He looks confused, but he knows his stuff... promise.
The Eagles search for a defensive coordinator line coach has ended.
Jim Washburn was named to the position today. He spent his past 12 years in Tennessee in the same position under Jeff Fisher. The announcement comes just four days after the Eagles removed Rory Segrest from the job title.
Washburn’s resume in Tennessee is highlighted by his development of players like Javon Kearse, Albert Haynesworth, current Eagle Juqua Parker, Kyle Vanden Bosch, and former Eagle Jason Babin, whose 12.5 sacks this season earned him a trip to the Pro Bowl in Hawaii.
The hire is a great one for the Eagles, and a prepared statement from the Eagles was highlighted by some words from the vacationing Andy Reid.
“We are thrilled to add a quality defensive line coach in Jim Washburn.He had a great tenure with Jeff Fisher and the Tennessee Titans, and he’ll play a big part in the development of our defensive line moving forward. He’s had a number of Pro Bowl players working under him over the years with the Titans and we’re happy to have him join our coaching staff in Philadelphia.”
Despite the good news, the Eagles still have no defensive coordinator. And the list of possible candidates continues to get thinner. Jim Mora Jr. was rumored to be a candidate for either the Philadelphia or Denver job, but told FOX Sports insider Jay Glazer that he withdrew his name from both searches, citing that they weren’t the right fit at this time.
Mike Trgovac’s name has been mentioned in the past 48 hours as a possibility. He is currently the defensive line coach in Green Bay, and uh… they’re doing okay. WIP’s Hugh Douglas and Ike Reese both liked the idea of “Turgo” returning to the Birds. However, it seems more likely that the Broncos will get him first.
Secondary coach and Eagles assistant Dick Jauron is still a possibility, but if the team really wanted Jauron… wouldn’t they have hired him already? He is interviewing with the Browns anyway, and could be own his way out.
Finally, Billy Davis was the defensive coordinator in Arizona. His name has been tied to the vacant position. he was fired after two seasons with the Cardinals. The team was 29th in total yards, but ranked first in red zone efficiency.
Hrmmm… red zone… why would that stand out?
Davis also has experience with the 4-3 and 3-4 defenses. With a popular shift to the 3-4 amongst NFL defenses in recent years, the possibility of Davis is a bit more intriguing.
Only time will tell who will run the Eagles “D”, but the hiring of Washburn today was a step in the right direction for a defense that desperately needs it.
