I Don't Trust the Eagles

Yesterday, Jeffrey Lurie and his braintrusts went to Kansas City to interview Doug Pederson. Now, to be clear, I actually like Doug, and appreciate what he did in the past for the Eagles franchise (including taking one for the team in Donovan McNabb's rookie season). I would be fine with the team hiring him, and I'd be much more enthusiastic than I ever was in the Chip Kelly era. He's also not my first choice though. Nor was Adam Gase, or really any offensive coach they have interviewed.

I want a defensive coach. I want someone who is the "anti-Chip," a coach who does not want to "change the game." I want someone who gets it's about defense first. As you can see above, the top teams in defensive "points per game" are basically all playoff teams (besides the Jets, who did win ten games). That's not what the Eagles have been interviewing, for the most part.

This hire will tell us much about Jeffrey Lurie. I'm glad he fired Chip Kelly, who I never thought was a good hire. I'm still concerned that he hired Kelly, and seemed really intent on hiring him last time. I'm concerned about Lurie's obsession with offense. I'm concerned that Lurie doesn't get the distance between his team and the teams still playing in the playoffs. I'm concerned that he'll give a lot of power to another unqualified and unprepared coach, or hire someone who won't build the team right.

I have a hard time trusting the guy who hired Chip Kelly to hire the next football coach of the Eagles. I'm very willing to support a hire, even a less-than-perfect hire like Pederson would be on paper. I just am very skeptical that things are going to get better in any kind of fast manner.