; and Payton was the QB coach in 1998 for Bobby Hoying.

    But give Sean Payton Drew Brees and Payton’s a $7.5 million/year coach.

    • TommyLawlor

      Timing and fit really are key. Coach needs to be running his system with the right players to get the right results. I think Sean also benefited a lot from time under Parcells. He learned about the psychology of the game.

    • D3Keith

      I thought John Fox and Sean Payton killed us when they were coordinators for division rivals. I was not surprised either of those guys became head coaches, or successful ones.

      Overall good point though. Sometimes it doesn’t work out once or twice for a coach but it finally all comes together somewhere.

      Which for some reason makes me wonder where Todd Bowles will land.

  • ACViking

    T-Law:

    How ’bout that Raheem Morris? Is he *good* DC material?

    Also . . . was Morris reputed to be a *good* DB coach? Might make him attractive to his former coach-mate, no?

    • shah8

      *snorts*

      You want to talk about flameouts, then talk about Hue Jackson. Better, longer, track record, including success most of a year as HC.

      Morris has never been a DC outside of one year at Kansas State (not counting one friggin’ month). Neither has he had anything like explosive success at any of his stops, which makes me wonder how he got to be HC, even with the suddenness of the firing. Nothing like Frazier, for example, with a history (same as Jackson) for genuine effectiveness before getting that HC job. And you see the result, in that Frazier has that defense, with rather crappy parts, overall, play up and above their talent level, while being Al Davis’d on offense.

      • ACViking

        AR was never a head coach . . . but he did okay.

        Sometimes, the guy you choose to the DC or HC or QCC is a flameout.

        • shah8

          Then I’d rather have Erick Mangini, thank you…

          • ACViking

            As would I. (Mangini seems to be holding out for another HC job)

            But I was just wondering abt Morris because of the Tampa connection w/ Bradley.

          • D3Keith

            Gonna be a mighty long holdout.

    • TommyLawlor

      I have mixed feelings on Raheem. I think he’s an excellent positional coach. He doesn’t have a ton of DC experience. I have to hedge that because I’m not sure what his day to day role was in Tampa.

      I’d be open to him being brought in as the DC, but he’s not a coach I’d be in love with.

  • Cvd52

    ”He interviewed and remains a candidate, I think, for a couple of jobs”
    meaning a couple of jobs inside the eagles organazation? or he interviewd and remains a candidate for couple of head coaching jobs that are out there?

    • Iskar36

      I think this quote is intentionally vague. It can really mean either thing. I’m not sure Spadaro made the statement in such a way that I would be leaning on way vs. the other.

    • TommyLawlor

      You could have the accurate interpretation. That’s the fun/misery of the offseason. Lots of guessing.

      • Cvd52

        yeah it really could go either way. i hope it is that he could come to the eagles in some way other than coach. i dont see the eagles liking him as a coach tho. i feel like howie wants osmething differnt. like college coach or a guy like bradley. not someone like lovie or whiz. unless they strike out on the people they really wanted

  • ACViking

    Re: Bradley watch

    Hell, it’s been 45 minutes already since the plane landed.

    What’s taking so long?!

    • TommyLawlor

      I’m told they’re having a heated argument about the 5th Symphony vs the 9th Symphony. Personally, I say 9th and it’s not even close. 4th movement is pure bliss.

      • GermanEagle

        I was told Megan Fox is in Lurie’s villa…

        • TommyLawlor

          How dare you !!!

      • Mac
      • http://www.facebook.com/michael.w.cho Michael Winter Cho

        The 3rd, the “Eroica” (Heroic) is what I’m talking about. Beethoven was going to dedicate it to Napoleon, but tore it up when he declared himself GM. I mean, emperor!

  • Cvd52

    playing in seattle is tough. for whatever reason it seems everyone struggles up there. has anyone looked at how GUS has done on the road?
    also philly seems to have a lot of fans that care about fball. so why is it the eagles home games dont come close to seattle, pburg, denver or even KC home games. home eagles games are not like going to a jags game but its not intense at all. its filled but not that loud. i just wonder how these other places get so crazy. i woudl love philly home games to be like that, its a huge advantage

    • ACViking

      Ticket prices?

      • deg0ey

        I think you might have a point here. I know we’re talking much smaller stadia, but as an Englishman I have to bring up a trend I’ve noticed in soccer. As ticket prices go up, atmosphere and crowd volume goes down, even if the stadium is sold out. All I can assume is you attract a different type of clientele with the higher prices; one that is generally averse to the idea of screaming at a football team and is primarily there to watch/schmooze with business associates etc.

