![](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,<svg height="439" width="780" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" version="1.1"/>)
The Philadelphia Eagles are coming off one of their best drafts in years. The “gold standard” is back. Which makes the shuffling going on in the front office so bizarre. Well, interesting might be the better word.
The dominoes started falling on May 4 when the Eagles fired director of scouting operations Casey Weidl, according to The Inquirer’s Jeff McLane. A weird move since his brother Andy serves as vice-president of player personnel for the team. Then again, Andy Weidl is a candidate for the vacant GM job with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
McLane noted Weidl’s departure would be the “first of several changes that will be part of a restructure of the Eagles’ scouting and football operations.” Which has been the case. The Eagles also cut ties with Shawn Heinlen (Southwest area scout), Evan Pritt (scouting assistant), and T.J. McCreight (player personnel executive), per multiple reports.
The Eagles saw a few key executives leave for greener grass in other organizations. The most notable exit was Catherine Raiche who has accepted a “front-office role with assistant GM-like responsibilities” with the Cleveland Browns, per USA Today’s Jori Epstein. Raiche was already the NFL’s highest-ranking woman football executive.
Other Eagles’ departures include senior football advisor Tom Donahoe, director of player personnel Brandon Brown, and director of player personnel Ian Cunningham. Donahoe’s contract was up and he decided to move on. The other two guys took higher-level jobs with the New York Giants and Chicago Bears, respectively.
The latest Eagles news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Eagles newsletter here!
Eagles Hire John Elway’s ‘Right-Hand Man’
It’s not out of the ordinary for NFL teams to shake things up in the front office after the draft. Between people leaving for better opportunities and clashing in the war room, it’s bound to happen. The Eagles are no different.
And the franchise has already started refilling the coffers. According to The Athletic’s Bo Wulf, the Eagles are hiring former Denver Broncos vice-president of player personnel Matt Russell.
While his title in Philadelphia isn’t known at this time, Russell is expected to work hand-in-hand with personnel executive Dave Caldwell. The 48-year-old served as a scout for the Eagles from 2006 through 2008 before heading to Denver. Russell spent 11 years with the Broncos in a variety of roles, leading to John Elway calling him his “right-hand guy.”
Morocco Brown Set to Interview
According to Inside the Birds’ Geoff Mosher, the Eagles will interview former Indianapolis Colts director of scouting Morocco Brown for a “high-ranking executive position.” Brown is well-regarded in Indianapolis and his eye for talent helped draft guys like Jonathan Taylor, Quenton Nelson, and Darius Leonard. He was a finalist for the Atlanta Falcons’ GM job in 2021.
Philadelphia is also interviewing Steelers scouting director Brandon Hunt and Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy for front-office positions, according to Mosher and colleague Adam Caplan. And adding former Cleveland Browns national scout Charles Walls as their new director of player personnel, per Kimberley A. Martin.
So, yes, there are a lot of moving parts for an organization recently called the “gold standard in identifying, cultivating, and developing front-office talent” by NFL Network’s Peter Schrager.
0 Comments