Eagles Hire John DeFilippo As QBs Coach
THURSDAY, 10:24am: The Eagles have officially confirmed the hiring of DeFilippo as their quarterbacks coach. The announcement comes on the heels of the club naming 15 assistants, including new offensive coordinator Frank Reich, to Pederson’s staff on Wednesday.
WEDNESDAY, 9:05am: The Eagles don’t have an offensive coordinator in place yet, but they’re planning to bring the Browns’ former offensive coordinator to their staff in another role, per Mike Garafolo and Peter Schrager of FOX Sports (Twitter link). The FOX duo reports that Philadelphia is hiring John DeFilippo as its new quarterbacks coach.
[RELATED: Browns part ways with OC John DeFilippo]
It has been a busy few weeks for DeFilippo since the 2015 regular season ended. After serving as the Browns’ offensive coordinator in 2015, his hold on his job became tenuous when the club fired head coach Mike Pettine. As the Browns went through the head coaching search process and ultimately hired Hue Jackson, DeFilippo spoke to the 49ers about their head coach or offensive coordinator position, and also interviewed with the Rams for a spot on their staff.
While DeFilippo didn’t land in San Francisco or Los Angeles, and was let go by the Browns, he’ll end up in an interesting role in Philadelphia. The Eagles’ hiring of Doug Pederson as their new head coach received mixed reviews, but Pederson is putting together an impressive staff, with Jim Schwartz set to run the defense, and DeFilippo potentially paired with Frank Reich on the offensive side of the ball.
A Monday report indicated that Reich, the Chargers’ former offensive coordinator, was expected to secure the same position in Philadelphia, and he still appears to be on track for that job. He’ll have a formal interview within the next 24 hours, and it “would be an upset” if he’s not hired by the Eagles, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.
DeFilippo, who previously served as a quarterbacks coach for the Raiders and Jets, coaxed a respectable 236.4 passing yards per game out of the Browns this year, despite having to work with three different – and hardly elite – starting quarterbacks, in Josh McCown, Johnny Manziel, and Austin Davis. Reich, meanwhile, was let go by the Chargers due to the team’s ineffective running game, but he did just fine with the team’s aerial attack — Philip Rivers led the NFL in completions, racking up nearly 4,800 yards passing to go along with 29 touchdowns.
Of course, it remains to be seen who DeFilippo, and potentially Reich, will be working with at the quarterback position in Philadelphia in 2016. Sam Bradford is the incumbent starter, but he’ll be eligible for free agency this winter, and it’s not clear if the club intends to franchise him or extend him before he hits the open market.
Former Eagles wide receiver Greg Lewis is also under consideration for a role on Pederson’s coaching staff, though nothing is finalized yet, a source tells Caplan (Twitter link).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Schefter On NFL Head Coaching Searches
While the Browns liked Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin and Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, the team recognized the importance of upgrading its offense, which was one reason Hue Jackson was the choice as Cleveland’s new head coach, writes Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. According to Schefter, the Browns believe that by hiring Jackson they not only strengthened their own organization, but weakened a division rival, in the Bengals.
Schefter has some details on the rest of the head coaching decisions as well, so let’s dive in and round up the highlights….
- The Giants “seriously entertained” the possibility of hiring Mike Smith as their head coach and keeping Ben McAdoo at offensive coordinator, says Schefter. However, when the Eagles expressed legit interest in McAdoo, the Giants knew they couldn’t risk losing him.
- As for those Eagles, they were determined to be more patient this time around than when they hired Chip Kelly, but two of their top candidates – Adam Gase and McAdoo – were hired by other teams while Philadelphia was being patient. Since the club was already familiar with Doug Pederson, it was “completely comfortable” turning to him despite the fact that his initial interview was ordinary, according to Schefter.
- The 49ers viewed Kelly, Mike Shanahan, Tom Coughlin, and Anthony Lynn as viable candidates, and felt they would have been in good shape no matter which direction they went in. The fact that Kelly is the only one of the group without a Super Bowl ring was a factor in San Francisco’s choice, since the club feels he’ll be hungry to get that championship.
- The Buccaneers took a week to hire Dirk Koetter even though most people expected him to be the choice all along, leading to some whispers that the Glazers “attempted a big swing” before officially promoting Koetter, says Schefter.
- Despite a final push from Ray Horton last Saturday, the Titans‘ owners never wanted to get away from Mike Mularkey, who was their top choice all along.
