What they're saying about the Eagles: The firing of Andy Reid
Jeffrey Lurie is a thoughtful man, a smart man, and yes, a man that clearly wants to win the Super Bowl. After disappearing for this disaster of a season, seen only on game broadcasts seated in a suite next to Howie Roseman, Lurie reemerged Monday to announce the end of Andy Reid in Philadelphia.
What they're saying about the Eagles: The firing of Andy Reid
Andrew O'Brien, Philly.com Sports Contributor
Jeffrey Lurie is a thoughtful man, a smart man, and yes, a man that clearly wants to win the Super Bowl. After disappearing for this disaster of a season, seen only on game broadcasts seated in a suite next to Howie Roseman, Lurie reemerged Monday to announce the end of Andy Reid in Philadelphia. It was a press conference of good length, during which Lurie spoke openly about the season, Reid’s career as the Eagles’ coach and where it all went wrong for him and the franchise. He spoke of what he would like to see in the next coach and how the team could turn things around in a short amount of time.
It’s clear Lurie was loyal to Reid and that it was going to take this season’s flameout to force Reid’s ouster. It was also clear that Lurie is putting his eggs into Howie Roseman’s basket. In not so subtle terms, Lurie stated that he had chosen Roseman over Reid and Joe Banner, based on Roseman’s supposed drafting acumen. We don’t know if Lurie was telling the truth when he said Roseman was responsible for the draft for the first time in 2012 - which looks good, but not great at the moment. Whether Roseman is as good as Lurie says is something we’ll be readily able to judge in the coming years.
The 2013 season is one in which the Eagles could find themselves back in the playoffs. The Colts and Vikings won two and three games respectively last season, and both are among the NFL’s final 12 teams. If Roseman hits on the 2013 draft, which includes the No. 4 overall pick, it could set the franchise up for a return to prominence in short order. Lurie’s infamous choice of words in describing the Eagles as the NFL’s “gold standard” will never fade from the public’s collective memory, but the right decisions this offseason could give Lurie the credibility he’s rarely enjoyed in this city.
Here’s what they’re saying about Lurie and the former and future employees of his gilded franchise:
Andy Reid
You should probably read what Ray Didinger has to stay about Reid’s legacy. [CSNPhilly.com]
Many thought Reid would take a break from coaching after being fired by the Eagles. But what about him gives us the impression he’d do anything but coach?
“Reid’s firing by the Eagles on Monday gave him, in our minds, the free pass to go take care of himself—rather than a roster of moody players, an impatient owner and a borderline-psycopathic fan base. In the eyes of a world where many wish they could have taken an extra week off from work when their mother or brother or son died, Reid was getting a gift. He could decompress for a whole year, and when he wanted to pick his career back up, his career would be waiting, eagerly. The reality, though, is this: For a man under a scorching-hot spotlight almost daily for 14 years, we don’t know much about Reid at all; he was loathe to share deeply about his football thoughts, and his personal life was a closed book even under the worst of circumstances. Thus, nobody knows how he has dealt with the drug-overdose death of his son Garrett last August better than Reid does. And nobody knows how he’ll deal with it from this day forward except Reid.”
How Reid’s firing went down. [NJ.com]
How would his legacy be different if the Eagles had won just one little Super Bowl? John Gonzalez wonders:
“Imagine if Reid had won the Super Bowl. It is an alternate reality that exists only in our imaginations, but it’s hard to believe that a Super Bowl victory – just one, though more would have been better – wouldn’t have made all of us view him in a different manner. Again, it is twisted and maybe even unjust, but it is also difficult to deny. Coaches who win championships are graded differently, or at least more leniently, than those without any rings adorning their fingers.” [CSNPhilly.com]
The Kansas City Chiefs got the first crack at Reid though, interviewing him Wednesday. [Kansas City Star]
The Arizona Cardinals want Reid. [ESPN]
ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio has no idea why Arizona would be interested in the former Eagles coach. [Pro Football Talk]
The best and worst of Reid’s drafts, by round. [CSNPhilly.com]
The five worst draft picks of Reid’s tenure. No Matt McCoy? [CBS Sports]
Both the Chiefs and Cardinals come to Philadelphia next season. Oh boy! [ESPN]
Coaching search
Despite his shortcomings, finding a replacement for Reid will be a challenge for the Eagles, ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano writes:
“The Eagles are heading into uncertain times. There's no disputing the idea that it was time for Reid to go. He's 22-27 over the past three seasons, and as great a coach as he was and still may be, nothing lasts forever. Lurie spoke of the "scattered decision-making" of the past couple of years, and his assessment is accurate. Reid was no longer performing at a high enough level, and it is unquestionably time for the Eagles to move on with a new voice leading the roster and a new face fronting the organization. But the uncertainty about who that will be takes center stage now, arm in arm with the realization that different doesn't always mean better.” [ESPN]
Lurie is seeking the “right leader.” [CSNPhilly.com]
Oregon head coach Chip Kelly will interview with the Eagles. [NFL.com]
As will Penn State head coach Bill O’Brien and and Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy. [CSNPhilly.com]
The Eagles’ front office flew to Atlanta to interview Falcons defensive coordinator Mike Nolan and special teams coach Keith Armstrong. [Pro Football Talk]
One guy who won’t be interviewing with the Eagles is Bill Cowher. [CSNPhilly.com]
Daniel Jeremiah thinks Kelly will be the Eagles’ choice. [NFL.com]
Worried about Chip Kelly adopting his offense to the NFL? Fear not, Kelly himself said, so why wouldn’t you believe him? [ESPN]
Power Rankings
Here’s where the Eagles ranked in polls of varying importance:
Philly.com - 30
ESPN - 29
NFL.com - 29
Sports Illustrated - NR
Pro Football Talk - 29
CBS Sports - 29
FOX Sports - 28
Always believed Reid put too much on his QB. As a coach he never helped Donovan or Vick by running the ball. With a little running game, the eagles would have vastly improved their chance to win the big prize.
