Andy Reid has now made it official. Todd Bowles is the new secondary coach. Juan Castillo is back to run the defense. While those aren't the splashiest coaching moves in the world, they don't need to be. The key is for them to be the right moves for the 2012 Eagles.
Castillo's return is the hot topic of the moment. Not all fans and media members are thrilled with the move. I think Castillo himself would tell you that he understands the doubts and questions. He and Andy Reid both talked on Tuesday about how disappointing the 2011 season was. The Eagles weren't even a playoff team, let alone in the Super Bowl. When a team with that kind of talent and lofty expectations fails to make the postseason, everyone is fair game for criticism.
Reid could have fired Castillo and made him the scapegoat for the team's struggles. Would that have solved anything? Would that have really helped? It would have appeased those who think that struggles must be followed by direct action, but I'm not really sure that it would have made the Eagles a better team.
I think Reid valued continuity and that was a key factor in keeping Castillo. Reid did admit talking to Steve Spagnuolo about a job, but things didn't work out. One of the reasons that Reid said he liked Spagnuolo is that Spagnuolo knew Castillo and was familiar with the Eagles defensive system. Reid even mentioned that Jim Washburn and Spagnuolo knew each other from their days in NFL Europe (remember that league?).
My guess is that Reid was open to adding someone who could help the defense, but that he wanted no part of a total change. Since the defense played its best football late in the season, Reid wants to build off that momentum. Don't go back to square one with all new coaches and a new system. There are no guarantees change would work. Castillo and his players were at their best in December. Figure out what was working and focus on that.
Bowles is here to help the defense and Castillo. Bowles isn't some magic answer, but he is a top-flight assistant coach. He was in the running for a couple of head coaching jobs so that should tell you that he's held in high regard around the league. The thing I like most about Bowles is his background.
I'm a believer that the best coaches come from good coaching staffs. Reid was part of Mike Holmgren's legendary Green Bay staff. Jon Gruden, Ray Rhodes, Dick Jauron, Marty Mornhinweg, Steve Mariucci and Fritz Shurmur were all part of that staff. Think about the group Reid had together early on here in Philly: Brad Childress, Jim Johnson, Pat Shurmur, Steve Spagnuolo, Ron Rivera, John Harbaugh and Leslie Frazier. Bowles coached on a good staff in Cleveland for Butch Davis and did the same for Bill Parcells in Dallas.
I think assistant coaches see how things get done as a group. They see the head coach trust his assistants and give them responsibilities. Being a good coach isn't nearly as much about the X's and O's as people think. Anyone can learn that stuff. Good coaches have a plan and stick to it. They know how to teach, communicate and motivate. They know how to work as part of a group. The best coaches also know how to learn. Bill Walsh learned from Paul Brown. Holmgren learned from Walsh. Reid learned from Holmgren.
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| Tommy Lawlor, goeagles99 on the Discussion Boards, is an amateur football scout and devoted Eagles fan. He was a finalist for Philadelphia's Most Influential Blogger Award and is the Editor of IgglesBlitz.com |
Bowles played for Joe Gibbs and George Siefert. He then worked in personnel for the Packers, which meant he was dealing with Holmgren and Ron Wolf for a couple of years. Bowles learned from good head coaches like Davis and Parcells, but also defensive coordinators like Mike Nolan, Mike Zimmer, Foge Fazio and Dom Capers. That is a great background. Bowles worked with Nolan and Parcells a couple of times so he obviously got along well with them. Those are two football lifers. Getting a thumbs up from them really means something.
Bowles is here to run the secondary. That group underachieved last year based on the talent that was in place. Don't think of this like Howard Mudd and Jim Washburn. They brought in new schemes that changed things. Secondary coaches don't come with schemes. There's only so many things you can do with coverages. The key here is coaching 101. Focus on technique and execution. Do your job and do it the right way. Bowles’ track record shows that he's able to get his players to respond to his coaching.
Some have wondered if a guy with Bowles background is a threat to Castillo. No. I don't think Bowles would do anything to undermine Castillo. Bowles seems like a very high character guy. I'm sure Reid made it clear in the interview process that Castillo is running things. Now, Castillo is a highly respected veteran coach and you can bet he's going to use all his resources to get the job done. He will absolutely have Bowles as a contributor to gameplans and adjustments within games. Only a petty, highly insecure coach would resist taking advice from a good assistant coach. Castillo isn't that kind of guy. Castillo wants to win in the worst way. He wants to make this thing work. Bowles is a valuable resource for him.
Now that the staff is in place, the focus shifts to players. Free agency starts on March 13. We'll see a few things happen before then, but that's when things will really get going.
Senior Bowl Recap: Who Might Eagles Target?
The Senior Bowl was played last Saturday. You can bet that there were a few future Eagles in action in that game. We don't know who at this point, obviously. There were some really good performances.
* DE Vinny Curry had a couple of sacks in the game. He is 6-3, 265 pounds. He's got the kind of frame, speed and pass rushing skills that Jim Washburn loves. I think he'll be a second-round pick.
* DE Cam Johnson flashed some serious explosion in the game. He can really fly off the edge. Johnson is another guy that Washburn might love. Johnson's value will be affected by the fact he's got a condition called Sickle Cell Trait. He could be taken as early as the second, but could also slide way down. Good player, but medical issues scare teams.
* WR Joe Adams had a terrific day. He caught eight passes for 133 yards. He was quick and fast. He also broke tackles, which is unusual for a smaller receiver. Adams reminds me a lot of 
* LB Bobby Wagner was the game's MVP. He had seven tackles, a tackle-for-loss, and picked off a pass. Wagner played SAM in the game. He's 6-0, 241. That's not ideal SAM size, but he plays the run well and has some cover skills. Could he be a target?
* LB Zach Brown looked great on the move. He flashed exceptional speed and burst on a few plays. His tackling, however, was an issue. He failed to get down a tight end in space and then almost missed a running back (got help from another defender). If the guy could tackle, I'd be jumping up and down and screaming for the Eagles to take him with the 15th pick. His issues scare me. Can that be coached or not?
* OT Mike Adams had a strong showing.
* DT Derek Wolfe is one of my favorite players. I think he would be a perfect fit for the Eagles. Wolfe is 6-5, 286 pounds. He is athletic enough to play end, but is best as a one-gap tackle flying up field to make plays. Mid-round target. Wolfe had three tackles in the game, all on run plays that came right at him.
* MLB James-Michael Johnson has grown on me. He's got a naturally thick build at 6-1, 249 pounds. Surprisingly good athlete. Runs well and has good range. Has some pop to him.
* DE Quinton Coples was dominant at times in the game. He stuffed a run play, had a sack, and deflected a pass in the game. Will the Eagles have serious interest in Coples? He isn't a great fit for the wide-nine, but he has the potential to be physically dominant and there is some definite thought in going after guys like that. How far will he fall in the draft? What would it cost to move up and get him? Very interesting player.
