Lurie Speaks
Posted: January 1st, 2013 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 58 Comments »Owner Jeff Lurie met with the media today and shared his thoughts on firing Reid and the overall state of the franchise. I thought Lurie did a pretty good job of expressing his feelings for Reid and how special the Reid era was without overdoing it. You can’t over-praise a guy the day you fire him for going 4-12.
I liked what Lurie had to say about the search for a coach and the traits he would look for. The point he emphasized above all others…leadership. And that is a great thing to hear. Schemes can come and go. Offenses and defenses change all the time. Football is a sport that is constantly evolving. You can’t hire a coach just for that stuff. You must get someone who can be the leader of your franchise. That’s what Reid did so well early in his tenure.
Some reporters asked Lurie about what went wrong in recent years. Lurie talked about the team getting away from its core values and reaching for the final piece to the puzzle. I thought this was pretty insightful. The Eagles had a certain way of doing business over the years. At times they got away from that. Some of the risks worked. Some failed…some miserably.
Lurie made it clear that he’s confident in Howie Roseman and won’t be making a change there. Lurie said something that the Howie Haters won’t like. Lurie talked about primarily judging Roseman on the 2012 draft and not holding him responsible for 2010 & 2011. Lurie didn’t fully explain his thinking, but there may be some logic.
The 2011 draft came during the lockout. NFL teams didn’t know if there would be free agency. If you had Super Bowl aspirations and clear holes on your team, you had to think about need when drafting and not just BPA. The Eagles felt they had clear holes at RG and S. They reached for Watkins and Jarrett. Who pushed for those picks…Roseman, Reid, or assistants? I’ve always had the feel Jarrett was a Reid pick. Not sure on Watkins.
Beyond the top picks I think you can put the rest of the draft on Roseman. There were some good picks (Henery, D Lewis, Kelce, Havili) and some that appear to be duds (Matthews, Vandervelde, Rolle). I’m not trying to defend Howie, but rather figure out what happened and why it happened.
As for 2010, I’m not sure what Lurie’s thinking is. Maybe Howie was still growing into the role then and Reid had more influence on the picks. Maybe Lurie is giving him a break due to the injuries to Brandon Graham and Nate Allen. I don’t know.
Lurie made it sound like 2012 was Howie’s draft. So far, that looks like a really good group. Lurie did say that Howie is accountable. His power has grown each year. You can bet that Howie will be held responsible if the team continues to struggle. Right now Lurie seems to feel it is more about coaching than talent. I would tend to agree with that. This isn’t to say the Eagles are loaded with elite players, but they are way better than 4-12.
I was happy to hear Lurie say that the new coach would make the decision on Nick Foles and the QB situation. That seems pretty obvious, but you never know when an owner will get delusional about a player or situation. We’ve discussed Foles quite a bit. The key for me is to have the new coach check the tape and make a decision.
Overall I thought Lurie struck a good balance between discussing the crappy season, the need for change, and the fact that he feels the Eagles do have talent and that this team can be turned around sooner rather than later. Lurie wasn’t all lollipops and unicorns. He admitted there were problems. I think it was important for fans to hear him talk about some of the issues. They need to know that Lurie understands that some things must be fixed.
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As Lurie described what he wants in a coach (leadership, self-confidence, someone who studies the game/trends, aggressive style, risk taker), I couldn’t help but think of Chip Kelly. Sam said on Twitter (make sure to follow him) that he thought of Bill O’Brien. After reflecting on that, Lurie’s reference to leadership certainly could point to BOB. Bill did a masterful job of guiding Penn State through some tough times, on and off the field in 2012.
Reportedly O’Brien’s agent said tonight that Bill wants to stay at PSU. Good news for Nittany Lions fans.
Lurie did say he’s open to a college coach, coordinator, or former head coach. He isn’t locked in to any one background. He’s trying to keep an open mind.
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Reports surfaced tonight that the Eagles will meet with all 3 Falcons coordinators: OC Dirk Koetter, DC Mike Nolan, and STsC Keith Armstrong. More than a few people had questions on Nolan due to his struggles as HC in San Fran. I’ll put up a post on him on Tuesday.
