Weekend Reading: Will Shurmur Get Another Shot?


Photo by: Jeff Fusco.

Photo by: Jeff Fusco.

On occasion, Eagles offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur will discuss the way Chip Kelly runs his program and drop hints about how he’d do things differently if he were given another chance at being a head coach.

Last offseason, Eagles quarterbacks coach Bill Lazor left to become the offensive coordinator in Miami. If Kelly’s teams continue to have success, chances are more coaches will get plucked off his staff.

And according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com, one of those coaches this offseason could be Shurmur. Caplan recently released a list of head coaching candidates.

Because of the interest in Eagles head coach Chip Kelly and the team’s rapid improvement over the last two seasons, Shurmur figures to draw interest in regard to head coach openings. The veteran offensive coach, who’s known in league circles for his ability to teach and develop quarterbacks, had a short stint as head coach of the Cleveland Browns (2011-2012), and some execs say he didn’t have a fair shot during his time there. Shurmur could get another shot as soon as January.

Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com put together an All-ACL team, comprised of players who have successfully come back from the injury. Jeremy Maclin makes his squad.

In a small sample and in a new scheme, Maclin has been more explosive after his injury. He is averaging 16.1 yards per catch and 0.9 touchdowns per game since the injury (13.38 and 0.4 before, respectively). Also, his drop percentage has lowered from 3.4 to 1.0.

Aaron Schatz of Football Outsiders on the Eagles’ playoff chances:

Despite various wins and losses across the NFC, and Philadelphia’s weighted DVOA dropping from No. 5 to No. 8 after the Green Bay blowout, the Eagles actually end up with roughly the exact same odds of winning a wild card as they had a week ago: 12.4 percent. The entire drop in the Eagles’ playoff odds comes from their potential to lose the NFC East title to the Cowboys.

Andrew Brandt of The MMQB writes about the investment in a good head coach:

Chip Kelly, as I wrote at the time of his hire, was the most important acquisition in the NFL besides Peyton Manning in recent years. Kelly is a 50-year-old football savant who is a refreshing change agent in a sport often stuck in its time-honored (sometimes meaning “time has passed them by”) ways, but in constant search of competitive edge. While we often hear of coaching trees, Kelly is sprouting his own. He has established a culture of self-improvement—hastening the exit of DeSean Jackson, who refused to buy in—that is infectious within the facility.

Jeff McLane of the Inquirer writes about Marcus Smith, but shares an anecdote about Danny Watkins:

The Eagles knew from almost the first practice that Watkins didn’t have what it took to perform in the pros, and certainly not at a level expected for a first-round offensive lineman.

Before the Eagles had even donned pads in the lockout-delayed 2011 training camp, Andy Reid believed he had seen enough and confided to some in the organization that Watkins was a mental novice when it came to football.

Bob Brookover of the Inquirer catches up with Joe Banner:

“I don’t think that’s going to change, but I’m leaving the door open,” he said. “I did this for 20 years and I feel beyond ridiculously lucky that I got to do something that was a dream come true. But I just turned 60, my last child is about to leave for college, both my parents passed away in the last 18 months, and I just had a close friend that passed away. The opportunity to have fun, do some charity work and keep my toes in football a little feels like what I want to do at this point.”