HARBAUGH ON REID: 'IT'S NOT STUBBORN IF YOU'RE RIGHT'
The Philadelphia Inquirer Blog - Eagles
HARBAUGH ON REID: 'IT'S NOT STUBBORN IF YOU'RE RIGHT'
Break scrambled eggs with Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh early in the morning and you come to this realization: It would be wonderful if he was providing the coaching quotes at the NovaCare Complex.
That's not to say that Harbaugh is a better head coach than Andy Reid. He'd have to lose four more AFC championship games and a Super Bowl to reach Reid's status, and that is meant as a compliment to the Eagles' coach.
Harbaugh just gets the media part of his business a lot better than Reid, and he's comfortable enough to have an open discussion about all sorts of different things.
Here are some interesting Eagles-related subjects Harbaugh discussed at breakfast this morning in the swanky St. Regis at Monarch Beach hotel:
Could you talk about Quintin Mikell?
"Quintin Mikell is a really good player. I don't know why he doesn't get recognized more. Everybody who plays against him thinks he's a really good player. He will hit you and he doesn't make mistakes and he covers ground."
Did Reid give his assistant coaches input into personnel decisions, especially during free agency and the draft?
"The coaches didn't make decisions, but he always listened to their input. You had to watch all the guys, rank them out and tell them what you thought. If you didn't want a returner or a corner, I don't think Andy was going to take him if the coaches didn't want him."
Is Reid stubborn?
"It's not stubborn if you're right. That's being convicted. I think he really listens a lot. To me, the perception that he doesn't listen to anybody is completely incorrect. Andy listens to his coaches, listens to his scouts and I think Tom (Heckert) has a ton of impact."
Why do members of Reid's coaching tree like Harbaugh and Minnesota's Brad Childress run the ball so much more after leaving the Eagles?
"I think you do whatever gives you the best chance to win. Last year, we ran the ball I think 60 percent of the time and that's what we had to do to be successful. We had a young offensive line and a young quarterback. But it is pretty good to be able to run the ball. We think running the ball and stopping the run is pretty important."
When you realized Donovan McNabb had been benched against you guys, was it a shock to you?
"I didn't spend a lot of time thinking about it, but Andy was doing something that he thought was best for the team. When you're a coach and you make a decision like that, there probably are a lot of things that are going on ... and for a lot of reasons, he did that at that time. It's hard to second guess because it turned out to be a great decision. Maybe it unified the team a little bit. Maybe it got Donovan's attention. Whatever the case, Andy had to do something and he did it and that was the right move."
How difficult of a situation was it for Kevin Kolb?
"He did pretty well actually. He moved them down the field on that one drive and then Ed Reed just made a ridiculous play -- an Ed Reed-type play -- and took it back 109 yards for a touchdown. I thought (Kolb) did pretty well when he was in there. All I know is I saw Kevin Kolb every day in practice for a year as the secondary coach when he was going against us as the scout-team quarterback and we'd get in the red zone and we couldn't defend him. I think he's a good player."
How will L.J. Smith fit in with the Ravens?
"I think he's really talented. For us to get a talented tight end like that in the place we got him in the second tier of free agency, even though it's only a one-year deal, we were willing to give him a one-year deal because it was fair to him. It gives him a chance to prove himself."
Why has Smith underachieved?
"The only guy who can pull him out of that is himself. I think the timing in his career is probably really right. Just in talking to him, he has a great perspective on it. He really wants it."
Do you think it helps him to get out of Philadelphia, where he was truly disliked by the fan base?
"It's pretty hard to over estimate the impact of something like that. That can bring a person down pretty quick."
Tra Thomas said Reid and the Eagles' coaching staff needs to be more fiery. Do you agree with that?
"Did anybody tell Tra Thomas he should show more emotion? Andy told Tra Thomas to let your personality show. Andy coaches to his personality and I guarantee you he coaches with plenty of personality and fire inside those four walls. Those players know what Andy is all about. For him to say that, I'd be surprised if that's what Tra meant."
THOUGHTS ON BUCKHALTER
Great to see that former Eagles running back Correll Buckhalter had his good name restored by the drug dealer who claimed he had sold him marijuana.
Of all the athletes I've ever covered, I never saw one who grew up and became more of a quality person than Buckhalter.
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i wish reid and heckert would listen to their assistant coaches more often because they obviously have no clue on how to evaluate talent..i.e., all the 2nd 3rd round busts— slovakstud18- Harbaugh was drinking the green Kool-Aid.
- Shut up, you idiots!— captainranger
- I believe it, they listen, but they don't do what they are advised to do, becuase they often think they are smarter or there's a better deal. At times, there are better deals and sometimes they are smarter, but not as often as they claim. Did you really think Harbaugh was going to throw anyone under the bus? Andy wouldn't fit under the bus anyway.— Voytas
- Someone should tell Harbaugh he doesn't have to kiss up now, he has the head coaching job he was being company man to get. But once a kiss up, always a kiss up I guess. I had a lot more respect for him before I read this article. Does anybody in that whole organization or even associated with it have the guts to tell the truth or say what they really feel? Anybody?— dapmman
- harbaugh thinks andy is a pretty good father too.— jb99
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- Is it possible that Harbaugh actually believes what he says? Why is someone automatically considered an 'idiot' if he defends Reid? I'm not a kool-aid drinker, but it's getting ridiculous when one can't say anything remotely positive about Andy Reid or the Eagles.— bgdude18
- HE SAID SOMETHING THAT DISAGREES WITH WHAT ANGELO THINKS! WE MUST SPOUT WHATEVER ANGELO TELLS US TO! GET HIM!!!!!— JLB
- Hater nation in full force today. You don't want to listen to what the man (Harbaugh) says because you all know! Afterall you listen to Angelo Cataldi and there is not a more reasonable analytic mind about football than him. (SARCASM) Plus you're in meetings and attend camps and combines, your privvy to all the psychological tests so you know who the best players are more than the guys that do it full time for a living. They addressed their fullback weakness, they addressed the age at Tackle with two of the best available in FA. They have two first round picks. They made a huge PR mistake w/ Dawkins but last year the first half of the year was spent w/people saying replace Dawkins he has lost it. Reid's job is the long term Eagles, making sure they are good and in position each year to win a title not just load up for one year then lose everybody. But yes when in position strike and get the piece that pushes you there that has happened exactly one time its time to get Boldin and doit again.— rhcjr2
- It's always easy to criticize. Most of the negative comments here about AR are childish and pointless. I'm with you bgdude18. If you've got something with meat to it, go ahead and criticize. If not, keep it to yourself.— dlscholt
Andy Reid is a good coach, always has been. Its some our players that don't have any guts.— gho_matt- I'm tired of the reporters in this time complaining about Reid because he isn't media-friendly. Who cares. I write here as a former sports reporter so I know how hard a beat writer's job can be if the coach isn't that forthcoming, but I never wrote about it. I've been an Eagles fan for over thirty years and I'll take Reid over any of the other coaches, even the enshrined Dickie V, because Reid has given this city ten years of good football. And the championship he hasn't won? I'm willing to wait because one of these years they will win it all under Reid, just as the Steelers finally broke through for Cowher in what, his 15th season? C'mon, Eagle writers, stop bashing Reid and go find some real stories. They are out there.— fgdavis
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