Twitter Mailbag: Who Will Be the Next Head Coach?


Every Thursday we select a few of your Twitter questions and provide the long-form answers they deserve. For a chance to have your question published on Birds 24/7, send it to @Tim_McManus.

From @DaPinoyboy: I think that they will be more cuts coming. Agree or disagree?# 64kquestion

I will disagree. Some think Nnamdi Asomugha will be cut before the season is out, but there is a big difference between his situation and Babin’s: money. The Eagles cut Babin and it didn’t cost them a dime. Asomugha has $4 million guaranteed next year. Maybe he is eventually released this offseason, but it makes sense that they try and restructure his contract before going down that road.

I did find the Babin move interesting, though, because of what it tells us. It is a fairly significant decision to cut someone  who has 23.5 sacks over his last 27 games. It makes sense to part ways, but it’s a pretty big decision nonetheless. To make a personnel call like this before the next head coach is in place makes you think about what the power structure will be like moving forward. And will they wait until the next head coach is here before ruling on the quarterback situation?

From @ssteiner13:  If Bryce Brown has a strong rest of the season and fixes the fumbling, would you consider trading Shady? (I would.)

Pump the breaks, steiner. McCoy is 24 and one of the best backs in the league. Plus, think of the possibilities.

Let’s daydream for a second and run with the notion that the next head coach of the Eagles is a far bigger fan of the run game than Andy Reid. And what if the offense was built around a pair of marquee backs, running behind an improved line thanks to the return of Jason Peters, Jason Kelce and Todd Herremans, and the addition of a high draft pick. The quarterback, whoever that might be, would be more of a game manager, living off play-action.

Sounds pretty good, right? If Brown continues to show what he did Monday night, I don’t know why that can’t be the Eagles’ reality.

From @AdamHunke: My position needs list (in order) QB, S, CB, WR. Yours?

I’ll flop safety ahead of quarterback for the simple fact that the Eagles probably need to upgrade both safety positions. At least there is a modicum of hope that the solution at quarterback is in-house. Sheil addresses the potential overhaul at the corner and safety positions here. I agree with you on receiver.

I’ll add tight end to the equation as well. Brent Celek plays through a lot of pain and it’s going to catch up with him (maybe it already has?). And Clay Harbor hasn’t shown enough. Offensive line depth is a need as well.

OK, everywhere. They need help everywhere.

 From @yogirlchoseme24: who will be our next coach?

Like the handle, by the way.

One thing I keep going back to is Joe Banner‘s comments to the Cleveland Plain Dealer about what he looks for in a head coach.

When we hired Andy Reid in Philadelphia we did a study on every coach who had led a team to two Super Bowls (appearances) to find the common denominator. We went in looking for things like offensive philosophy, did they come from defense, did they come from college? Had they been a coordinator? We found nothing. Then we accidentally realized they were all exactly the same when we took football out of the equation — they were all incredibly strong leaders, they all had hired great staffs, they managed them well and were all very detail-oriented.

Jeffrey Lurie was part of that search and Howie Roseman studied under Banner, so expect them to use a similar method of thinking.

Finding someone who can win games and help run an organization is obviously priority number one, but they will also be looking  for someone that the city can identify with. The Eagles are aware of the divide that a lot of the fan base feels when it comes to their team, and are determined to rekindle the love affair. Nothing is more important in that effort than finding a (winning) head coach whose philosophies on the field and temperament off it mesh with the spirit of the city.

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