Donatell: No 'Official' Contact with Birds
The Philadelphia Daily News - Eagles Blog
Donatell: No 'Official' Contact with Birds
Les Bowen, Daily News Staff Writer
NEW ORLEANS -- San Francisco 49ers secondary coach Ed Donatell first denied he had any idea he was a hot topic in Philadelphia last week. Then Donatell allowed that "we hear things, and sometimes things are printed, but there's been no official contact."
"Official" is an interesting word for Donatell to use, as speculation swirls about possible candidates to be Chip Kelly's defensive coordinator.
"I know they're moving on the way they should," said Donatell, former coordinator for the Packers and Falcons.
Though Donatell ran 4-3 defenses in Green Bay and Atlanta, he said he's now a 3-4 guy through and through. It seems likely the Eagles are going to move to a 3-4, which was what Kelly's Oregon teams used.
"I'm a 3-4 coach now. There's no question about it," Donatell said. " I just think there's more combinations you can do, and there's more flexibility to it." Donatell worked as a senior advisor to the Jets, who ran a 3-4, then spent two years in Denver in a 3-4 before coming to the 49ers, who also employ that scheme.
"I went and did some extra studying, my masters work, learning from some really good guys," said Donatell, who said he knows Kelly from a visit Kelly made to the Niners. Donatell sounded very much like someone who would like to have a crack at running his own 3-4.
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In other Eagles news, as has been reported elsewhere, the way Michael Vick's contract works, the Eagles don't have to release him three days after the Super Bowl to save $3 million after all; they would only owe Vick that money if somehow he made less than $3 million playing this coming year. So that gives them a month or so to explore a renegotiation of Vick's contract or a trade. Vick is scheduled to make about $15.5 million if he plays for the Eagles in 2013,
Also, CBS Sports reported that University of Virginia offensive coordinator Bill Lazor is leaving to join Chip Kelly's staff, presumably as quarterbacks coach. The Eagles aren't announcing any hires until their staff is complete, they say.
More Philly media speculation. Wake me up when an offer is made.....— dlscholt- OF all the candidates and names I've read, Ed Donatell is best qualified. Which means someone with less expeerience and unproven will likely get the job.— 76er
- Ain't that the 'troot'? Because, that's the way the Eagles roll. Which usually translates to Loser Team. The only possible saving grace is that somehow Kelly will prove to be great enough to overcome front office incompetence. — essell
- Of course there's nothing "official". That would be a violation of ahem . . . league rules. But anybody who thinks there hasn't been contact from either guy is delusional. Kelly would love to have Donatell and Donatell wants to be DC.— 1republican
- Vick is gone --Eagles aren't that dumb to take a $3 mil. gamble -- and he has little if any trade value— warbiscuit
As much as I would like to hear what direction we are going and who we are hiring it does seem they have a plan. Keeping it secret until everyone is in place is not that big of a deal. I think it is important to give them the benefit of the doubt until proven otherwise. New people are in place and we need to give them time to setup a new culture and new systems before we jump all over these guys.- I just love the way they parse their words and little plays on speech, etc. shouldn't the question have been, "Have you had any official OR un-official contact with the Philadelphia Eagles concerning their vacant Defensive Coordinator position"?— essell
- Much like the Kelly hire, all has been decided long before any announcement. The hiring of position coaches would not have happened had the future coordinators/head coach not had input.
All will be set once the Bowl is over.— eaglefaninAZ 
I say the Eagles will trade Vick to one of the teams that need a QB like the Raiders...get a 3rd or 4th rounder for him.
"In other Eagles news, as has been reported elsewhere, the way Michael Vick's contract works, the Eagles don't have to release him three days after the Super Bowl to save $3 million after all; they would only owe Vick that money if somehow he made less than $3 million playing this coming year. So that gives them a month or so to explore a renegotiation of Vick's contract or a trade. Vick is scheduled to make about $15.5 million if he plays for the Eagles in 2013"
the eagles, best in the NFL in the only category Lurie & Roseman care about: saving money— hannibal barca
What do Leonardo & the other Ninja Turtles have to say?- No worries...they'll get it right.Lurie is a smart,passionate owner with deep pockets who doesn't get in the way.Roseman is a smart,up and coming GM with tremendous attention to detail and determination and Kelly is the coach they wanted.Why anyone's concerned about the DC is beyond me...this is an intelligent,hungry group of men and Kelly will get the guy he wants to run the D...Go Birds!— greenbloodVAEagle
- Ive got three words (actually words and numbers) - 4th and 26— Bobphxville
- Don't too crazy over this guy. He is old school, and in this NFL you need to be able to make adjustments on the fly. Not sure it's his strong suit.— FanJab
