Jeff and I sat down today with new Eagles secondary coach Todd Bowles to learn a little more about him and what his plans are. Bowles, who said he had a chance to become a defensive coordinator in Oakland, take an assistant head coach/secondary coach job in Cincinnati or keep that same position in Miami, spoke often about "bringing things together" what, on paper, should be a talented secondary.

The Eagles have two second round picks at safety to go with Kurt Coleman, who has played above his seventh round pay grade. They have three former Pro Bowlers at the corner. Bowles' challenge is to coax better performances out of a unit where the Eagles invested big, but got poor results in 2011. Nate Allen was up and down last season, Jaiquawn Jarrett barely saw the field, Coleman was once benched and Nnamdi Asomugha, Asante Samuel and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie all fell short of expectations.

Bowles, who frequently reminded us that he's only had a week of watching tape on the group, gave us his preliminary impressions on the secondary and some of its individuals.

"You see a lot of athletes, you see some playmakers back there and you see some guys that can hit, so you see potential, you see potential but you just have to bring it all together," Bowles said. That's a theme he returned to again later, when talking about the cornerbacks and the seemingly mismatched styles (in our words, not his) that contributed to trouble last year. "They all want to win, they all have pride and they're all tough. That's the easy part, just get them to play together."

But how to do that when Asomugha has spent much of his career pressing up to the line of scrimmage while Samuel likes to play off?

"When game time comes you're going to do what you do best, but you've got to be smart about it and try to do some things off of what you do best and not do the same thing but show the same look," Bowles said. "So if we can tinker with some of those things that will be helpful, but that won’t happen until we get in and actually start practicing to see what their special skills are."

We asked about a few of the individuals Bowles will coach. Again, he cautioned that he's still early in his review of the secondary, but here's what he had to say:

On how best to use Asomugha:
It depends on the game and the scheme for that game. How you use him and who you use him on depends on what you're trying to take away and who you're trying to take away. Most teams have more than one player, so it will be kind of tough ... If that’s a week by week thing I’m sure that will be discussed with the defensive staff.

On Allen (who Bowles coached in the Senior Bowl two years ago):
He is very bright and he is a very good athlete. The game just, he (had) to settle down and the game (had) to come to him at that time, and that was two years ago. Just watching the film he's done some good things and (I'm) just interested to see him live and in person so we can talk more.

On Jarrett (who Bowles, a fellow Temple alum, saw some of while watching Owls games from Miami):
He had some bone-crushing hits when he played, I saw those types of things. He’s tough, he’s a tough kid. He has a chance.

On Coleman:
He’s tough, he looks very smart, he’s gritty, he’ll come up and whack you, he has very good instincts.

Sometimes when you spend a lot of time immersed in a subject, you lose sight of how it looks to the rest of the world. It’s the forest and trees thing.

For reporters covering the Eagles – at least this one -- that’s the case with Mike Vick, who has won yet another unpopularity contest, being named in a survey as the most disliked athlete in America. (Also in the top 10: Plaxico Burress at three and Terrell Owens at 10, despite not even playing this year).

The results, released today by Forbes, show that Vick is well-known nationally – he has around the same level of recognition as Peyton Manning – but that casual fans overwhelmingly still don’t like him. That’s not new by any means, but it is a reminder of how Vick is viewed nationally after a season in which the quarterback, by my estimation, was treated by Philadelphia media and fans like any other big-name athlete: his play was constantly dissected and debated, but the arguments generally began and ended with what he did on the field.

This was a stark change from 2010, when Vick returned to national prominence and for a time was in the discussion for NFL MVP. That year was Vick’s first big step back onto the national stage since being released from prison after his sentence for dog-fighting, and there were heated reactions to just about anything written or said about him. Any story on this site, no matter how focused on football, would still lead to a vicious back-and-forth in the comments that would quickly turn to his dog-fighting conviction, arguments over punishment and forgiveness and, like clockwork, race-baiting.