- As for the Dolphins, they entered their coaching search planning to be aggressive, and Gase’s desire to land a head coaching job – after being passed over last year – matched up well with that aggressiveness from the team, making him the first new coach hired this month.
Eagles Hire 15 Assistants
5:46pm: The Eagles have made Reich’s hiring official. They’ve also named 14 other assistants to posts. Seven of those coaches are holdovers from Chip Kelly‘s staff. Here’s the list (unless otherwise specified, the names come courtesy of the Eagles’ website):
- Eugene Chung, offensive line/tight ends/running game
- Phillip Daniels, defensive quality control/assistant defensive line
- Dave Fipp, special teams
- Ken Flajole, linebackers
- Matthew Harper, assistant special teams
- Tim Hauck, defensive backs/safeties
- Greg Lewis, wide receivers (Twitter link via ESPN’s Adam Caplan)
- Justin Peelle, tight ends
- Jim Schwartz, defensive coordinator
- Duce Staley, running backs
- Jeff Stoutland, offensive line
- Press Taylor, offensive quality control/assistant quarterbacks
- Cory Undlin, defensive backs/cornerbacks
- Dino Vasso, defensive quality control/assistant secondary
On the heels of these moves, the Eagles released offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur and linebackers coaches Rick Minter and Bill McGovern from their contracts, according to Caplan (on Twitter). They let go of previous D-coordinator Billy Davis on Monday, per Caplan (Twitter link).
1:40pm: The Eagles have reached an agreement with Frank Reich to make him their new offensive coordinator, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSports.com, who reports (via Twitter) that it’s a “done deal.” Reich had been scheduled to have a formal interview with the team today, and Adam Caplan of ESPN.com had suggested “it would be an upset” if he wasn’t hired (Twitter link).
[RELATED: Eagles hire Jim Schwartz as defensive coordinator]
Reich, recently fired as the Chargers’ offensive coordinator after two seasons leading San Diego’s offense, interviewed for the same position on Adam Gase‘s Dolphins staff, but Miami ultimately chose Clyde Christensen as their new OC.
Had he become the Dolphins’ offensive coordinator, Reich wouldn’t have called the team’s plays (Gase will do that), and it looks as if he won’t handle that responsibility in Philadelphia either. New head coach Doug Pederson indicated during his introductory press conference on Tuesday that he expects to call offensive plays in 2016.
In San Diego, Reich was let go in large part due to the Chargers’ ineffective running game, but he did just fine with the team’s aerial attack — Philip Rivers led the NFL in completed passes in 2015, racking up nearly 4,800 yards passing to go along with 29 touchdowns.
Injuries have plagued the Chargers over the last couple years, and health problems on the offensive line likely contributed to the struggles of first-round running back Melvin Gordon, but Reich took the fall for the offense’s regression. In 2014, Reich’s first year as offensive coordinator, San Diego went from second in offensive DVOA to 11th. The team slipped to 15th this season, and the Chargers also went from scoring nearly 25 points per game in 2013 to just 20 by 2015.
In addition to reaching a deal with Reich, the Eagles have also reportedly agreed to hire former Browns offensive coordinator John DeFilippo as the club’s quarterbacks coach. The new additions to Pederson’s offensive coaching staff likely spell the end of Pat Shurmur‘s time in Philadelphia, despite the fact that the new head coach said on Tuesday that Shurmur would receive consideration for the OC role.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Coach Rumors: Jaguars, 49ers, Eagles, Bucs
After showing interest in Jim Schwartz before he was named the Eagles’ new defensive coordinator, the Jaguars have turned their attention in another direction as they search for a defensive play-caller. Jacksonville is today interviewing Cowboys secondary coach Jerome Henderson for their DC vacancy, reports Albert Breer of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Longtime NFL defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin is “involved in [the Jaguars’] process” of finding a defensive coordinator to replace the fired Bob Babich, but he is not in line for a formal coaching position with the club, according to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (Twitter links).
Henderson, 46, has been in high demand this offseason, and even interviewed for a head coaching position (Browns) earlier this month. Dallas’ defensive backs coach since 2012, Henderson, who also has a background in player development, was also linked to jobs on Miami’s new staff.
Let’s look at some news from the coaching front:
- New 49ers head coach Chip Kelly is likely to keep one offensive coach, as Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com reports (via Twitter) that running backs coach Tom Rathman is expected to remain on staff. Meanwhile, both incumbent special teams coach Thomas McGaughey and assistant Richard Hightower are in contention for San Francisco’s ST coordinator position, per Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (Twitter link).