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Gimpy posted his MAQB column. There are some good nuggets in there. The Bears were 8-0 vs non-playoff teams, but 2-6 vs playoff teams. Very interesting.
Gimpy also compared the final numbers of the rookie QBs. Lots of good info to check out.
Speaking of the Bears…Lovie Smith won’t return in 2013. Do I have any interest? Yes. I am a big Lovie Smith fan. His teams play hard. He also knows how to come up with turnovers. 6 times in the last 12 years Smith’s defense was in the Top 5 in takeaways. They led the league 3 different times. That’s impressive.
The case against Lovie is that he was never able to solve the offense in Chicago. He had 4 offensive coordinators in 9 years. The offense never finished above 15th in yards gained. That’s not good. Lovie didn’t have the kind of pieces to work with that the Eagles do and that’s the reason you wonder if he could work out in Philly.
I would absolutely have interest in him as a DC, but it sounds like he’s set on staying a HC.
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I am happy to say Josh McDaniels has pulled his name out of the running for HC jobs. He’s staying in New England.
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Happy New Year. Let’s hope 2013 is a heck of a lot better than 2012.
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Hypothetically, if Rex Ryan was also fired, who would you rather have between Lovie and Rex as DC?
Lovie. No question.
Right now I would lean towards Lovie since he uses a 4-3, but if the base D didn’t matter I might go with Rex because of how well he designs blitzes.
I would also learn towards Lovie, but because of all the turnovers his D creates, which we severely lack.
Isn’t Charles Tillman responsible for 80% of them? Does he come with Lovie as a package deal?
I wish.
If you bring in Lovie to take charge of the D how does the rest of the roster look? Do we have the physical corners, safeties and can Ryans/Kendricks play the MLB drop/coverage zone required of the Tampa 2? From what I’ve seen we are 1 out of 3 of those requirements with our LBs and that might be generous considering this is predicated on our front 4 constantly pressuring on the QB
May have to tweak the scheme a bit if we really were to bring him in. I have trouble seeing Ryans covering the deep middle while Kendricks should be just fine at WILL. We would have to draft/sign physical zone corners, but they can be middle or later round picks since they don’t have to be as great of athletes. Safeties would also need to be addressed, but that should already be a priority going into the offseason. D line should be set for the most part as long as we add more depth at DT depending on what happens with Landri and Jenkins. In the end, I’m sure Lovie’s a good enough coach to tweak the defense to fit the players.
Hypothetically, why not have both? Lovie sits on Rex’s shoulders, totem pole style, and they conceal the whole thing with an extra long trench coat a la every single cartoon ever? They could even switch every quarter so things don’t get dangerously gassy…
Too funny!
You were on fire 9 hours ago!
My only correction to that wonderful scenario would be to insist that it become more of a “Master Blaster” arrangement. I can see a dejected Rex after they kill (fire) Blaster (Lovie), just a shell of his former self, but still doing whatever he can to help out Mel Gibson.
Rex. Much more innovative. True defensive genius, despite the self-promotion.
Rex, hands down. Best defensive mind in football.
You know its going to be a great year when you check in with IgglesBlitz first thing. Tommy – thank you for your outstanding work during a grueling 2012. I, for one, look forward to checking in with you early and often during this crucial off season. And I can’t forget to thank all those who post here for their great insights and contributions; your discussion threads are excellent. Happy New Year all!
This will be a busy, interesting year. If Lurie listens to me the Eagles will win dozens of SBs in the next decade.
Dozens!!!
“As Lurie described what he wants in a coach (leadership, self-confidence, someone who studies the game/trends, aggressive style, risk taker), I couldn’t help but think of Chip Kelly.”
I also thought of Chip Kelly… but then again, Greg Roman fits the description, too (based upon what I’ve read about him). I suppose Jon Gruden would sit in the center of that Venn Diagram as well, though it sounds like he’s leaning toward ESPN… which is just as well, seeing as everyone here is convinced he’d stock the team with the cast of Cocoon and spectral Jedi knights.
