Good morning. What a Juanderful time of year this is. We’ll be working with a reduced schedule this week (translation: I’m eating leftovers, playing video games and drinking Limoncello for the next three days), but CB will still be on top of the most interesting stuff, the Winter Classic (rain?!) and our top ten Philly sports moments of the year list.
This one qualifies:
According to a report in the San Diego Union-Tribune – while the Eagles beat writers are apparently asleep at the switch – Rams owner Stan Kroenke, who is mentioned because he may hire current Chargers GM A.J. Smith – is planning on cleaning house after the season and firing head coach Steve Spagnuolo, among others. Then this:
League sources have said for weeks that Kroenke plans to clean house after the season, firing both head coach Steve Spagnuolo and General Manager Billy Devaney. League sources also said this week that it is all but certain that Spagnuolo will join Andy Reid’s staff in Philadelphia as the Eagles’ defensive coordinator. Devaney, who was the Chargers Director of Player Personnel from 1990-2000, will not be a candidate in San Diego.
Now, with a game to go, you can probably count the seconds until the Eagles deny this report, but it is certainly interesting.
There are several knee jerk reactions here: 1) Spagnuolo has that impossible misplaced o— a blogger’s nightmare. 2) It’s a report from San Diego that seems to know the Eagles thinking, something most Philly folks can’t get a handle on. 3) Despite our most venomous attacks, it’s worth noting that the Eagles have only given 36 points in three consecutive wins. It would appear, at least, that perhaps Juan is doing something right. Of course, on the flip side of the coin, the NFL isn’t a place for on-the-job training, and the defensive struggles early on are the lone reason why the Eagles aren’t going to be a dangerous team in the playoffs.
Plus, there’s this report from earlier in the month which says that if Reid doesn't fire Castillo, he himself will be fired.
17 Responses
Taken with the tiniest grain of salt.
Maybe they wont play Zone with three very good cover CB’s, maybe they wont draft a MLB in the 4th round starting him from Day 1, maybe they’ll put their best CB on larry freeeaking fitzgerald and go to the playoffs next year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ok, and i remember when Steven Stamkos was a Flyer.
Yeah, right, 36 points given up to bottom feeding Miami, the woefully underachieving Jets and Dallas which went shut everything down after Tony Romo left with his hand injury. Don’t buy into the hype, Kyle, this so-called improving defense is nothing more than smoke and mirrors. I say, keep up the venomous attacks on Juan Castillo until he’s gone.
This is 2011 sports journalism at its finest! Since when do NFL HEAD COACHES jump at the opportunity to be a coordinator, especially before they’ve been fired? He hasn’t even been fired yet, so he hasn’t even had an opportunity to interview for other HC jobs. Half of the teams in the NFL may fire their HC before the start of next season, but people already know where he’ll be next season? Not saying that this WON’T happen, but at this point, this article is total bullshit.
Juan working hard Castillo will be back next year
Gotta be honest…I’m liking our defense right now.
@ThePhillyFlash – Remember all those leads given up earlier in the year? The point is the D is playing well against teams they’re SUPPOSED to be playing well against…Something that wasn’t happening before.
I am taking this article with a grain of salt. Even if he is fired, there are going to be at least 5 other HC positions avaialble. Why would he go back to being a D-Coord? Doesn’t make sense, but I hope it is true.
Yeah three straight wins against:
– The DOLPHINS
– The Jets with FRANCHEZ
– The Cowboys who played their backups
If that saves an O-line coach’s job as a defensive coordinator in this league, then wow… this team has more problems than just an O-line coach as the DC…
Spagnuolo would be better off collecting $3 million in 2012 and waiting for a new HC job than saving Reid’s bacon in Philly.
Philadelphia Eagles the gold standard of mediocrity.
I think this COULD happen, but this article is so premature it’s stupid.
Why do people think Spags would get a head coaching job? He’s finishing up a season where he could get the #1 overall pick, why would anyone hire the coach of THAT team?!
Secondly, Todd- We played THE DOLPHINS. And we were up 28 on the Jets, sure we didn’t give up a “4th qtr lead” but we were up 28 man, that’s a lead you keep no matter if you’re o-line coach’s 5 year-old son is coaching your defense. And we played the already mediocre Cowboys’ backups. That’s sad if that sells you on this defense.
fresh, thank you! I couldn’t agree more. Why does everyone keep talking like spags can go pick his next head coaching job? He was a great DC and failed as a head coach, it isn’t the first time a coach has to take a step back. He is gonna land a DC job whether it be here or if he goes back to New York. Sure this article is premature, but makes perfect sense. I bet Andy sold it to Lurie weeks ago. Bring in the Johnson protege and give him a year to get it together.
For the record, I’m also skeptical about the Spagnuolo rumor, but he wouldn’t be the first former head coach to take a downward step and become a coordinator, i.e, Wade Phillips, Rod Marinelli, Charlie Weis, Romeo Crennel, Mike Martz, Cam Cameron, Gunther Cunningham, Dom Capers, Mike Nolan and, yes, Marty Mornhinweg. Perhaps those guys decided that being a head coach wasn’t their cup of tea and were better off as coordinators. Whether or not that’ll be the case with Spags in anyone’s guess, and no one will know one way or the other until he’s canned, if he’s canned.
Who cares about Castillo, how about we focus on firing Andy? The man who put Castillo where he did? The man who still can’t manage the clock? The man who under-utilized one of if not the best RB in the league this season? The man who lucked into Vick being a recovery story, who beforehand was solidly pegging Kevin freaking Kolb as our QB of the future? Castillo is the patsy and Reid gets another year, brilliant.
Matt: We know all about Reid’s deficiencies, problem is, he’s not going anywhere, never was, sadly. The Birds could’ve gone 0-16 and Reid would STILL have been brought back for 2012. For starters, he’s owed $10 million over the next two years, no way Jeff Lurie flushes that much cash down the toilet just to cave in to the fans’ wishes and whack him. Secondly, Lurie and Banner are still drinking Reid’s Kool-Aid, still thinks he walks on water and can pull off a miracle and win a Super Bowl with a full off-season. Like it or not, Reid will be back, Castillo will be scarified, Spagnuolo will replace him but nothing much will change.
im sorry, but did those defending juan must not have watched the new england game. i mean honestly, they did whatever they wanted. i mean really, juan had no idea what to do
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