The Eagles were dealt a pair of cruel blows to start the offseason, in losing both Ian Cunningham and Brandon Brown to promotions elsewhere. The two were key members of Howie’s front office staff and will leave a gaping hole to be filled. The Birds have done a really good job at finding the ’next big thing’ when it comes to front office execs, but ensuring that trend continues is almost as important as any draft pick.
Brown and Cunningham were very much a dynamic duo in Philadelphia, serving as director and co-director of player personnel beneath Andy Weidl, who as we know, took over from Joe Douglas after he left for his first GM role.
Brown captained the pro scouting department while Cunningham captained the college scouting area. After the success of the 2021 NFL Draft, it’s safe to say that Cunningham’s absence will especially be felt.
The bleeding might not be over yet, as Catherine Raiche continues to draw the attention of numerous NFL teams, with the Minnesota Vikings recently sniffing around a mind that many deem to be one of the brightest in the entire league after a stunning career in the CFL as a front office exec in Montreal and Toronto.
The team has done such a remarkable job at hiring front office talent over the last few years that it almost seems impossible to continue finding gems where nobody else is looking. At some point though, there’s going to be a slowing of development when it comes to finding the right people for these roles.
The big task now comes in the way of restocking the cupboards. As of right now, former Jags GM Dave Caldwell headlines a staff that is now growing in age. Tome Donahoe has been around for years (and is now famous for his draft day antics) and player personnel executive, T.J. McCreight, has been around NFL circles since 1997. The experience up-top is what allows the Eagles to develop the younger, more inexperienced minds who bring so many more ways of thinking to the table.
The Eagles will usually send out a press release documenting all of their front office changes prior to the start of free agency, so we can expect to see some new faces, and most likely some promotions from within. But can Howie and company continue to find young minds with front office success etched into their futures?
Photo by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire