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(chapter division brought to you by ACViking)
RE: Bill O’Brien
For someone who doesn’t reside in the greater Penn State sphere, what about B.O.B. makes him such an attractive HC candidate? I understand Penn State performed much better than expected in a year of unthinkable challenges, but what else does he bring to the table? Via the Internet, I’ve ascertained that he was an offensive coordinator at Georgia Tech and Duke, then a QB coach with the Pats and OC for one year there (kinda hard to fail there, huh?). Anyway, I’m admittedly 100% ignorant about O’Brien given my geography and fearful of hiring someone based upon a “feel good” year. Please assuage this simple-minded Angelino…
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(chapter division brought to you by Tommy Lawlor)
RE: Mike Nolan
I’m eagerly anticipating your write-up on him, Tommy. I must admit, it’s going to be hard to shake my impression of him as a bewildered looking man in an incongruous business suit and wispy goatee, stalking the sidelines like a drunken faun while his Niners drop 8 in a row. Didn’t he also have GM responsibility there and chose Alex Smith over Aaron Rodgers? Oof. I know, hindsight is 20/20 (and he did select Frank Gore later), but I do find it interesting that Nolan is getting re-tread consideration while old friend Spagnuolo has to sit at home alone and stare longingly at his Swatch phone.
You’ll be hearing from my lawyer, which happens to be AC Viking!!!
Re: Bill O’Brien, I think you see a lot of this with people who are fans of both Penn State and the Eagles. Since they are so familiar with Penn State, they automatically imagine players (Tony Hunt) and coaches (BOB) being great fits for the Eagles, when there really might not be anything there. Big 10 players get the same treatment, since Penn State fans see them more often than players from other athletic conferences. I think you would need to see a lot more from O’Brien before seriously considering him for an NFL head coaching position, IMO.
Please note that this is not at all the case with me and players from the University of Montana. Tim Hauck and Colt Anderson are the best safeties in Eagles history, after all.
On the Lovie Smith bandwagon!
City of Brotherly Lovie?
Nice one!
How fast will these sell out if we hire Chip Kelly?
And if we hire Bobby Bowden…
Or – curiously – a bartender from Coyote Ugly…
I don’t think she has the background we need. She could probably be Megan Fox’s offensive choreographer, though.
I’m on board!
Regardless of names, what would you prefer? A defensive minded head coach (Nolan, Smith, etc.) or an offensive minded head coach (Kelly, Koetter, etc.)? I lean towards an offensive coaches because it seems like the recent trend (with no research) is that defensive coaches never quite solve the offensive side of the equation.
Offense.
The offense is where the big name players, big successes, and big failures are. You see offensive guys being successful because they are used to the politics of the situation. Interpersonal-wise with the players, and with both the organization and fans. That quality should be what you are looking for. Someone like Charlie Weiss never had personal touch with anyone. Good at evaluating players. Good at schemes. Never got the best out of his players, and has a nasty tendency to leave successor coaches with a full larder of talent (GT ’09 season won with great talent recruited by Weis, and better coached by Paul Johnson–and the Bills are only a few pieces away). Brian Billick’s history with the Vikings and his later role as the head coach of the Ravens also serves as an instructional lesson. He went from an offensive minded coach to a defensive minded coach, because that’s where the good stuff was. Spent a bunch of first round picks on offense, hit on Lewis, missed on Boller, yadda yadda yadda… Got bounced quickly largely because his offense wasn’t very good, and he wasn’t handling his coaches and coordinators well. Dude needed a competent, young, QB in the worst way. Also got bounced because of office politics. I think Harbaugh is likely to go that way as well. Defense side has a great deal of institutional power. Ravens probably needs a Nixon to China defensive guy to really get the offense going better.
The Eagles? I think Carolina has the best look of all the places looking for a head coach. I also think that good coaches will be reluctant to put up with Richardson. QB situation needs to be resolved, at least behind closed doors. There has to be a lot of thought behind the construction of the coaching staff, with less HC as the patronly Godfather, with the associated politics. There are many moving parts here, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the Eagles took their time. If they don’t bag who they really want, quickly, then they might ease along and talk things out a bit.
