I regret clicking on this tweet and reading the replies:

A sampling of some of the answers:

  • Seth Joyner (has zero coaching experience)
  • Rex Ryan (hasn’t coached since 2016)
  • Vic Fangio (already agreed to the Miami DC job)
  • Wade Phillips (75 years old and now coaching in the XFL)
  • Dennard Wilson

Seth Joyner is not going to be the next defensive coordinator of the Eagles. I am 100 million percent sure of that, so cross him off the list. Rex is only 60 years old but has been out of the game for so long that jumping back in might be difficult. Fangio could possibly be pried away from Miami via a Frank Gore situation, but the thing people don’t seem to realize is that Jonathan Gannon’s defense, the defense you all hated, was built off Fangio principles. Fangio’s fingerprints are all over modern NFL defenses, so if you hate two safeties, you’re gonna hate Fangio.

The obvious choice would seem to be an internal promotion for Wilson, who knows the scheme and players and is young and probably brings some new ideas to the table. He’d likely be the betting favorite at this point. You could also look at a veteran guy who actually did coach recently, like a Lovie Smith or Mike Zimmer. That’s probably more realistic than bringing in Rex.

The bottom line is that the defensive coordinator hoagie mouth Eagles fans want simply does not exist. Nobody is a heavy blitzer or man-to-man guy in 2023, because that’s not what the league is. You see a lot of zone/match concepts and more passive defensive play in order to combat high-powered passing offenses. That’s why the Eagles were more or less successful this year, because they kept everything in front and didn’t give up big plays. If you’re looking for Buddy Ryan 2.0 or Jim Johnson 2.0, you’re just not going to get it.