It was always bound to happen. Just days after the Super Bowl, teams with holes in their coaching tree are turning to the World Champions for help. The Eagles have built one of the league’s most enviable coaching staffs in the NFL. With 30+ years quarterbacking experience, Philadelphia created the perfect nurturing environment for Carson Wentz, but it hasn’t gone unnoticed.
Vikings officially requested permission to interview Eagles’ QB coach John DeFilippo about their OC job, per source.
Eagles OC Frank Reich interviews for Colts HC on Friday.
Super Bowl brain drain could be underway in Philadelphia.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 7, 2018
Reich certainly makes sense as a target for Indianapolis. After spending three year’s working with the receivers and quarterbacks, Reich took his talents to San Diego before eventually landing in Philadelphia with fellow former quarterback Doug Pederson. Since joining the Eagles in 2016, the offense has completely transformed. While Pederson calls the shots, Reich has had an instrumental role in the development of key areas within the offense and their sudden improvement inside the red zone and on third down are more than just coincidental.
For a franchise looking for a rapid turnaround, Reich’s name makes plenty of sense, especially with Andrew Luck at the helm. But what would that mean for the Eagles? Who would take his place?
The first name that should come to mind is obviously current QB coach John DeFilippo, but he’s also a coach who could be swiped by another team. The Vikings are certainly not the first team to attempt to snatch the man responsible for the growth of Derek Carr and Carson Wentz away from the Eagles, with the team previously denying the Jets an interview and the Bears facing a similar brick wall.
If the Eagles could promote from within however, losing Reich may not be the end of the world. What makes ‘Flip’ so attractive to NFL teams is his former coordinating experience. Hired by the Eagles in the 2016 offseason, DeFilippo used his former experience that involved developing Derek Carr who went on to lead all rookies in completions, passing yards and passing touchdowns in 2014. That same success would be repeated with Wentz, who set a team and all-time NFL rookie record with 379 completions. Wentz posted franchise rookie records in pass attempts, passing yards, passing TDs and completion percentage. That’s not to mention his 33 touchdown sophomore season despite the fact he missed three games.
DeFilippo also served as the Browns offensive coordinator in 2015. With so many teams looking to draft the future of their franchise, DeFilippo will have plenty of eyes on him as a young offensive coordinator or even a quarterback coach elsewhere. But if the team do indeed lose Reich to a Head Coach vacancy, promoting ‘Flip’ to offensive coordinator would not only create sustenance within the coaching tree, but also enable the team to bring in another guru, with the need for development now slightly less integral than it was one year ago.
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If the team lose both however, which is a plausible scenario, it will be down to Howie Roseman and company to scour the NFL for the ’emotional intelligence’ that has made this front office and coaching staff so incredibly successful. Of course, they could promote someone such as RB coach, Duce Staley, or WR coach, Mike Groh, but they would then need to fill the newly vacated roles.
It’s a tough challenge that the Eagles face. With new levels come new devils and for Howie Roseman and company, it simply becomes a game of hanging on as tightly as possible to the culture built from within in the hopes that players and staff alike would choose a continuation in their current role over a promotion elsewhere.