This past season was different. There were still varied opinions on Vick – how responsible was he for his turnovers? How much blame did he deserve for the Eagles’ struggles? But these were the kind of arguments that surround nearly any quarterback on any disappointing team. While there were occasional reminders – at one Vick endorsement event in Philly one woman pointedly asked what he was doing to help dogs trained to fight – for the most part it seemed that Philadelphia decided the debate had been well flogged and just moved on. Vick was cordial, as always, with the media. Despite his star status he’s one of the better guys to talk to in the locker room, again, influencing the way he's seen by reporters, and aside from the day he signed his big new contract and truly seemed to have come full circle, I can’t remember very many questions about his “journey” or “coming back from where you were” or lessons learned in prison.

Many still disliked Vick, many still loved him, but the two sides seemed to realize that there was no convincing the others and left the arguments to the game.

(And, for football fans that seems to be the case overall. According to Forbes, 60 percent of “hardcore” NFL fans do like Vick). Maybe that’s because big football fans care more about his play than history. Maybe they’re more aware of his off-field work, which was constantly highlighted on pregame shows during 2010.

In either case, the survey is a reminder that even if the Vick arguments seem settled here – particularly among football fans -- and are now part of the background rather than in the forefront, his crime still resonates with many Americans.

The Eagles have claimed tackle D.J. Jones off of waivers from the Ravens, the team said.

The team also named Keith Gray assistant strength and conditioning coach to replace Roger Marandino, who became the head strength and conditioning coach with the Colts.

Jones, listed as 6-foot-5, 315 pounds, was an undrafted free agent who spent the first six weeks of the past season on the Dolphins' practice squad. He spent most of the rest of the year on Baltimore's practice squad and moved to the active roster in the final week of the season. He played tackle and guard at Nebraska in college.

Gray, 38, was the associate strength and conditioning coach at the University of Georgia. He played in college at Virginia Tech from 1991-1994, teaming then with Eugene Chung, who is an assistant to the Eagles' strength and conditioning coach.

INDIANAPOLIS – In a little over two weeks, DeSean Jackson will find out if the Eagles intend to franchise him on the first day they are able to do so.

The wide receiver, who attended the NFL Honors Show on Saturday, said that he did not know where he stood with the Eagles.

“It’s out of my hands,” Jackson told NBC10 during a brief red carpet interview. “So hopefully I am and I will look forward to that. I’m just anxious to see what’s going to happen.”

Jackson’s four-year contract is up, but the Eagles have the option to place a one-year franchise tag on the 25-year-old beginning Feb. 20. The deadline for franchising a player is March 5.

Jackson said immediately following the season finale that he would be fine with the franchise tag, in which he would stand to earn approximately $10 million next season. Asked again Saturday if he would be OK with the tag, Jackson said, “I’m not talking about that right now. I’m here for the Super Bowl, man.”

If the Eagles don’t choose to franchise Jackson then he would be eligible to become an unrestricted free agent on March 13. The Eagles aren’t likely to let their Pro Bowl receiver walk without getting anything in return.

While the team will probably franchise Jackson with the intent of either keeping him for one more season or trading him, there is always the possibility of the two sides agreeing on a new contract. Indications, though, are that the Eagles and Jackson, who is represented by agent Drew Rosenhaus, are far apart in their estimation of his worth.

“I have no clue,” Jackson said when he was asked if the two parties had bridge the gap. “I don’t know. Still don’t know.”

Jackson had hoped to get a contract extension last year. He held out from the beginning of training camp as a sort of statement, but he did not raise a stink through the first two months of the season.

However, with the Eagles losing and Jackson struggling, he ran afoul in November. Coach Andy Reid benched him for the Cardinals game because he missed a meeting. And then the coach pulled him from the Patriots game when the receiver short-armed two passes.

Reid said last week, though, that Jackson was “all-in” for the final month of the season. Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said last month that he wanted Jackson to return, but he did indicate that there were obstacles to that happening.

Jackson has been here for much of the week attending corporate events and various parties. He avoided Super Bowl media headquarters and ever-popular “Radio Row,” even though many free agents often make the rounds.

“Honestly, it’s a good time to be here and hang around meet executive, corporate sponsorships, people like that,” Jackson said. “So I’m just here branding myself. I just want to meet people and have a great time.”

Eagles running back LeSean McCoy also attended the awards show but neither player was up for an award. Host Alec Baldwin teased the Eagles when he made light of quarterback Vince Young’s “Dream Team” statement.

