Matt Burke is the New Mechanic for Jim Schwartz's Engine

When it comes to Doug Pederson’s coaching staff, the receivers coach has been the revolving door.

From Greg Lewis to Mike Groh to Gunter Brewer, and then Carson Walch, it’s been one and done to this point in the Pederson era despite a Super Bowl championship and three consecutive postseason berths.

It’s fair to add in the context that Groh was actually promoted to offensive coordinator after the 2017-18 Super Bowl campaign so he was actually a success at WR until scapegoated as OC after last season. That said, new WR Aaron Moorehead should probably think about subletting before buying, at least at first.

While the upheaval hasn’t been quite that bad on the defensive line, a group Jim Schwartz calls the engine of his defense, things have become unsettled since Chris Wilson’s contract expired after the 2018 season.

The Eagles decided to go in a different direction, elevating Wilson’s former assistant Phillip Daniels to be the full-time position coach in 2019.

Daniels ended up being one-and-done with the spin behind the scenes having to do with rotational difficulties and a poor feel for the substitution patterns Schwartz liked and wanted on game day.

In truth, a source very close to the situation told SI.com that Daniels simply got the short end of the stick because Schwartz wanted a bigger role for a long-time loyal lieutenant in Matt Burke, the ex-Miami defensive coordinator who was around the team last year as a defensive special assistant.

Burke got his NFL start in Tennessee under Schwartz, who was the DC with the Titans, and followed Schwartz to Detriot when the latter became the head coach of the Lions before ultimately branching off.

Burke’s prior history was with linebackers, however, before he ultimately took over coordinating the defense with the Dolphins in 2017 and 2018. Last season with the Eagles Burke pitched in wherever he was needed.

“He was around our group and the team a lot,” defensive tackle Hassan Ridgeway said of Burke’s role last season. “We were able to interact with him a lot. He’s been part of the group. I do have a good sense what he is, but I don’t actually know how he’s going to coach us. It will be new for me.”

That newness is further complicated by a virtual offseason.

Pupils like Ridgeway are not in front of Burke at the Novacare Complex they are scattered across the country checking in through Zoom and MS Teams as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to muddle the learning process.

The leaders of Burke’s position room figure to be veterans Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham.

“You just gotta be professional about it,” Cox told reporters when discussing the challenging environment. “You gotta take the coach and learn him. He learn me and just learn to work together.”

Cox is also realistic in that he understands the coach-player relationship will have to be sped up.

“Get used to it even sooner now because we are not around and building to feel his likes and his techniques,” Cox explained.

The good news is Burke’s experience, not only with Schwartz’s vision but in having his hands in all facets of the defense.

In the Philadelphia defensive hierarchy Burke has settled into No. 2 on the depth chart as both the DL coach and run-game coordinator.

“Matt’s been around for a while and I’m excited for him and ready to get after it,” Cox said.

-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 SBNation Radio. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen