What To Make Of The Eagles' Search For Next OC After Two Weeks Of Looking

The Eagles’ search for a new offensive coordinator turns two weeks old on Tuesday. It has traveled many of the expected roads, with exits like Brian Daboll, Mike McDaniel, and Mike Kafka. There have also been some backroads mixed in, with unseen bumps such as Frank Smith, Jerrod Johnson, Jim Bob Cooter, and Declan Doyle.

There have been about 15 different candidates whose names have been linked to the Eagles. So many different flavors.

Now, it appears the Eagles have moved on to second interviews with the report that they will conduct another session with Packers quarterback coach Sean Mannion, who is just 33. Once upon a time, the Eagles hired a young quarterbacks coach from the Packers, a then 40-year-old Andy Reid, as their head coach in 1999. Could something sort of similar happen again?

Eagles Search For New OC Reaches Two Weeks

Eagles offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo | Ed Kracz/Eagles on SI

Along the various highways and byways of this seemingly never-ending journey for the next OC have been stop signs, with many candidates announcing their withdrawals. There have been no reports of the Eagles offering anyone a job and a candidate turning them down, so reading too much into candidates pulling out of the process isn’t really fair to the organization.

Still, this two-week odyssey, which has been going on for even longer in an unofficial capacity since the Eagles knew well before they fired Patullo on Jan. 13 that they would probably be moving on from him, gives off a stench that they have no idea what they’re doing.

It was thought that the Eagles wanted an experienced play caller, a qualification that Kevin Patullo didn’t have and didn’t learn every well in his year on the job. Their list of candidates, however, include some who have that experience and some who do not.

Going into the search, Nick Sirianni and general manager Howie Roseman said they wanted to cast a wide net. Is this wide enough for them?

Granted, the roads they have traversed have been flooded with competition. There were 10 head coaching openings and more than a dozen OC jobs, with another one opening in New York, when the Jets reportedly decided to part ways with Tanner Engstrand.

Throughout the trip, the Eagles have been doing the speed limit. They have shown they are in no rush, regardless of anyone thinking that candidates are removing themselves from consideration for whatever reason – the pressure of succeeding in Philly, Sirianni’s conservative offensive style that puts a premium on protecting the football, or Jalen Hurts.

At this point, it doesn’t really matter who the Eagles hire. Not everybody in their fan base will be happy with the hire, and they will lob their stink bombs at whoever gets the nod until he can prove himself worthy of the hire.

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