“It was a dream, like a dream wear you show up at school naked, you forget to study for the test and you lose four of your first five,” said Baldwin, who then called Jackson “DeSean Johnson” and asked if he and McCoy were “laughing. I’m not looking.”

McCoy smiled.

INDIANAPOLIS -- It killed him to say it, but LeSean McCoy picked the New York Giants to win Super Bowl XLVI on Wednesday.

"I really want the Patriots to win," McCoy said moments after he won the FedEx Ground Player of the Year award, "but I feel like the Giants are probably going to win."

For proof of McCoy's distaste for the Giants, type in the words "Osi Umenyiora" and "Twitter war" into a Google search. But the Eagles running back said that the Giants are getting hot at the right moment and feels that will propel them past New England on Sunday.

"It's hard because you feel like you're better than they are," McCoy said later to a handful of reporters. "But that's just words. They're actually doing it."

McCoy said that it pained him to talk about the Super Bowl and, in fact, to even attend his first Super Bowl without being on one of the teams playing. But he came, he said, to represent the Eagles in winning the FedEx Award over the Jaguars' Maurice Jones-Drew and the Ravens' Ray Rice.

McCoy has had a whirlwind several weeks since the end of the season. Earlier this week he was in Hawaii for the Pro Bowl. Last month he was in California shooting a Nike commercial. The third-year tailback is obviously capitalizing on the success he had last season in which he ran for over 1,300 yards and scored 20 touchdowns.

The 23-year old could be in for a big payday this off-season. McCoy still has one year left on his contract, but the Eagles may be interested in locking him up long-term.

“Guys should get their worth," McCoy said when he was asked about the large contracts top running backs were getting in recent seasons. "Guys out there they play their hearts out for their franchise, for the team. And the running back market is very high thanks to Adrian Peterson and Chris Johnson. So I think it’s a mutual feeling of being taken care of and actually being fair with the amount of money your offered or you accept.”

McCoy was joined by Jones-Drew for the FedEx presentation. At one point, as Jones-Drew was crediting his offensive line for his production last season he said that he bought the linemen watches and trips to Hawaii. Phil Simms, who was hosting the award ceremony, then asked McCoy what he purchased for his lineman.

"I'm still on my first contract," McCoy joked.

He did say that he and quarterback Michael Vick were conspiring to send the Eagles linemen on a cruise.

Join The Inquirer's Jonathan Tamari for a live chat about all the latest offseason Eagles news and rumors, starting at noon Wednesday.

If you're on a mobile device, click here to follow along and post questions.

INDIANAPOLIS – Nate Jones and Todd Bowles go way back.

The North New Jersey products first met when the Dallas drafted Jones in the seventh round of the 2004 NFL draft and Bowles was the Cowboys defensive backs coach.

Four years later they teamed up again when Jones followed Bowles to Miami for another two seasons. And again they were reunited when Jones briefly returned to the Dolphins earlier this season.

So it’s fair to say Jones, now with the Patriots, knows what the Eagles are getting after they hired Bowles to be defensive backs coach on Monday.

“He played the game,” Jones said Tuesday during Super Bowl XLVI Media Day. “He really knows how to reach players. I credit a lot of my success to him. He taught me a lot about the game.”

Jones said he and Bowles immediately bonded because they were both from the North Jersey area – Newark and Elizabeth – but the cornerback stressed the respect the coach earned from his players because he also played in the NFL.

“There are certain things about playing defensive back that it’s a hard position to coach,” Jones said. “Being as that he played it, he’s been out there – the techniques, how to really understand the big picture of the game, understand how offenses are trying to attack you, even small things – he gets it.”

Bowles, a Temple graduate, played safety for eight seasons in the NFL. He was part of the Redskins’ Super Bowl-winning team in 1991.

“He’s quiet, but he’s respected,” Jones said. “He’s respected throughout the NFL. He’s put his time in. He made the Pro Bowl, so on that end he’s definitely respected. Players like him.”

Jones also called Bowles “unassuming,” but he said the 48-year old knows when to be the disciplinarian.

“You’ll definitely get the hammer put down on you a couple of times a year from him, but only when he has to,” Jones said.