- Eagles head coach Doug Pederson announced during his introductory press conference that running backs coach Duce Staley — who interviewed for Philadelphia’s top job — will be retained, Neil Hartman of CSNPhilly.com tweets.
- The Packers have shuffled their offensive staff, firing both running backs coach Sam Gash (per Michael Cohen of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Twitter) and tight ends coach Jerry Fontenot (per Tom Silverstein of MJS on Twitter).
- Confirming four previously-reported hires, the Buccaneers announced that special teams coordinator Nate Kaczor, secondary coach Jon Hoke, defensive line coach Jay Hayes, and linebackers coach Mark Duffner have been added to the club’s staff.
Eagles Hire Doug Pederson As Head Coach
JANUARY 19: Pederson, who was introduced to the media today, got a five-year contract from the Eagles, tweets Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
JANUARY 18: The Eagles have made it official, announcing the hiring of Pederson in a press release. He’ll be introduced at a Tuesday afternoon press conference.
JANUARY 14: The Eagles are set to hire Doug Pederson as their new head coach, a league source tells Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News (Twitter link). Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer confirms (via Twitter) that Pederson is the Eagles’ man. The Chiefs offensive coordinator remains alive in the postseason, so Philadelphia won’t be able to make the hiring official until after this weekend’s game, at the earliest.
A former Eagles quarterback, Pederson had only been connected to the Philadelphia job and none of the other NFL head coaching vacancies. In addition to having played for the Eagles, he also coached with the team during Andy Reid‘s tenure, serving as an offensive quality control coach in 2009 and 2010, then as the club’s quarterbacks coach in 2011 and 2012.
Pederson, who has been Kansas City’s offensive coordinator since the team hired Reid as its head coach in 2013, was one of six head coaching candidates to interview with the Eagles. Three coaches that were considered to be strong candidates for Philadelphia have since been hired elsewhere or withdrawn from the process — Adam Gase landed with the Dolphins, Ben McAdoo was promoted by the Giants, and Tom Coughlin removed himself from consideration.
In addition to those candidates, the Eagles also interviewed in-house assistants Pat Shurmur and Duce Staley. Shurmur, Philadelphia’s offensive coordinator, served as the interim head coach in Week 17 following Chip Kelly‘s firing, while Staley is the team’s running backs coach.
McAdoo and Coughlin received plenty of buzz this week for the Eagles’ job, with at least one report suggesting he would have been the choice if he hadn’t withdrawn. However, a weekend report indicated that Pederson initially entered the process as owner Jeffrey Lurie’s favorite among non-head coaches. After McAdoo and Coughlin became unavailable, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reported that the Eagles had moved on to pursuing Pederson.
Despite losing Jamaal Charles this year and playing without a ton of wide receiving talent over the past two seasons, the Chiefs’ offense performed well on Pederson’s watch. Per Football Outsiders, Kansas City ranked sixth overall in offensive DVOA this season, just behind the Patriots, and ahead of teams like the Panthers and Packers. In 2014, the Chiefs placed 12th in offensive DVOA.
One of Peterson’s main challenges in Philadelphia will be coaxing production out of an offense whose quarterback situation is uncertain, with Sam Bradford facing free agency. The Eagles have also seen plenty of talented playmakers depart in recent years, with LeSean McCoy, DeSean Jackson, and Jeremy Maclin all playing elsewhere now. Pricey free agent running back DeMarco Murray will look to have a bounce-back 2016 campaign under Pederson after a disappointing first year in Philadelphia.
As PFR’s head coaching tracker shows, five of the seven teams seeking new head coaches this month have now made their decisions, with only the Buccaneers and Titans still in the market for replacements. Those two jobs, which feature top young quarterbacks, will be interesting to watch, and it’s also worth keeping an eye on Detroit, where the Lions have yet to make a final decision on Jim Caldwell.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Eagles Notes: Bradford, Pederson, Coaches
The Eagles introduced new head coach Doug Pederson today at an afternoon press conference, and announced during that presser that former Lions head coach Jim Schwartz will be Philadelphia’s defensive coordinator for the 2016 season. However, that was hardly the only item of interest from the session. Let’s dive in and round up some of the other highlights….
- According to Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie, the team started with a pool of about 25 head coaching candidates, then reduced that total to about 10 (Twitter link Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer). That list included head coaches on other teams, per Lurie, so I’d expect John Harbaugh, Tom Coughlin, and Sean Payton were among the Eagles’ names. Ultimately though, no one besides Pederson was going to be offered the job, Lurie said (Twitter link via Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer).