        I don’t know the relative differences in ticket prices between Philly and Seattle games (since I’ve never had reason to look them up) but it’s not unreasonable to believe it could be a factor.

        • Smegga

          I’m English as well and I’ve noticed this. Look at the Super Bowl, because the tickets go to everybody instead of the fans of the two teams playing, the atmosphere is dead.
          I went to the Champions League Final in May to watch my Chelsea play Bayern Munich. Because it was in Munich, there was a fantastic atmosphere, home team versus an away team.
          You watch the England games at Wembley on television? When the second half kicks off, half the stadium seats are empty because the “fans” are getting drinks or food.

          • deg0ey

            As a Chelsea fan myself, I have to hate you a bit for getting to go to that game ;)

            Seriously, though, it makes me sad that I can’t afford to do the season ticket thing anymore. Still get to the odd game here and there but it’s not the same, y’know?

    • TommyLawlor

      SEA has an oddly built stadium that gets very loud. Fans also live and die with the Seahawks since the Sonics moved and the Mariners have been awful for so long.

      I’ll look up road info when/if Gus gets the job.

      • D3Keith

        It’s in the comments from in the past week. I think it was AC Viking who did it.

    • holeplug

      Paul Allen specifically had the stadium designed in seattle to be as loud as possible. I think they have the most false start penalties from opposing teams since the stadium went up.

      • Cvd52

        very smart man. its a big advantage. you can feel it even watching on tv. like you know the olinemens mind is racing and everything feels chaotic, then he jumps and the place gets even louder

    • Iskar36

      I think part of this is physics actually. The seahawks stadium’s acoustics are designed to maximize the sound of the crowd. The Eagle’s stadium is a lot more open air which is not as effective at maximizing volume.

    • D3Keith

      “has anyone looked at how GUS has done on the road?”

      This was specifically addressed (AC Viking?) in a comment a few posts ago. Graph form and all. Gotta search it down yourself though, sorry.

  • TommyLawlor
    • Baloophi

      Why is Peter King greeting him??? And does that pilot also play right guard???

      • TommyLawlor

        That’s Colin Firth pretending to be Peter King. The pilot is Evan Mathis in disguise.

        • D3FB

          So he’s gonna give Bradley “The Kings Speech?” on the way to Lurie’s house?

  • T_S_O_P

    You mentioned that Gus has connections with many of the the Bears staff including Dave Toub. Yes please to him if Gus is hired.

  • Baloophi

    RE: Avoiding cronyism…

    The discussion made me think of Honest Abe. Without taking us too far away from football, “A Team of Rivals” is an excellent book that details how Lincoln filled his cabinet with opponents from the election. His thought was to put not only the best people on his team, but people who would challenge him.

    (I “read” the book on tape commuting to work and back in just under two weeks)

    • Baloophi

      Basically, I’m comparing our un-hired head coach to Abraham Lincoln. Not a stretch…

      • TommyLawlor

        Both guys grew up in log cabins and worked under Monte Kiffin.

        And facial hair.

      • D3FB

        We will build Gus a freaking Monument twice the size of Abes if he wins us a Lombardi.

  • Iskar36

    Well… apparently Sal Pal’s issue with the Eagles did not leave with AR:

    975TheFanatic
    ‏@975TheFanatic
    Sal Pal: They’re getting a guy who the last time was on the football field gave up the lead in the fourth quarter with 31
    seconds left.

    975TheFanatic
    ‏@975TheFanatic

    Sal Pal: You can sell the city that he is the right man for the job but you can’t sell us that he’s the right coach.

    • tad

      When they were children, Lurie repeatedly insulted SalPal’s baseball card collection.

    • TommyLawlor

      Sal is classic. Who does he want?

      • Mac

        Last time I checked twitter, SalPal was pulling for Morton as the new HC.

      • D3Keith

        He’s in Sean Salisbury territory. What he says is only considered relevant because of the platform he has to spew it from. Once that’s gone …

        He was once pretty plugged into Philly. Now it seems he’s devolved into lowest-common-denominator talkingheadism.

      • wof

        Sal is a joke, he wanted Gruden last week.

  • TheRealMcCoy

    Hey Tommy, quick question for you. On the subject of potential DC candidates and “cronies”, what is your opinion on Seattle’s Defensive Line coach Todd Wash? His name has been brought up a few times, and he and Bradley have a long history together ever since their days coaching in college. Is he a viable choice?

