How Desirable Is the Eagles Job?
Recently, the Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie sat down with (former) head coach Doug Pederson to discuss the vision of the team’s future.
At the end of the meeting, it was decided that Doug was not a part of the future.
Pederson was fired yesterday, just three years after leading the franchise to its first and only Lombardi trophy. There’s a ton of speculation about why the Eagles and Pederson have parted ways, from the relationship with Carson Wentz, the decisions made in Week 17, to the fact that Pederson wanted to have the final say in filling in his coaching staff.
We might never know the true reason (or combination of reasons) that led to Pederson being fired, but one thing is clear, Jeffrey Lurie chose Howie Roseman over Doug Pederson. Another fact to this saga, Howie Roseman will (SOMEHOW) oversee the hiring of a third head coach as general manager of the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Eagles are now a week behind in the hiring process because of the timing of firing Pederson. The six other teams that have head coaching positions opened used all last week to interview potential candidates.
It’s too early to break down the Eagles’ potential candidates because right now, there are only rumors and requested made about who the Eagles are interviewing later this week.
We can look at how desirable the Eagles head coaching position is compared to the other six jobs available. Warning: it doesn’t look great.
The Best Job: Los Angeles Chargers
Two words. Justin Herbert.
Herbert makes the Chargers job attractive by himself. He broke the rookie record for touchdown passes thrown, and the Chargers finished the season 7-9. Herbert has a very good chance of winning the offensive rookie of the year award and looks primed to be an elite quarterback in this league. He has the ability to run and make plays outside of the pocket and has shown he has elite arm talent. The weapons around Herbert are also capable of playing at elite levels. Keenan Allen has proven he is a top receiver in the league when healthy and Austin Eckler presents match-up problems all over the field out of the backfield. The Chargers job also presents a unique situation because of the talent on defense led by Joey Bosa, Derwin James, and Kenneth Murray, studs at all three defense levels.
The Chargers were plagued with injury on the defensive side of the ball this season but have all the makings of being a top 10 defense if they can stay healthy. On top of all these factors, the Chargers have a projected $29 million in cap space to work with this offseason. The only real detriment to taking the Chargers job is that they play in the AFC West and have to see Patrick Mahomes twice a year in the division. Other than that, the Chargers job is the number one job in the coaching cycle.
Close Second: Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars hold the number one pick in this year’s draft, which means the Jaguars won the Trevor Lawrence sweepstakes. Trevor Lawrence makes this job almost as desirable as the Chargers job; the only reason the Chargers job is ahead of this job is the rest of the roster. The Jaguars roster is not as good as the Chargers roster, but they have good pieces in place that can help Lawrence adjust to the NFL next season.
Undrafted rookie running back James Robinson looks to be a capable back in the league, and D.J Chark looks to be a great weapon at receiver. The Jaguars also have a projected $73 million in cap space this offseason. The future head coach can build a team and culture around Lawrence as he sees fit.
Middle Tier: New York Jets and Houston Texans
New York Jets
The third most desirable job, in my opinion, is the New York Jets head coaching position. I know what you’re thinking, the JETS?? How can that be a better job than the Eagles?? Well, the first reason is Joe Douglas. Douglas has a reputation for making good choices in the draft, and that was proven in his first draft as GM of the Jets when he selected Mekhi Becton, who appears to be the Jets solution at left tackle for years to come. Not only is Douglas going to be successful in the draft, but the Jets have a projected $70 million in cap space to work with this offseason giving Douglas and the new head coach a lot of flexibility to be able to improve the roster.
The Jets also have a decent quarterback situation. The new head coach will choose to build around Darnold, use the second pick in the draft to take a quarterback, or try to trade for a quarterback this offseason. The Jets have no financial ties to Darnold after this upcoming season which is still part of his rookie deal. The flexibility and the spotlight of New York make the Jets’ gig an intriguing destination.
