Next Eagles defensive coordinator has a tremendous mess to clean up.
PHILADELPHIA — It took a year later than expected, but the Philadelphia Eagles look to have found their defensive coordinator of choice.
Vic Fangio, who mutually parted ways with the Miami Dolphins, is now the leading candidate for the Eagles’ open defensive coordinator post, according to sources who spoke with ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Jeremy Fowler on Wednesday. A deal is expected.
Fangio advised Philadelphia ahead of their Super Bowl participation against the Kansas City Chiefs in February. The Eagles thought Fangio would succeed Jonathan Gannon, but by the time they learned Gannon was taking over as head coach of the Arizona Cardinals, Fangio was too far along with the Dolphins to alter direction.
They now look to have their guy, and it’s safe to say that 65-year-old Fangio has a big mess to clean up.
The 2023 Eagles defense was unrecognizable to a city that has long identified with that side of the ball — Chuck Bednarik, Reggie White, and Brian Dawkins; heavy hits, goal-line stands, and iron will. This latest edition will be remembered for missed tackles, failed assignments, and an incredible collapse down the stretch.
During the regular season, the Eagles allowed the third-most points per game (25.2), while ranking 30th in red-zone and third-down defense. They allowed 35 passing touchdowns, the second highest in the league.
They removed defensive coordinator Sean Desai, who was 10-3 in his first year on the job, and replaced him with Matt Patricia. That made matters worse, as the defense allowed 30 points on average over the last four games, including 32 points in a wild-card playoff loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the team’s sixth loss in seven games.
Desai and Patricia are now both out, Fangio appears to be on the verge of returning, and a crucial offseason is ahead.
What does Fangio provide to the Eagles?
For starters, there’s the veteran presence.
When evaluating Desai’s performance after a loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Dec. 10, cornerback Darius Slay mentioned Gannon’s career arc — who struggled in his first year as a defensive coordinator, flourished in Year 2 to help fuel a Super Bowl run, and then quickly became head coach of the Cardinals.
“Everybody yelled at Gannon his first year here. Nobody liked Gannon. And the next thing you know, he has the No. 1 pass defense, the top-10 run defense, and he is now a head coach. “It might take some time,” Slay added. “But we need to get it right now. We had to get going.
That was Desai’s final game as defensive coordinator.
Patience is difficult to come by when functioning in a supposed Super Bowl window. It’s even more difficult to uncover when the head coach needs to win right now to avoid being fired, as Sirianni appears to be in. It stands to reason that they would want Fangio — someone with quick credibility and tried-and-true theories who could lessen the learning curve and, at the very least, restore the unit’s competence. Having a defensive head coach, such as Jim Schwartz was for Doug Pederson during the team’s lone Super Bowl championship run, has historically benefited the club.
And it’s no secret that the front office prefers Fangio’s approach, which is intended to restrict explosive plays. Desai studied under Fangio in Chicago, and both he and Gannon based their defenses on Fangio’s. Now they have the original.
What steps can management take to make Fangio’s life easier?
Under general manager Howie Roseman, the Eagles have spent relatively little money on linebackers.
The reasoning is sound — Philadelphia wants to invest substantially in the trenches and other high-value positions, such as cornerback — but the approach can be overly severe. According to Roster Management, Philadelphia spent just over $8 million on off-ball linebackers in 2023, 62% less than the league average of $21.2 million.
It should come as no surprise that linebacker was a weakness, especially since former Georgia star Nakobe Dean was injured for all but five games.
The choice to allow starting linebackers T.J. Edwards and Kyzir White depart last summer backfired, especially for Edwards, who recorded 155 tackles, 2.5 sacks, three interceptions, and seven passes defensed for the Chicago Bears after accepting a three-year, $19.5 million contract in free agency.
“I feel like we’ve had a long history of success here in terms of creating the club in a specific way, and I believe there are some preconceived notions that we don’t care who plays linebacker. Again, our two Super Bowl teams in the last six years had good linebacker performance,” Roseman remarked on Wednesday.
If anything, it’s my belief in the players we have, especially the young ones. I have a strong belief in Nakobe Dean, and I know Coach does as well. I believe in this player. “I believe in the person.”
In retrospect, spending money on 30-year-old cornerback James Bradberry (3 years, $38 million) instead of bolstering the linebacker and safety positions by re-signing Edwards and C.J. Gardner-Johnson (now with the Detroit Lions) hurt the defense’s chances of contending at a high level.
Aside from expertise and scheme, what is one critical area where Fangio and his team can have an impact?
Player development.
The Eagles need help at all levels of their defense, so free agency and the draft will be key. Perhaps more importantly, the team’s young talent is developing rapidly.
It all starts with defensive tackles Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter, who were key players on Georgia’s historic defense. Carter was unstoppable in the early stages of his rookie season, while Davis improved significantly in his second year with the team, but their production dropped substantially down the stretch.
“Continue to grow. That is the most significant factor. “Take the coaching,” said defensive tackle Fletcher Cox, who has mentored both players. “The most important thing for those two guys is to show up at OTAs in good shape and not be behind the eight ball. Jordan will be in his third year, JC in his second, and younger players typically make the transition between those two years.
With Cox’s playing future uncertain (he indicated he hasn’t decided anything, but Davis hinted Cox wouldn’t be back during locker clean-out day last week), Davis and Carter must perform to the best of their abilities.
The same can be said for other former Bulldogs, such as cornerback Kelee Ringo, who showed promise in his four rookie starts and might be an important piece moving forward as Slay (33) and Bradberry age. The same goes for edge rusher Nolan Smith, who might help offset any production loss from Brandon Graham, 35, as he approaches what he admits may be his final season.
Rookie Sydney Brown and second-year player Reed Blankenship provided some hope for the safety position, but consistency was difficult to come by at all positions.
When I consider the contributions I can make to aid this team, I know that if I do my best and have my best seasons, this team has a chance to have its greatest seasons as well. “I hold myself to a very high standard,” Roseman explained.
“I believe we have a lot of talented young players on our team. I believe we have the potential to go out and add to that.
Overall, few players improved much throughout the course of the season. That is due in large part to coaching. Fangio can help turn things around.
