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The waiting list for Eagles’ season tickets is mythically long. And the team’s month-long coaching search is bordering on the same level of absurdity.
But that may all be coming to end. According to NBC Sports’ John Clark, the Eagles intend to announce a bevy of coaching hires by the end of next week.
That would include naming a new offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach, plus making the reported hirings of Matt Burke (defensive line) and Marquan Manuel (defensive backs) official. The reason for the long, drawn-out process? Well, it’s as simple as Doug Pederson wanting to be “methodical” and find the “best coaches for his staff.”
There really is no rush to get these positions squared away. Yes, every other team in the NFL has filled their vacancies but the Eagles didn’t necessarily miss out on any “dream” candidates.
Chiefs quarterbacks Mike Kafka was blocked from interviewing while Ravens quarterbacks James Urban turned the job down. Fired Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens went to the Giants as tight ends coach. Who else did they whiff on? No one.
Who Will Doug Pederson Hire to Run the Offense?
The smart money remains on Jim Caldwell. The former Colts coach has been labeled a “quarterback whisperer” by many in the know and would be a safe choice to mentor Carson Wentz.
Caldwell would also be invaluable as a sounding board for Doug Pederson, thanks to his experience as a head coach. Peyton Manning adored working with Caldwell in Indianapolis and his offenses perennially ranked near the top of the league.
On the other hand, don’t count out the Eagles promoting Duce Staley to the role of offensive coordinator. He’s been a loyal soldier to Pederson — and Andy Reid in a prior life — and helped get the most out of rookie Miles Sanders this year while coaching up the running backs. It’s not flashy but it is familiar.
One other name to watch is 49ers passing-game coordinator Mike LaFleur. This would justify the wait as the Eagles needed to wait until after the Super Bowl to make an announcement. Heavy.com also speculated on a few other qualified candidates, like Norv Turner and Joe Lombardi — and a fantasy-filled list of outside-the-box guys.
Josh McCown Remains the Ultimate Wild Card
There have been rampant rumors about Josh McCown wanting to coach in the NFL. The 40-year-old already does it at the high-school level and his deep network and vast experience around league circles could certainly fast-track him.
In fact, there was even a report in The Inquirer that the Eagles reached out to McCown to offer him a coaching position. The exact size and scope of the job hasn’t been revealed but it stands to reason that McCown would at least be posied to take on a role as wide-receivers coach if he wanted it. For now, it appears as if the career backup would like to keep playing football.
Why not? He is still desperately searching for an elusive Super Bowl ring and felt invigorated earlier this month when he saw his first playoff action as a member of the Eagles. McCown went 18-of-24 for 174 yards in relief of Carson Wentz.
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