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Source: Eagles to interview Bears scout Joe Douglas for personnel chief position

JOE DOUGLAS, described by a source close to the situation as the "top candidate" to direct Eagles' personnel under Howie Roseman, is scheduled to interview for the job Thursday, and could be officially hired very quickly after that.

JOE DOUGLAS, described by a source close to the situation as the "top candidate" to direct Eagles personnel under Howie Roseman, is scheduled to interview for the job Thursday, and could be officially hired very quickly after that.

An NFL observer who knows Douglas well called him "a worker bee" Wednesday - a well-regarded scout who keeps a low public profile, and wouldn't mind reporting to Roseman, the former general manager restored to power by team chairman Jeffrey Lurie at the end of the 2015 season.

"Great evaluator," said someone who has worked in NFL scouting with Douglas. "No ego. Low-key personality. I think he will work fine with Howie."

Douglas scouted for the Baltimore Ravens for 15 years before becoming the Bears' director of college scouting last year. In January, the Browns reportedly sought permission to interview him but were denied - it's hard to hire away someone important to another team's personnel process right before free agency and the draft, which is why the Eagles suspended until after the draft the search they started after Roseman returned to personnel.

Ed Marynowitz, originally hired by Roseman, became Chip Kelly's personnel chief last year but was fired along with Kelly last Dec. 29.

Douglas, known in Baltimore as "Big Joe D," was a defensive tackle at Richmond who joined the Ravens' personnel department in an entry-level position in 2000. In the 2001 version of HBO's Hard Knocks, he was the "Turk" who delivers the bad news to released players.

In the 2000 film The Replacements, Douglas was the uncredited center snapping the ball to quarterback Keanu Reeves.

Douglas was the Baltimore Northeast regional scout who in 2008 advocated strongly for Joe Flacco, the quarterback from Audubon, N.J. and Delaware who would lead the Ravens to the Super Bowl XLVII title.

"Everybody loves and respects the guy," Ravens senior personnel assistant George Kokinis told the team's website before the 2015 draft. "You never hear a bad word about Joe, even though he's under the radar. He never puts himself out there, for as good a scout as he is."

When Douglas left Baltimore for Chicago, the Baltimore Sun called him "one of the most respected scouts in the NFL."

Douglas and scout Mark Azevedo were in charge of recruiting Baltimore's undrafted free agents during years when the Ravens signed linebackers Jameel McClain, Dannell Ellerbe and Albert McClellan, and kicker Justin Tucker.

Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome and his personnel operation are well-respected across the NFL. In fact, the Eagles are thought to have considered more than one candidate with a Ravens background during their search. Personnel execs rarely leave Baltimore because Newsome, GM since 2002, has been with the organization since it moved from Cleveland – often you leave when your boss gets fired – and the Ravens tend to pay key people very well.

That said, until a year ago, Douglas had been strictly a scout. In Chicago, he directed college scouting. Running a personnel department day-to-day, even with Roseman in charge of the big picture, is a big jump. It's no surprise that Roseman, who lacks a conventional football background, might choose someone who is well-regarded but who also poses no imminent threat to his authority.

@LesBowen

Blog: philly.com/Eaglesblog