Eagles Checked a Very Big Box by Turning to Duce Staley
The contingencies were in place, something Doug Pederson alluded to last week and Duce Staley later confirmed in the midst of discussing his running back room being spearheaded by Miles Sanders.
What wasn't made clear is what the plans actually were if the Eagles head coach himself was forced from the NovaCare Complex due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We have to have a plan for everything as you know,” Pederson said when asked by SI’s EagleMaven about the safety net. “I think there has to be a plan in place for any coach or any staff member that may miss a couple of days or a couple of weeks because of the virus.
“So those are all things that are running through my mind. Again, we are in a different environment and we all have to do our part to protect ourselves, protect our players and our families and hopefully we minimize any setbacks.”
What was running through Pederson's mind was made evident on Sunday night when the coach tested positive for the coronavirus and Staley, the assistant head coach, and RB mentor, was tabbed to run things in-house as Pederson retreats to self-quarantine in his South Jersey home.
The good news is that Pederson is asymptomatic, according to the Eagles, and feeling well. The now fifth-year pilot will stay away for at least five days, however. He plans to do as much as he can virtually and continues to focus on the upcoming 2020 season.
From a mechanical standpoint, Monday starts Phase 2 of training camp which is still the acclimation period in that only strength and conditioning is going on with no helmets until a short walk-through in which all the healthy coaches will be allowed on the field with players. That’s the portion that will be led by Staley.
Passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach Press Taylor was also sent home by the Eagles because he had been working closely with Pederson in the days prior to the head coach testing positive. As far as we can glean that's precautionary and Taylor himself has not tested positive.
In the end, there is no real football practice permitted until Aug. 12 when helmets can go on. The pads can't go on until Aug. 17 and if Pederson remains asymptomatic and clears two PCR tests it's possible he misses nothing of what really counts.
But don't discount the selection of Staley because of what it reveals.
Had Pederson tested positive in-season and was not permitted to coach, Staley would be the interim head coach of the Eagles and that was certainly no foregone conclusion.
A number of weeks ago when discussing this very topic a league source told SI’s EagleMaven that Staley would indeed be the guy and the response was "Really?"
Those of us who've been around the league for a bit understand that the Rooney Rule, which requires organizations to interview minority candidates for head coaching and senior football operation jobs, has too often become nothing more than checking a box.
Staley, an African-American, had been used to check that box in the past and already been passed over on two occasions for the Eagles' offensive coordinator gig after Frank Reich left for Indianapolis. Many considered the “assistant head coach” tag a consolation prize because that’s exactly what it is in many other NFL cities.
Furthermore, the staff is brimming with other options, most notably defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, the former head coach in Detroit.
There's also a fast-riser like Taylor who fits what's currently en vogue in the modern NFL, a young, sharp offensive mind. Even special teams coordinator Dave Fipp could have fit the bill considering he is the only coach other than Pederson that works with the entire team on a daily basis and that has been a path other organizations who have needed a short-term placeholder have gone down in recent seasons.
It wasn't hard to be cynical.
Staley was asked about his perceived lack of advancement last week and claimed he was “super happy” in his current role.
“Not disappointed at all,” Staley said. “I don’t feel overlooked. I said - I think about two years ago - it’s a little different here with the Eagles. And what I mean by that is we all get a chance to game plan. So, that’s what’s unique about our staff. We’re able to go into, we all have input, of course, and we all game plan together. We’re not about titles, we’re about getting the job done.”
Often those titles are just that in the NFL and the real power lies in the job description.
For Pederson, the top job is about leadership more than just scheme or the passing game and while Taylor or senior offensive assistant Rich Scangarello may be better equipped to steer Carson Wentz or Jalen Hurts through troubled waters, the head coach ultimately believes Staley is the one best suited to lead the entire Eagles team in such a circumstance.
And that's one big box checked for meaningful reasons, not bookkeeping ones.
John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's EagleMaven and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Media. You can listen to John every Monday and Friday on SIRIUSXM’s Tony Bruno Show with Harry Mayes, and every Tuesday and Thursday with Eytan Shander on SportMap Radio. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen
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