1. I agree on Billick.
2. I thought Rivera survived in Carolina.
With this current roster, we need someone that take what we have on offense and make it work. But a team with a great defense and a great OL is the best way to compensate for an okay QB … so either way, we need it.
2. They haven’t made a decision yet. He survived Black Monday, but there hasn’t been an indication that he’s definitely the guy for next season either.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000119909/article/panthers-decision-on-ron-rivera-not-expected-monday
Gotcha, thanks.
One thing I thought was odd about this year, but not necessarily bad, is that nobody was fired with 2-3 games left. I was kind of hoping the seven guys fired on Monday would be it and then we can all move forward.
Was definitely assuming for a while that Rivera would be done, but they finished strong.
‘scuse me, I meant Chan Gailey rather than Charlie Weiss. I have *never* been able to keep those guys straight.
Lurie made it clear that he had reviewed the player evaluations of everyone involved in the player selection process, not just the guys they picked, but all evaluations. That tells me a number of things:
1) Lurie is not a hands-on owner, but he’s not a passive patsy, buying the crap his HC tries to feed him. He’s acting like the COB, allowing his CEO to run the operation, but actively reviewing his CEO’s actions.
2) Lurie made it clear that Howie had the best evaluations of anyone in the group, not sure that includes scouts, but I’m pretty sure that includes Andy and his assistant coaches, Banner and maybe Grigson before he departed.
3) Lurie talked about a streamlined process, it seems that Andy and his coaches had too much input. Remember when Howie forbid his scouts from talking to coaches, people thought that was just another example of the “control freak, paranoid organization,” but it made perfect sense – when coaches have too much influence on personnel, they’re tempted to hustle scouts into giving better evaluations to players they want, and Howie wanted to be sure his scouts were providing him objective information.
4) Andy and Banner were still fighting over control in 2010, and Howie was too new to be able to assert authority. The fact that Lurie gave Howie that authority in 2012 suggests that most of the mistakes were made by other people, Lurie watched them being made, and decided that something had to be done. This is reminiscent of what he did in 1998 when he removed personnel authority from Ray Rhodes and gave it to Broudhuss, who then delivered the best draft of the Rhodes era.
5. People focus too much on Howie not being a football guy, Ron Wolf wasn’t a football guy, Matt Millen was certainly a football guy. Note that football guys Modrak and Heckert are on the street after failing elsewhere. What’s more important than being a football guy is how sharp and organized Howie is, both as a player evaluator, but more importantly, as an administrator. Keeping track of 1800 NFL players, another 300-500 guys on the street, and 1000 potential draft picks requires a high degree of organization. Marshaling resources to leave no stone unturned (how do teams make mistakes, by not paying for a scout to spend a couple days hanging out at the college bar and other hot spots gathering gossip about players’ off field activities, how they interact with teammates, etc., those pesky character questions). Evaluating your scouts (retrospective review is key, forget “he’s a brilliant football guy,” what you want is the scout’s past evaluations so you can compare him with other scouts and keep raising the standard. Finally, working with everyone to build your board, understanding the schemes your coaches currently run, how they might morph with new coaches (assistants come and go) and getting the BPA for both what you’re doing now and what you might be doing 2 years from now. Example, Howie knew that Mudd was not a long-term hire, but if he build a line for Mudd, the next coach would probably go to a zone blocking system – but there are few players who could transition from Mudd to a man system.
6. Lurie has the right idea, both the HC and the GM report to him, and they have to work together. Most conflicts in organizations come when the HC reports to the GM, and they don’t respect each other, or when the HC tries to undercut the GM or visa versa. A HC will not have final say, nor with Howie, because it shouldn’t be about power, it should be about discussing issues until you’re on the same page and resolving conflicts. By making it clear he’ll be hands on (“I’m watching you”) but not meddling, Lurie resolves the power issue. HE’s the guy with the final say – the COB, but if he has to use it on a regular basis, time for a change. I wouldn’t hire a HC who doesn’t accept this, because megalomaniacs are rarely good leaders.