- Pederson said today that personnel decisions will be made collaboratively, with Lurie breaking any ties. Pederson and Howie Roseman figure to be involved in those decisions, along with the club’s new head of player personnel — Lurie confirmed today that the Eagles are looking to hire someone for that position (Twitter links via McLane).
- Asked about Sam Bradford, Pederson said a decision on the free-agent-to-be hasn’t been made, but he praised the QB as one who could fit into his system (Twitter link via Berman).
- The Eagles haven’t yet decided on an offensive coordinator, Pederson said today (Twitter link via McLane). Frank Reich is reportedly the frontrunner for the job, though the new head coach said he’ll consider incumbent OC Pat Shurmur too (Twitter link via McLane). Still, it’ll be Pederson, rather than the OC, who will call the team’s offensive plays, tweets James Palmer of the NFL Network.
- Special teams coach Dave Fipp and offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland will be retained, tweets McLane. Pederson is still deliberating on the rest of the staff.
Eagles Hire Jim Schwartz As DC
1:21pm: Pederson made it official during his introductory press conference this afternoon, announcing that Schwartz will be his defensive coordinator for the 2016 season (Twitter link via team).
12:36pm: After interviewing him today, the Eagles have reached an agreement with Jim Schwartz, who will become the team’s new defensive coordinator, reports Don Banks of SI.com (Twitter links). According to Banks, the move isn’t official yet, but the two sides have a deal in place.
[RELATED: Eagles hire Doug Pederson as head coach]
Schwartz, who began his NFL career as a personnel scout on Bill Belichick’s staff in Cleveland in the mid-1990s, served as the Titans’ defensive coordinator from 2001 to 2008. After spending several seasons as the Lions’ head coach, Schwartz returned to a DC role in Buffalo in 2014, and had an excellent season.
Per Football Outsiders, Schwartz’s Bills defense ranked second in the NFL in DVOA in 2014. However, when Doug Marrone opted out of his contract as the team’s head coach, and Rex Ryan entered the picture, Ryan decided to bring in his own defensive coordinator. Under Ryan and Dennis Thurman, the Bills slipped to 24th in defensive DVOA in 2015.
With Chip Kelly no longer leading the Eagles, the team already had been expected to undergo a number of personnel changes on both sides of the ball this offseason, and Schwartz’s arrival will likely ensure that those changes are made on defense. After running a 3-4 scheme under Billy Davis for the last few seasons, Philadelphia figures to shift to a 4-3 look under Schwartz, who often employs a “wide nine” alignment.
As Albert Breer of the NFL Network notes (via Twitter), one notable Eagles player who could benefit significantly from the scheme change is Fletcher Cox, who should thrive as a three-technique in 2016, which is a contract year for him. In general, the Eagles defense shouldn’t be worked quite so hard in ’16, with new head coach Doug Pederson replacing Kelly — Kelly’s Eagles ranked dead last in the NFL in each of the last three seasons in terms of time of possession, meaning the defense spent a ton of time on the field.
[RELATED: PFR’s 2016 offensive/defensive coordinator tracker]
With Schwartz now in line to take over the defensive coordinator job in Philadelphia, Davis figures to look for work elsewhere — perhaps on Kelly’s staff in San Francisco. Meanwhile, Mike Pettine had been cited as a candidate for the Eagles’ opening, but if he hopes to land a DC job in 2016, it’ll have to happen somewhere else. Pettine’s old team, the Browns, was one of the other teams that expressed interest in Schwartz as a defensive coordinator — the Jaguars also interviewed him.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Coach Rumors: Eagles, Schwartz, 49ers, Fins
While there are no head coaching jobs in the NFL that still need to be filled, many clubs are still tweaking their coaching staffs, making changes among position coaches or hiring new coordinators. Here’s a round-up of the latest news and rumors on those changes from across the league:
- There’s mutual interest between the Eagles and Jim Schwartz for the defensive coordinator role in Philadelphia. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), if Schwartz and Eagles head coach Doug Pederson hit it off and all goes well at today’s interview, Schwartz will likely end up with the job.
- Rapoport (Twitter links) also has a couple updates on the 49ers‘ defensive staff, reporting that Eric Mangini will interview to remain in his defensive coordinator role, while former Buccaneers linebackers coach Hardy Nickerson talked to the Niners about the same position in San Francisco.