Houston Texans
The Texans are a bit of a mess, so this ranking comes with a disclaimer that Deshaun Watson stays and is comfortable with the new head coach enough to be with the franchise for the remainder of his contract extension. The Texans’ job is desirable for that one reason, Deshaun Watson. He is really the only huge positive to this job, but the quarterback/coach combination can make or break a team.
Watson has the ability to be an elite, top 3-5 quarterback in the league, so any head coach looking to have a guy in place at the quarterback position that can lead the franchise through the head coach’s tenure has to be looking at the Texans as a very good opportunity. The Texans have a lot of work to do this offseason because they are $17 million over the cap, but Watson makes this job worth wanting.
The Bottom 3: Philadelphia Eagles, Atlanta Falcons, Detroit Lions
Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles come in as the fifth most desirable job in my ranking. The Eagles are a mess right now. Not only are rumors swirling around that Pederson had no say over his coaches or the players selected in the draft, but the Eagles retained Howie Roseman, who has now fired the past two coaches he has hired. The team has no money to spend this offseason. It is an insane projected $51 million OVER the cap (!!!), meaning that the team that went 4-11-1 this season is going to have a depleted roster to get their cap situation figured out this summer.
Photo: YONG KIM/Philadelphia Inquirer
A big part of the cap problem is the budding quarterback controversy that a new coach would walk right into when he takes the job. The Eagles will most likely have to decide which quarterback, Carson Wentz or Jalen Hurts; they want to keep and start this new era as the franchise quarterback. This job does come with positives as well, though. The number six pick in the draft gives the Eagles a great opportunity to get a cheap player that can productively contribute next season.
The team has a lot of talent, from Sanders, Goedert, Fulgham, Reagor on offense to Slay, Cox, BG, Singleton (maybe a reach) on defense; this team is not as bad the record might have indicated. And lastly, it appears from Jeffrey Lurie’s press conference that he is prepared for a slight rebuild, not what Eagles’ fans want to hear, but to a potential head coach, it signals that job security lasts a couple of years, even if the first few are rough seasons. This hire is crucial for the Eagles’ future, and Lurie and Roseman HAVE to get this right.
Atlanta Falcons
Coming in behind the Eagles is the Atlanta Falcons. Matt Ryan’s cap number next year is $40 million, the year after is $41 million, and the following year is just a measly $36 million (with only an $8 million dead cap hit if they get rid of him). Essentially the next two years are still going to be run by Matty Ice, and while I think the offense has the talent to be elite. Ryan can still play; it is a tough situation for a new coach to come into and build a culture that might only last two years before it is torn down again, and the coach will have to start over.
The Falcons job is attractive because there is a potential to have an explosive win now offense, but it is a short-term solution to a much larger problem that the new coach will inherit.
Detroit Lions
The least attractive job in this coaching cycle is the Detroit Lions head coaching position. The Lions are flat-out bad, and Matt Stafford is locked in for at least the next two seasons unless another team is willing to trade for him.
Even so, the new head coach will be tasked with overseeing the transition from one of the most loved players in franchise history in Stafford while trying to create a culture that promotes winning, something the Lions have had a hard time doing consistently in the past decade.
Where Will the Eagles Go?
All seven head coaching spots will be filled and probably filled soon with several qualified candidates interviewing and wanting each one. However, the top guys such as Eric Bieniemy, Brian Daboll, and Robert Saleh, to name a few, will have more choice as to where they want to take a head coaching job and what situation, if any, is right for them this hiring period.
This is a big 2-3 weeks for the future of the Philadelphia Eagles. Get strapped in, Birds’ fans; it’s going to be a wild ride with a lot of speculation and rumors flying around.
The ultimate hope is that the Eagles hire someone to do what Doug did, get a Super Bowl title and bring Lombardi down Broad St.
Featured Image: YONG KIM/Philadelphia Inquirer
Discover more from Philadelphia Sports Nation
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Categorized:Eagles