Philadelphia Eagles: The case for and against Lincoln Riley

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Should the Philadelphia Eagles hire Lincoln Riley? You be the judge.

If recent reports/rumors are to be believed, Lincoln Riley very well may be the next head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles.

Despite having remained fiercely loyal to Oklahoma since entering the national conversation as a quarterback whisperer who can turn any castoff transfer QB into a high draft pick, the chances of Riley leaving Norman for a chance to lead an NFL roster becomes more and more likely with each passing year.

Fortunately, he didn’t do so in 2020, though it sure sounds like Jerry Jones wanted it to happen, but we could very well see the day where his prolific air-raid offense moves from Saturday afternoons to Sunday nights and becomes the new gold standard for NFL offensive excellence.

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Do college quarterbacks with no pro-level experience have a particularly impressive track record at the NFL level? Not as of late, but who is to say Riley can’t be the exception to the rule? The 37-year-old has certainly proved to have an ability to identify under-appreciated talent, adjust his scheme to fit his players’ collective strengths, and win at a feverish clip.

Then again, wouldn’t it be a slap in the face to a coach like Duce Staley, who has been with the organization for the better part of 20 years as both a player and a coach, to bypass a homegrown candidate for a flashy new toy with no proven track record? The players – and even some ex-players – seemingly love the guy, and it would be the ultimate feel-good story to see what the former running back could bring to the table after toiling away under Doug Pederson and Chip Kelly for the vast majority of his coaching career.

Unfortunately, there is no right answer – not definitively anyway.

The Eagles could get passed over by the ‘attractive’ names only to find a diamond in the rough like they did in 2016 when they landed Pederson a decade removed from coaching high school ball over ‘better options’ like Ben McAdoo and Dirk Koetter. Or they could land a high profile name like Kelly in 2013 and end up with a similar result.

Boy, it’s almost like firing Doug Pederson was a band-aid, not the cure…

So, why not lay out the pros and cons of Lincoln Riley and allow you, my dear reader, to decide for yourself? I mean, objectively speaking, it’s the most logical conclusion, especially when you consider we collectively have absolutely no way over what ultimately happens. Couldn’t

Jalen Hurts

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, right?

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