Interesting comparison to Rhodes/Broaddus.
Agreed. I think Lurie is a very good owner and as fans we should be appreciative of that. He wants to win and spends money, but he’s patient enough to realize longer term thinking is required sometimes and realizes that Dan Snyder or Jerry Jones-style meddling is counterproductive. That’s a pretty rare combination of assets in an owner I think.
AustinFan, tremendous post.
excellent analysis.
have you ever considered starting your own site?
Got too many things on my plate, like writing books and articles.
Tommy knows much more about players and plays than I do, I approach football more from an appreciation of the administrative side, which is why I’m more interested in trends (i.e., are juniors higher risk than seniors, which FAs give you the most bang for the money, etc.) and strategy than specifics.
I’m happy to be a tick on Tommy’s back until he gets the bug spray out.
Mike Zimmer.
Tommy dunno if you watched any of LSU/Clemson last night but what are your thoughts on Tajh Boyd? If Lurie does hire Kelly he would seem to be a guy they would take a look at if he declares this year.
Tommy, all I know is that I was just discussing Eagles with my brother, and I referenced you twice (two different articles) in the same discussion. You are in my mind, and I wonder if that’s a good thing. Here’s to a great 2013, where I can start quoting you and following you around and dressing like you and trying to take over your life… wait. Gave too much information away. Happy new year, and thanks for everything you do.
Just football? Man you have to expand your Tommy mind, it’s spectacular.
Hey Tommy, it was reported earlier this year of a conflict between Reid and Howie. This was in 2010, Reid had wanted JPP and Howie drafted Brandon Graham. There was multiple reports that had reported this. Also since Howie got more power, we’ve tried to make a big splash unlike previous years in going for Aso and etc. Reid has fault in the last two disappointing years and I know he has final say but Howie doesnt seem like the right choice as he seem more like a cap specialist ala Tannebeaum than a football guy. and regarding the 2012 draft i feel it wasnt all Howie has we know Andy love lineman thats why we took Cox and Curry and it was pretty obvious we need help at linebacker… What is your thoughts on Howie?
I find it hard to believe that Howie pulled more weight (no joke intended but still funny) than Andy in 2010. The real question is why didn’t they draft Earl Thomas? Thomas was the consensus pick for the Eagles and it seemed like a no-brainer when they traded up. The pick smells too much like Andy trying to prove he was smarter than everyone else.
In hindsight (and at the time) I wish we’d taken Thomas. But I don’t buy the “trying to be smarter” BS. I think coaches and scouts fall in love with guys and sometimes misplay the “draft value” game — though the Eagles have generally been very good at that.
Also half of all draft picks suck, and not every first-rounder becomes a star. That’s across the board for every NFL team, not just here. Of course the more you hit the better you do, but some picks that looked fine at the time just end up being misses, no matter who is running the draft or calling the shots.
That’s part of the reason the coach just got fired. Highly regarded players have been put on the roster. Then they aren’t meshing, playing well or winning.
Re: Bill O’Brien
Birds 24/7 (link to the right) reporting a couple items on BOB.
1. The Eagles and Browns top the list of interested teams.
2. Conflicting reports out there as to whether O’Brien’s interested in interviewing.
3. A Harrisburg reporter says BOB may be using the threat of interviews as leverage to renegotiate his Happy Valley deal, which — per the Harrisburg reporter — includes a buyout more substantial than the previously reported $9 million.
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If you’re BOB, and were serious about interviewing, you might like Cleveland over the Eagles right now.
Why?
Assume the buyout is lock-solid for two reasons. First, as early as November 2011 — two months before BOB signed on at PSU — the fact that the NCAA would investigate the Sandusky issues became a matter of public record. Second, the buyout includes not just a lateral college move, but a return to the NFL.
So why Cleveland?
Foremost, Jimmy Haslem — a Tennessean whose brother is governor and college roomate is a US Senator — is (1) in a better personal financial position to pay the PSU buyout, (2) Haslam wants to *GET HIS MAN*, and (3) Haslam strikes me as the kind of guy, having just eaten a bunch of contracts, to spend whatever it takes to do that.
