Philadelphia Eagles Vic Fangio is not a fan of the way Howie Roseman is handling, or rather not handling, the team's EDGE rushing group. He voiced it slyly while speaking to the media on Tuesday.
Fangio said the group was in good shape, but followed up a question regarding whether he’s good with his personnel by claiming that he'd "have to be." Fangio said it without saying it, but it's clear what he had to say.
Jalyx Hunt and Azeez Ojulari have been holding it down along the edge with Za'Darius Smith's midseason retirement and injuries to Nolan Smith and Ogbo Okoronkwo. Even Ojulari missed the franchise's 38-20 win against the New York Giants this Sunday, though.
It's a depleted group that isn't getting the returning Brandon Graham as quickly as Fangio and Co. would've hoped. It's a group that Roseman may be ignoring, hoping things get better naturally. Getting too aggressive after a Super Bowl win is a risky long-term play, which is all Roseman needs to worry about at this point in his run in Philly. He's essentially holding a lifetime contract given his past success and relationship with team owner Jeffrey Lurie.
That's all well and good. But this season could fall short of a repeat because of lackadaisical moves on the fringes. Ceding 336.3 yards per game and 18 TDs to this point is a subpar performance from a defense that was the NFL's standard-bearer less than a year ago.
Vic Fangio Creating Friction if Eagles Don't Keep Winning
This kind of front office call-out could go down in history and even be charming, like the late 1970s-era New York Yankees, if the team ends up winning. If not, this kind of thing, if it continues, could lead to Fangio finding work elsewhere, probably as a "mutual decision" situation, given the recent Super Bowl win.
Roseman has survived coordinators before. He survived Chip Kelly and brought the team to championship heights just three years after Kelly departed from Philadelphia.
Fangio is an abrasive, old-school guy who wants things his way. It's already worked for him on the field. And he had better keep it working on the field to avoid any more friction with the front office.
Otherwise, if his luck turns, the veteran coordinator will be looking for another job soon, since Fangio doesn't tend to stick in one place for very long.