Bowles will have a mixture of players to work with in Philadelphia in terms of experience. Cornerbacks Nnamdi Asomugha and Asante Samuel are veteran cornerbacks, although Samuel could be dealt in a month. But safeties Nate Allen, Kurt Coleman and Jaiquawn Jarrett have played only a combined five seasons.

“They have a great group of athletes there,” said Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders, also at Lucas Oil Stadium here for Media Day. “They should play better than they performed last year. I’m sure [Bowles] is going to challenge those guys to go to another level.”

Many think Bowles will be asked to assist defensive coordinator Juan Castillo with his zone coverages. There were many times last season when the Eagles’ defensive backs were either out of position or matched up against the wrong receiver.

Bowles has worked almost primarily in 3-4 schemes, but NFL Network’s Mike Lombardi said that he didn’t think the switch to a 4-3 would change much of what the coach does.

“I’m sure Todd’s going to bring some things to the table that will hopefully help out Juan,” Lombardi said.

Reid’s decision to take his offensive line coach and make him the defensive coordinator during Super Bowl week a year ago sent shockwaves through the NFL. Even though Reid is sticking with Castillo for another year it still amazes many affiliated with the league.

“I think it was clearly an ambitious decision,” Lombardi said.

An unusually open and somewhat relaxed Andy Reid said Tuesday he offered Steve Spagnuolo a job on his staff, but understood that his one-time assistant wanted to explore his options elsewhere. He also talked about DeSean Jackson and gave a Mike Patterson update (see below). But the majority of the press conference focused on his decision on defensive coordinator.

Reid, speaking to the media for the first time since the end of a disappointing 8-8 season, said the results "weren't good enough" but he did not blame Juan Castillo and intimated that even if Spagnuolo came on board, Castillo would have remained with the Eagles. (Reid said he did not talk specific titles with Spags, but it's safe to assume that a former defensive coordinator and head coach would have come here in a high-level position).

"If you could have two great coaches on defense that's better than one," Reid said.

But with Spagnuolo taking a defensive coordinator job in New Orleans, Reid expressed confidence in Castillo, saying the coach improved as the season went on.

"I saw progress," Reid said, adding that he liked the schemes Castillo employed and the players were "all in."

Near the end of the year, Reid said, things were working like he hoped they might have earlier.

He laid blame across the team, though, saying that he anticipated that the defense would have growing pains and that the offense would carry the team early in the season. "That didn't happen," Reid said, primarily because the offense gave the ball away too often.

Reid was pressed on how he viewed the four-game winning streak at the end of the year: as reason for hope, or fool's gold?

Reid said he saw it as a sign that his own coaching, and that of his staff, had not grown stale, or else a 4-8 team would likely quit.

"If as a coach you had gotten stale, you would never win the last four games," he said. "But you also have to analyze the first five."

He added, "you can take all the stats you want, but the bottom line is we weren't good enough."

Reid would not be drawn into questions about his job and the pressure he may face this year, saying that's the case every season in the NFL.

On other topics:

Reid said he was "proud" of DeSean Jackson's admission that he could have handled the season better and that the wide receiver "handled himself great the last six games." But he said he was still evaluating free agency and all of the team's personnel decisions and was non-committal on whether Jackson will be an Eagle long term.

He conceded that the Eagles have to do better when it comes to personnel evaluation, particularly in the draft.

Reid also said he is "optimistic" about next season and cited a chance for offseason work with Mike Vick as a big reason why. Reid said Vick sees that the final four teams alive in the NFL had quarterbacks who played all 16 games, and understands the importance of avoiding unnecessary hits. He also said Vick is working on moving in the pocket to avoid tipped passes and turnovers.

He said the Eagles plan to again be "aggressive" in free agency - as the team promised last season.

Lastly Reid said defensive tackle Mike Patterson had surgery to remove the AVM on his brain that cause a seizure in training camp and is doing well and should be ready for training camp, barring any setbacks.

He did not have a specific timeline for either Brent Celek (hip) or Jamar Chaney (neck).

That's the immediate news. We'll have more detail online here in the Inquirer.

Video: Juan Castillo will remain the Eagles' defensive coordinator, and the Birds will reportedly hire former Miami interim head coach Todd Bowles as their defensive backs coach. The Inquirer's Jeff McLane discusses the Eagles' coaching decisions from the site of Super Bowl XLVI.