Gus Bradley held court on the field of Ladd-Peebles Stadium following Senior Bowl practice Tuesday, dressed in Jaguars gear and wearing a big grin.
Half the media in the gathering was from Philadelphia, steering questions away from what’s to come in Jacksonville to talk about what almost was with the Eagles. The brief courtship drew big attention. Bradley had heard about the passion of this fan base, and saw it first hand before he even touched down on Philly soil.
Gus Bradley left for Jacksonville this morning without a deal.
That does not guarantee that he will not be the next head coach of the Eagles, but it does open the door to other scenarios.
One name to keep an eye on is Ken Whisenhunt, who interviewed on Monday. One league source believes it is a two-man race between Whisenhunt and Bradley right now, but really only Jeffrey Lurie knows for sure.
The Eagles are letting Gus Bradley get out of town today.
The Seahawks defensive coordinator will travel to Jacksonville to interview for the Jaguars head-coaching position, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Bradley spent several hours yesterday interviewing with Jeffrey Lurie, Howie Roseman and Don Smolenski at Lurie’s home. The logical guess was that if the Eagles viewed Bradley as their No. 1 target, they would have worked hard on getting a deal done today, without letting him leave Philadelphia. But that apparently is not happening, which would indicate other candidates are in the mix.
The Eagles’ search for a head coach is not over just yet.
Seahawks defensive coordinator Gus Bradley was in town Tuesday to meet with Jeffrey Lurie, Howie Roseman and Don Smolenski. Bradley is the only candidate who’s interviewed a second time, but there’s a caveat. His first interview was brief because Bradley was in the middle of preparing for Seattle’s divisional round matchup against the Falcons.
And so yesterday, everyone got to know each other a little better. Can’t you just picture it? Howie pouring drinks. Jeffrey asking Gus for one more “Do your job!” reenactment. Don wondering if Bradley will show up to the Halloween party dressed as Walter White.
I’m sure a good time was had by all.
Word came down around 10 o’clock Tuesday night that the Eagles’ meeting with Seattle defensive coordinator Gus Bradley had come to a close. And while fans all around the Delaware Valley awaited a verdict, one has yet to be delivered.
Bradley arrived in Philadelphia around 2:30 Tuesday afternoon and was taken by an Eagles’ employee to meet once again with Jeffrey Lurie, Howie Roseman and team president Don Smolenski. If the meeting ended around the time that the media were notified, it could have lasted upwards of seven hours.
While several reports through the day indicated a deal was imminent, sources maintained that no decision had been made and the Eagles were looking at this sit-down as a continuation from Saturday’s interview, which was just a couple hours, given that Bradley and his Seahawks had to play in a divisional playoff game against the Falcons the next day.
Bradley is reportedly scheduled to meet with the Jaguars Wednesday.
Will the Eagles let him leave Philadelphia?
It is still very much a possibility that Gus Bradley will become the next head coach of the Eagles. But we are not there yet.
Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy is accepting the San Diego Chargers head-coaching job, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The Eagles interviewed McCoy early in the process, but did not appear to be interested in him after the meeting.
There is, however, a domino effect here. The Chargers had interviewed Gus Bradley before the Eagles. He obviously will not be headed to San Diego now. The Jaguars have scheduled an interview with Bradley on Wednesday, according to Schefter. Of course, if the Eagles and Bradley agree to terms today, he’ll never make that trip.
Gus Bradley has been called “the nicest man ever to lead a pack of cutthroats.” It has been written that his “blood type is sunshine.”
Pete Carroll lauded Bradley as the best teacher that he has ever been around.
Safe to say, he has built up some good will over the years.
Gus Bradley’s interview with the Eagles on Saturday went very well, according to Jay Glazer. While Glazer hinted that a second interview is expected, the Eagles have not yet set one up.
This is shaping up to be a critical weekend in the Eagles’ search for a new head coach.
Earlier today, we updated you on the courting of Brian Kelly. And now, a league source confirms that Jeffrey Lurie, Howie Roseman and Don Smolenski will meet with another candidate, Seahawks defensive coordinator Gus Bradley.
The Eagles’ brass will meet Bradley in Atlanta today. The Seahawks face the Falcons in Sunday’s divisional-round playoff game.
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Sheil Kapadia has been writing about the Eagles since 2008. His previous Philly.com blog, Moving the Chains, was named one of the best in the state by the Associated Press. Sheil's main joys in life are family, football and finding good parking spots.
Tim McManus is a bulldog reporter with a nose for news and story angles that will get people talking. He'll talk about it himself on 97.5 The Fanatic, where he serves as a host and Eagles beat reporter. Tim, an award-winning journalist, will be with the team around the clock.
