Philadelphia Eagles: One major drawback to hiring a defensive-minded HC

Philadelphia Eagles should be wary of defensive coaches for this one big reason.

When the Philadelphia Eagles made the decision to part ways with Doug Pederson, the general consensus was that they would target some sort of new, exciting offensive mind to replace him. After all, the Eagles had one of the worst offenses in the league in 2020, and owner Jeffrey Lurie has long prioritized the offensive side of the ball over everything else (think Chip Kelly).

Throw in the fact that the Eagles possess one broken Carson Wentz who needs fixing, and a now second-year QB in Jalen Hurts who needs a large amount of developing, and the likelihood of Lurie and Roseman pouncing on an offensive mind seemed high.

However, as the Philadelphia Eagles have begun their interviewing process, there’s been a surprisingly high number of defensive minds – current defensive coordinators who are set to take the next step in their coaching career. Robert Saleh (49ers DC), Todd Bowles (Bucs DC), and Jerod Mayo (Patriots LB coach) are the main names to highlight said list.

More from Section 215

• 4 Eagles on the Bubble Who Have Clinched Their 53-Man Roster Spots
• Best Pennsylvania Sportsbook Promos: Win $650 GUARANTEED Bonus PLUS $100 off NFL Sunday Ticket
• 3 Punters the Eagles Must Target to Replace Arryn Siposs
• Cowboys Trey Lance Trade Proves How Screwed They Are With Dak Prescott
• Devon Allen Took Britain Covey’s Job on Eagles

While fan perception to the thought of hiring a defensive-minded head coach has been good, people would be wise to pump the brakes just a tad. It has nothing to do with the credentials of the mentioned coaching candidates, more so to do with the inherent philosophy of hiring a defensive-minded head coach when considering the state of the Eagles franchise at the moment.

If the Eagles did pull the trigger on hiring someone like Saleh for example, it’s expected that he’d bring a top offensive coordinator along with him. This all sounds great! The Eagles desperately need a new set of eyes in town when it comes to offensive play-calling, and a new offensive coordinator could help Wentz return to his previous 2019 form.

However, the problem with this strategy is that it lacks longevity. If Saleh’s offensive coordinator performs well in 2021, guiding the Eagles back towards a top-10 offensive, he’ll undoubtedly be poached the following offseason. Every offseason there are a handful of teams that end up needing a new head coach, and targeting well-performing OCs is a proven method.

Look at Joe Brady, for example. The Carolina Panther’s first-year offensive coordinator in 2020, Brady has quickly landed himself at the top of team’s head coaching wishlists. It wasn’t even like the Panthers were particularly *good* this past season either, but Brady showed just enough as a play-caller to excite teams about his potential as a head coach here in 2021. The Panthers will now have to re-evaluate their offensive coordinator role, and scramble to find a new play-caller just one year after committing to Brady.

The Philadelphia Eagles biggest problem in 2020 was their offense, and a lot of that can be attributed to a lack of consistency on the coaching staff. The Eagles offense took a massive hit in 2018 following Frank Reich’s departure, and that’s something Wentz and company would likely prefer to avoid moving forward. By hiring an offensive-minded head coach as opposed to a defensive-minded one, the Eagles could permanently avoid this scenario.

Worth considering!