Instead Reid's pass happy predictable offense allowed defenses to tee off on his QB. Whe Andy called play action it was a joke as they never ran the ball enough to make play action effective.
He never used McCoy enough (18 to 24 carries per game) and used Shady when he shouldn't late in the game with the Eagles down by 20 points and lied afterward saying he was trying to win the game.
Reid is the most overrated head coach and quite possibly the worst game day head coach in the NFL.
— Fan74- The whiners will still be whinning when the new coach doesn't finish 10-6 in '13.
That's the nature of being a whiner.
Like a three yr. old not getting everything he wants.
— wordsword - Reid couldn't run a team at its peak which led to its decline. He did a good job in his first 5 years when the team went from bad to very good. Back then he had to deal with a front office that was more excited about being $10 million under the cap. He also didn;t run the ball enough.— Phillies2008WSChamps
- I'm a McCoy fan as well— Mr. Magee
- PFCzar and Reid will bring that great backup quarterback Vince Young and the the both of them together win 4 games, two by Vick and two by Young. You will see then on espn pretending they know something about thew QB position. LOL.— mario1239
- PFCzar and Reid will bring that great backup quarterback Vince Young and the the both of them together win 4 games, two by Vick and two by Young. You will see then on espn pretending they know something about thew QB position. LOL.— mario1239
- Reed is the best politically correct coach ( 2 black quarterbacks both of them just average ). Otherwise he stinks as a coach. I never liked him.— Bill fields
- Everyone is saying that we will miss Reid but cannot get it through their heads that it was not working here. He very well may do a great job with his new team and the new coach here might be a flop. The point is that the arrangement was no longer productive for either party. Coaching out his final year is simply not an option (See Fox, John.) It just gives the coach an impossible situation and no authority. 10-6 to 8-8 to 4-12. Moving in the wrong direction. Captain Obvious out...— hillbillybirdsfan
- quick- please send kurt coleman, nate allen, demetris bell watkins to kc before andy gets there so they can surprise him.
— bloodymess - The man never pushed away from any table hungry!— STEPHEN1988
CoettaGarner25...LMFAO!!!!!— Heckler- i dont want kelly or any other college coach man we need a real hungry nfl coordinator the dude mccoy from denver has taken to totally different qb's to the playoffs one out of college with no arm one fresh out of surgery who is great with in his own self. if not give me one the bengals coordinators. jay gruden lets get it!!!!— defroe
- Gold Standard! Where have I heard that before? Oh yeh - DREAM TEAM!— FrankJersey
- The Cardinals will be in much better shape with Reid than the Eagles would under Chip Kelly. With Ray Horton as the d-coordinator and Reid looking after the offense, the Cardinals could be very good - as long as Bidwill doesn't act like a tightwad.— p-diddy
- In what world does Reid not override Ray Horton? Who is their OC? He'll be DC. Not going to AZ anyway, so who is the KC OC? — MFPhils
- We still need a right handed power bat to play in RF!
- LMAO!!! ^^— 14 years of
- I don't care where Reid ends up. I want Mike McCoy as the next coach.— Dan in Holmesburg
- My dream is that Andy takes the Cardinal's job. Brings Mike Vick with him to ruin Kevin Kolb's career twice in one lifetime. Maybe he even lets Kolb start a few games, does well and then gets another pick for him when he trades him. Beautiful.— PFCzar
- Humm...you are bored and lonely. That kind of anger doesn't go up against strangers. I mean, if it was against Reid, sure...you've followed him for 14 years, but Kolb? Really? You have that kind of hate for a guy who was basically irrelevant here?
Either the dude bopped your wife, or ya need one, right?— MFPhils