Next, the new culture in Cleveland will be the *Joe Banner* approach of keeping the team’s cap-related finances very flexibile.
Third, Cleveland and Philly are a wash in terms of the fan base . . . both cities are crazy for football.
Finally, the Browns may be more talented. Their defense had its good moments this year. The Eagles, not so much.
Offensively, there’s Weeden at QB, Richardson at RB, and the up-and-coming big WR in Josh Gordan (6’3 225 lbs), plus Greg Little at 6’3 220 lbs. The teams O-lines, if the Eagles get healthy, is pretty close — edge Eagles . . . because Jason Peters proved he’s the Eagles best and most valuable player.
Bottom line, though, Jimmy Haslam wants to make a BIG splash. If he wants BOB, and BOB wants him, I don’t think there’s anything Haslam won’t do to get him.
Re: Where’s Mike McCoy, Why Mike “Retread” Nolan, and Execution
I’m surprised McCoy’s not on the Eagles’ list, as reported by the media.
But I’m guessing McCoy is on the list . . . and he’s been sworn to super-secret probation — which is how the Eagles have done things in the past. If that’s true, I’d say McCoy’s a top-of-the-list guy.
As for Nolan, I think the Green Brass wants to pick his brain about the offenses out there as well as possible upcoming d-coordinators . . . all under the guise of “what do you see as the biggest challenge defensively, etc.”
As for Lurie’s desire for an innovative coach who’s ahead of the curve . . . I’d be happy with a coach who can get the Eagles to execute a handful of plays to perfection. [austinfan wrote about this a few days back.]
All season long, the Eagles offense did get guys open deep in the passing game — the same scheme Reid’s been running for a while. Vick was either getting sacked or running but not looking downfield. Foles . . . I don’t know. But he wasn’t hitting long plays.
So get me someone who’ll get the offense to execute.
And who’ll insist on a BIG wide receiver with better ball-tracking skills than Riley Cooper.
Yeah I would definitely not believe the “as reported” lists, especially with regard to coaches under contract to current playoff teams. Also the feeds on those largely come from the agents, since the other usual source (GM/GMs assistants) would probably only leak names to make himself look good. Otherwise they’re undermining themselves and/or chasing away potential candidates, right?
So if some agents leak names to reporters, that could be true. Or it could be the agent drumming up interest in his guy.
I would wait until late in the interview phase to start believing “where there’s smoke there’s fire.”
Everyone seems to like McCoy, FWIW.
Watching Lurie’s press conference here’s a list of attributes I collected:
Smart
Forward Thinking
Leader
Strategic
Confident
specifically **non-scheme**
Risk Taker
Innovator
Efficient
Studies Trends
Student of the Game
Driven
Ability to build a good coaching team
Teacher
Focused on culture not short term solutions
I think Lurie is headed in the right direction…
Hard to think of any characteristic Lurie missed.
But Vince Lombardi’s dead.
I like that Lurie defended Roseman without hesitation, and gave reasons whether they were 100% real/truthful or not. How do we know what Howie said vs Reid or other scouts? Maybe Howie wanted JPP over Graham. Maybe Howie wanted to solve RG later in the draft than round 1. Maybe all of those decisions are Howie’s alone and Lurie simply likes that Roseman appears to have learned from his mistakes and righted the ship in 2012.
I do believe Lurie wants the Eagles to win a SB. I also happen to believe that he has reasons for keeping Roseman as his GM. Lurie seems to be driven by performance, and I trust that he will dump Roseman when he (Lurie) deems it time to go in another direction.
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I know the chance of this happening is about 1 in 1,000,000 but I’m terrified that Marty hasn’t been fired yet and the new HC would want to keep him.
Terrified.
I’ve always been a fan of Lurie, but I think it’s hilarious that after years and years of fans saying he didn’t care about winning… the man gives a press conference where he lists generic “traits” he wants in another coach and everyone is now convinced he wants to win.
Listen to what he said. He wants a smart coach who is a leader and knows football. Go figure!
Looks like its almost a certainty that Andy Reid is going to become the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals by week’s end.