Getty Eagles QB Carson Wentz talks with head coach Doug Pederson and assistant Duce Staley.
Duce Staley never got a true chance at wearing the coveted lead headset for the Philadelphia Eagles, but that’s not going to be the case at his next stop. Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell told reporters that he’s grooming Staley to be a head coach someday.
Hopefully, sooner rather than later. Campbell knows a thing or two about the NFC East having spent time with both the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants during his playing days. Now the bombastic 44-year-old is the head coach in Motown and Staley was one of the first guys he hired.
The former NFL running back (fifth all-time in Eagles franchise history) took over as Lions running backs coach and assistant head coach on Jan. 25. And Campbell has no intention of keeping him in a basement office.
“I’m going to use this guy,” Campbell told the Detroit media, via Pro Football Talk. “I mean, he’s going to be primed and ready to be a head coach when it’s all said and done. Like, all his bases are going to be covered. He’s going to be able to check off every box and say, ‘All right, I’ve been there. I’ve done that. I know I’ve been trained for this,’ just like Sean [Payton] did for me.”
Campbell went on to say that Staley would not be a “token assistant head coach” and planned to make him available to the media at all times. He also promised to have him “primed and ready” to step in and take the head-coaching reins in case something happened to him.
“He’s going to be a true assistant head coach,” Campbell said, “and if something goes down and he needs to step into my seat, he’s ready to roll.”
Campbell says Duce Staley will have a big role as assistant head coach, much like Sean Payton gave Campbell in New Orleans. Says Staley will be included on offense, defense, schedule, cap, etc. and predicts he will eventually be a head coach in the league.
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Voice of the Eagles Enters QB Debate
There has been increasing chatter about the Eagles possibly taking a quarterback with the sixth overall pick in the draft. Ohio State’s Justin Fields or Alabama’s Mac Jones should be on the board, or maybe North Dakota State’s Trey Lance. It’s an interesting debate.
It’s also one idea that long-time NFL broadcaster and Eagles play-by-play man Merrill Reese doesn’t see happening. Reese took to Twitter to shoot down the notion of Philly taking a rookie quarterback in April. He believes Jalen Hurts is the undisputed starter, with the team likely signing a veteran backup.
There are a lot of mock drafts bouncing around and bunch of draft projections being written. In my opinion the chances of the Eagles taking a quarterback with the sixth overall pick are close to zero. They will develop Jalen Hurts and sign a veteran backup.
Meanwhile, Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports put together a mock draft that has the Eagles taking Jones at pick number six.
Sports Illustrated’s Ryan Roberts came at it from a different direction and predicted a draft-day trade for the Eagles. He had them sending the sixth pick and Derek Barnett to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for the rights to Fields at pick number three.
Ja’Marr Chase Really Likes Jalen Hurts
The folks over at Eagles Nation did some deep social media sleuthing to discover that LSU wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase might be a really huge fan of Jalen Hurts. First, they unearthed a tweet from Dec. 2018 where Chase shouts out Hurts for beating Georgia in the SEC Championship Game. There was also another tweet from Chase dated April 24, 2020, congratulating Hurts on being drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round.
Ja’Marr Chase appears to be a fan of Jalen Hurts.
Post 1: Day Jalen was drafted.
Post 2: Day Jalen Hurts and Alabama won the SEC Championship.
Would be cool if they became teammates… 👀
Why does this matter? Well, if Chase is really that fond of Hurts then maybe it makes sense for the Eagles to take him at pick number six. He is widely regarded as the best wide receiver in the draft and Philly certainly has a need for a playmaker.
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‘Primed & Ready’: Lions Grooming Ex-Eagles Assistant for Head Coach