- Longtime offensive coach Al Saunders, who has worked recently with the Dolphins, Raiders, and Ravens, is a “strong candidate” to join Hue Jackson‘s Browns coaching staff, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).
- Veteran coaches Jim Washburn and Jeremiah Washburn are headed to the Dolphins, according to Alex Marvez of FOX Sports and Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter links). Jim, the elder Washburn, will work with the defensive line as a senior defensive assistant, while his son Jeremiah will be an offensive line assistant. The duo previously spent time with the Lions, so Jim has a history of working with Ndamukong Suh.
- Marvez adds (via Twitter) that the Lions denied the Dolphins‘ interview request for defensive line coach Kris Kocurek, who would have been a candidate for that DL job in Miami.
Rams Request Permission To Interview Pat Shurmur
WEDNESDAY, 7:59am: If he’s hired by the Rams, Shurmur would likely fill the team’s passing-game coordinator position, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who says Boras still looks like the favorite for the offensive coordinator job (Twitter links).
TUESDAY, 5:57pm: The Rams’ search for a new offensive coordinator could lead to a familiar face, as the club has requested permission to interview Eagles’ OC Pat Shurmur, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). Shurmur was the Rams’ play-caller from 2009-10 under former head coach Steve Spagnuolo.
[RELATED: 2016 Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Tracker]
Shurmur is still under contract with Philadelphia, and in fact interviewed for the club’s head coaching position earlier this month. That job ultimately went to Doug Pederson, who said during his introductory press conference today that Shurmur would be a contender to remain as the Eagles’ offensive coordinator. But former Chargers play-caller Frank Reich is widely expected to be Philadelphia’s OC choice, at which point it’s likely the club would let Shurmur pursue other opportunities.
For Shurmur, a move to Los Angeles would represent a step up, as he did not call plays under former Eagles head coach Chip Kelly and, if retained, would not call plays under Pederson. With the Rams, that duty would surely fall to him, as Los Angeles head coach Jeff Fisher has a defensive background. Shurmur, who has head coaching experience with the Browns, wasn’t very successful during his last run with the Rams, as his offenses never finished above 30th in DVOA.
Los Angeles’ OC hunt was thought to be nearing its completion, as a report last week indicated that the club was expected to promote interim play-caller Rob Boras — who was formerly the tight ends coach and took over OC duties after Frank Cignetti was fired — to the full-time post. The Rams also interviewed former Browns coordinator John DeFillipo as part of their search.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Browns, Eagles, Jaguars Interested In Jim Schwartz
7:12pm: The Eagles will interview Schwartz for their defensive coordinator position Tuesday, ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan reports (on Twitter). Davis has not been fired but is not expected to be retained.
4:28pm: Schwartz is reportedly in Philadelphia and, according to 6ABC.com’s Jamie Apody, a strong possibility exists of Schwartz becoming the Eagles’ DC. The Browns’ and Jaguars’ reported interest in the seasoned DC won’t preclude the Jeffrey Lurie from outbidding them for Schwartz’s services, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer notes (on Twitter).
4:21pm: As teams look to fill defensive coordinator jobs, Jim Schwartz‘s name has come up in multiple teams’ searches.
The Browns, Eagles and Jaguars are interested in the former Lions head coach, Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com reports, and Schwartz is considering his options. Cleveland has contacted Schwartz, according to Pat McMenamon of ESPN.com, about the position.
The Jaguars have already interviewed Schwartz for their opening, and the Browns are still planning to interview current Titans DC Ray Horton for their vacancy, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). The Browns, per Rapoport, are getting permission from the Titans to interview Horton, who served as the Cleveland DC in 2013.
The 49-year-old Schwartz would prefer to rejoin the Titans, whose defense he presided over from 2001-08 before taking the Lions’ head-coaching job, according to Kuharsky. Dick LeBeau‘s presence as assistant head coach with defensive responsibilities may cloud that situation, per Kuharsky, especially with Horton rumored to be staying on as Tennessee’s DC.
Schwartz went 29-51 as head coach of the Lions and did not coach in 2015 after serving as the Bills’ defensive coordinator in 2014.
The Bills’ 4-3 defense ranked fourth in total defense under Schwartz’s guidance last season. They regressed to 19th in 2015.
Mike Pettine‘s also been linked to this Eagles opening. Bill Davis‘ Eagles defense ranked 30th in the league this season.
Photo courtesy USA Today Sports Images