    • TommyLawlor

      Great question. I don’t know if Todd is ready to run an NFL defense. I’ll trust Gus if he hires him, but Wash would not be my first choice. I’d be totally fine with him as DL coach.

      • D3FB

        You really want another Wash running the DL? Juanita disagrees.

  • eagles2zc

    I can’t think of anyone on the current roster that would fit into the joker role, the one played by Clemons. A transition to 3-4 or 3-4/4-3 hybrid may be a difficult one.

    • TommyLawlor

      Trent Cole would be the primary guy for that. Call the spot Leo. Primarily a rush guy, but moves around.

      • Mac

        I still remember watching Trent fly through the Carolina O-line like a hot knife through butter from the Joker spot in that 2009 season opener where we got McRibbed by a late hit.

      • eagles2zc

        My main concern with Cole is that he has lost a step with age, but if there’s anyone qualified for that spot on the current roster, Cole is

      • Skeptic_Eagle

        Where would you put Graham? And where would Curry fit? To run that defense you basically need 2 NT’s, one playing the 5 tech defensive end. I’d assume Cullen Jenkins or Cedric Thornton might do that, but neither of them has the size/length of Red Bryant. Certainly, I can’t see Curry or Graham playing that kind of assignment football, setting the edge and stuffing the run, only.

        One nice aspect is that Seattle’s current defense is lacking an interior passrusher for the 3 technique–the Eagles already have that piece in Fletcher Cox. With a solid NT at the top of the draft, and a tall long-armed SAM that can move, and do a couple things well sometime thereafter, you’d go a long way in switching the front 7 over, but you’d have a few extra pieces that you’d only really be using in nickel packages (one of Curry/Graham/Cole).

        Also, I don’t think Ryans fits as well in either a tampa 2 scheme, or the 43 Under. Wagner can really move, and that’s really not Ryans’ game at this point. Ultimately, you might be able to transition Kendricks to MLB, but then you’d have to add another speedy WLB sometime later.

  • pkeagle

    OK let’s assume that Bradley doesn’t sign today and interviews with the Jags:
    There are 4 teams w/o HCs at the moment
    Eagles, Bears, Cards, Jags

    Assuming that some rumours about Roman to the Jags have some basis in fact, if Bradley turns us down and joins either Cards (freeing up Horton) or Jags (freeing up Roman) then it leaves us and 2 other teams and a choice of the following:

    Wisenhunt
    Lovie Smith (not going to Bears obviously)
    Horton?
    Roman?
    and a bunch of others such as Gruden (x2), Billick, etc.

    I’d be okay with Horton, Smith or Roman if we don’t land Bradley

    • D3Keith

      This is the kind of thing I would post. I don’t know if we should go down this road yet, or just enjoy the Bradley dalliance … but with the right coordinators, I’d be okay with any of the coaches who have been to the Super Bowl before, because clearly they know how to run an NFL team, or at least not mess a good one up.

      Roman is intriguing for the same reasons McCoy was; Runs the ball, wins with different styles of players and offense. Horton you always read good things.

      Kinda meh on Jay Gruden to be honest.

  • Mac

    Caplan just posted that the Chiefs have signed Dave Toub as ST Coordinator. I was kinda hopeful he would be available for the Eagles.

  • SteveH

    WE SIGNED ALLEN BARBRE!! SUPER BOWL BABY!

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000462635892 Thorin McGee

    Given that Kiffin is the godfather of the 43 under and he just had success with it under Carroll, I’d like the odds of Bradley leaning toward that d. and that might be a good thing. check out some writeup of it. that sure sounds like a better version of what we were trying to build these last two years.

  • bluboy

    https://twitter.com/PaulNovakSSC

    TOMMY LOOK AT THIS SHIT!!! GUS BRADLEY HEAD COACH ANNOUNCED????

    • http://twitter.com/MFlicker Mike Flick

      Hope that is legit.

  • bluboy

    https://twitter.com/PaulNovakSSC LOOK AT THIS TOMMY?? IS THIS TRUE??? GUSBUSSS

  • Skeptic_Eagle

    Interesting point about avoiding cronyism. I think a new head coach is more likely to hire guys he’s familiar with to shape his particular concentration area of his new team; didn’t Reid coach with Childress & David Culley in the college ranks? I’d expect that if Bradley were hired, he’d bring in at least some guys from the Kiffin/Carroll legacy and hope that he looked at what’s happening with the creative Stanford offense & read option stuff that’s being folded in for the offensive side.