Eagles' Organizational Success Highlighted by Added Layer of Coaching Staff
PHILADELPHIA – The NFL’s reigning Executive of the Year, Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman, put together another solid offseason, something validated by everything from ESPN’s Football Power Index to the betting markets.
No matter what rock you want to uncover, the presumption is that the Eagles remain a significant Super Bowl contender after coming up just short of the Lombardi Trophy back in February when they lost to the powerful Kansas City Chiefs in the big game.
Getting talent like Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith in the draft or sifting through the bargain bin to acquire potential contributors like D’Andre Swift, Rashaad Penny, and Terrell Edmunds will always get the headlines but the Philadelphia organization has become the toast of the league for the little things.
Winning outside the margins is how it’s described inside the NovaCare Complex.
In a league defined by parity, the smallest advantage can make a difference. For the Eagles that might be Jeffrey Lurie’s willingness to spend in areas that are not capped, Nick Sirianni’s devotion to situational football, or Roseman’s painstaking efforts to make sure valuation and evaluation of personnel match up.
Contingencies are also a big part of the ongoing plan in Philadelphia. Everyone has a great Plan A but when the inevitable punch in the mouth is delivered, Roseman’s Eagles climb off the canvas and not with a fly-by-the-seat-of-the-pants approach.
Everything is calculated with the Eagles whether it’s taking Jalen Hurts at No. 53 overall 10 months after handing Carson Wentz the largest contract in team history or the thought of A.J. Brown on the back burner in case easier targets like Calvin Ridley, Christian Kirk, Robert Woods and Allen Robinson didn’t pan out.
Sharks keep swimming.
After Super Bowl LVII the Eagles lost both of their coordinators – Shane Steichen and Jonathan Gannon – to head-coaching jobs with the Indianapolis Colts and Arizona Cardinals, respectively. The replacements were Brian Johnson and Sean Desai, coupled with an added layer of experienced insurance.
Sirianni added senior offensive and defensive assistants to his staff, the former being Marcus Brady, who joined the organization as a consultant last season after being fired as the offensive coordinator by the Colts, and the latter being Bill Belichick’s long-time consigliere and former Detroit head coach Matt Patricia.
The Eagles are so talented on offense, particularly, that it’s not hard to envision Johnson having his own head-coaching job in 12 months, something the Eagles are certainly cognizant of.
Johnson was already in demand this offseason for a few offensive coordinator jobs but Philadelphia shut that off by telling those interested that Johnson was the guy as Steichen’s replacement and he would be getting play-calling duties.
Johnson will be in Los Angeles next week for the annual Ozzie Newsome General Manager Forum and Quarterback Coaching Summit.
Co-sponsored by the league and the Black College Football Hall of Fame, the get-togethers are designed for minority coaches and executives to both experience peer-to-peer professional development and garner networking opportunities with league executives attending.
"The [symposiums] are part of our ongoing efforts to cultivate an inclusive workforce throughout every aspect of the league," said NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations Troy Vincent, the former Eagles’ Pro Bowl cornerback. "We look forward to continuing to offer participants an opportunity to engage with and learn from seasoned coaches and football personnel within the NFL community."
It’s not hard to envision Johnson laying the groundwork for the next step in his career with executives in Southern California next week and if the Eagles do reach their ultimate goal of a Super Bowl championship, you can almost guarantee the highly-regarded assistant will be one-and-done as the offensive coordinator.
Whether Brady or passing game coordinator/associate head coach Kevin Patullo is next in line from there can be debated but what’s settled is that the contingency is already built in.
Roseman’s next Executive of the Year award won’t be won by that kind of esoteric notion, at least consciously. Winning outside of the margins, however, is the highlighter for the public-facing, low-hanging fruit of player acquisition.
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-John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's Eagles Today and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Media. You can listen to John, alongside legendary sports-talk host Jody McDonald every morning from 8-10 on ‘Birds 365,” streaming live on YouTube. John is also the host of his own show "Football 24/7 and a daily contributor to ESPN South Jersey. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen
