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Hayes: Eagles' Doug Pederson makes the grade

IN HIS FIRST SEASON, Doug Pederson dealt with all of the usual peripheral problems of a new NFL head coach: scheduling, compiling a roster, installing schemes, managing employees, dealing with the press.

IN HIS FIRST SEASON, Doug Pederson dealt with all of the usual peripheral problems of a new NFL head coach: scheduling, compiling a roster, installing schemes, managing employees, dealing with the press.

Predictably, in his rookie season, Pederson made mistakes in play-calling, personnel use and strategy; which, to his credit, he admitted.

Incredibly, in his rookie season, Pederson dealt with more incendiary off-the-field crises, slights and misdeeds than some coaches encounter in their entire careers.

"It's a tremendous tribute to him and his character for what he went through this year," general manager Howie Roseman said after the season. "The adversity he faced . . . it's something that's really promising."

Indeed, Pederson performed remarkably well. He emerged weathered, wiser and, from this perch, well-respected.

The highlights:

The announcement

The Eagles held a press conference for the hiring of Pederson but it was hijacked by two people. The day was less about Pederson (and his scant credentials) than about the resurrection of Roseman, who regained the GM job after Chip Kelly was fired; and the hiring of charismatic defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, who held his own press conference right then and there – an unprecedented theft of spotlight.

Pederson wisely, and gratefully, embraced the lack of attention.

Grade: A.

The purge

With no starting quarterback under contract, Roseman and Pederson's staff quickly remade the team and reallocated assets. They jettisoned Kelly failures DeMarco Murray, Byron Maxwell and Kiko Alonso to save money and hoard draft picks. They offered healthy extensions to core players such as Lane Johnson, Vinny Curry, Malcolm Jenkins and Zach Ertz, finally extended quarterback Sam Bradford with a curious 2-year deal, signed lineman Brandon Brooks and a few other minor free agents and continually negotiated with star defensive tackle Fletcher Cox.

Publicly, Pederson agreed with every move, though they bore Roseman's stamp. Pederson did, however, get an expensive bone: unaccomplished Chiefs backup quarterback Chase Daniel, a coach on the field and, more significant, loyal eyes and ears in the locker room. Daniel's presence wasted valuable money.

Grade: B.

The deal

Just over a week before the draft the Eagles traded a significant part of their future; and, therefore, Pederson's future. The Birds moved from No. 8 to No. 2, where they took Carson Wentz, an intriguing, unproven, FCS (I-AA) quarterback from North Dakota State. Pederson insisted that Wentz's imminent arrival would not unseat Bradford in 2016. Still, Bradford was furious that his replacement was acquired, and, in late April, left voluntary workouts for 2 weeks, demanding a trade. None came. He returned.

To review: Bradford, who had just signed for $36 million, $22 million guaranteed, did the unthinkable: He walked out on his team, whose offense was being built around him and whose new coach needed him to tutor a rookie.

Pederson could have fumed. He should have been outraged. Instead, he never wavered in his commitment to Bradford or uttered a cross word. That required marvelous self-control. Their relationship never suffered.

Grade: A.

The deal, part II

Just eight days before the Eagles' season began, the Vikings, poised to make a Super Bowl run but reeling after an injury to franchise quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, traded for Bradford – the centerpiece of Pederson's plan. The deal thrust Wentz, not Daniel, into the starting spot, but Wentz had taken just 38 snaps, all in the first preseason game. He missed the remainder of the preseason with a broken rib.

Pederson bet his coaching career that a 23-year-old kid who had never played anywhere except Bismarck and Fargo – a kid who never got an NFL dress rehearsal – was ready to lead a competent NFL team.

Pederson wasn't bluffing.

Grade: A-plus.

The start

The Eagles opened 3-0 thanks to steady play from Wentz, who operated like a veteran from the start. After the Eagles clobbered the Steelers, Pederson admitted he had no idea Wentz would be so good so fast and cautioned that Wentz eventually would struggle. Pederson's moderate response to a thrilling start tempered expectations and diminished alarm when Wentz eventually faltered.

Grade: A-plus.

The suspension

In early August, news broke that at some point during the season right tackle Lane Johnson would be suspended for 10 games for a second PED violation. The NFL left Pederson & Co. twisting in the wind for two months before it suspended Johnson after Game 4. By then, Johnson was the best player on the 3-1 team. Pederson issued a scathing reprimand to Johnson. Then, alarmingly, he installed fifth-round rookie Halapoulivaati Vaitai at right tackle instead of moving veteran Allen Barbre from right guard. Vaitai was awful in his debut at Washington, but Pederson refused to bench Vaitai. He steadily improved over the next five games (a knee injury ended his season), but the line play was seldom better than passable.

Pederson knew the suspension was coming. If Vaitai was his answer, then it wasn't good enough.

Nevertheless, with left tackle Jason Peters on his last legs and with Johnson one failed test from a two-year ban, Pederson showed the courage to allow the Eagles to determine that Vaitai might actually be a low-cost answer to a typically high-cost position.

Grade: B-minus.

The shenanigans

Second-year receiver Nelson Agholor was accused of sexual assault at a strip club near the practice facility the day offseason workouts concluded in June. Six weeks later, just before training camp began, free-agent linebacker Nigel Bradham was accused of assaulting a hotel employee in Miami; then, in October, Bradham was caught with a loaded gun by airport security at Miami International. On Nov. 1 dynamic kick returner Josh Huff was pulled over for speeding on the Walt Whitman Bridge, then arrested and charged with possession of a handgun for which he had no valid permit; possession of a magazine with illegal hollow-point bullets; possession of a small amount of marijuana; and DUI.

Pederson largely ignored the uproar over the Agholor incident, which faded after Agholor was not charged. Pederson expressed concern over both Bradham incidents but deferred further comment or action until police and league investigations concluded: "Business as usual," Pederson said.

Pederson initially was supportive of Huff, but, as team investigations indicated that Huff might have both lied and violated league policies, Pederson endorsed the decision to release Huff two days after the incident. It was a message that further misdeeds would be dealt with more severely.

The message was overdue.

Grade: B.

'Not everyone . . . not

everyone'

On Dec. 4, in a game that could virtually end the Eagles' playoff hopes, Zach Ertz declined to block Vontaze Burfict as the ferocious Bengals linebacker chased Wentz down the field. In the same game, Rodney McLeod declined to make a hit at the goal line. Asked the next day if all of his players were playing hard, Pederson replied, "Not everyone . . . not everyone."

His players balked at this perceived betrayal and it cost Pederson a bit of trust in the locker room, but the public appreciated Pederson's honesty. For once, a coach didn't try to tell the fans that they had not seen what they had clearly seen.

It is the sort of candor that built equity for Pederson from Day 1.

Grade: B-plus.

The . . . weirdness

Pederson immediately and completely supported Malcolm Jenkins and other Eagles who joined Colin Kaepernick's national anthem protests.

Later, Agholor's fragile psyche caused him to lash out after one bad game and caused him to nearly collapse after another. Right guard Brandon Brooks' undiagnosed anxiety issues cost him two games. Pederson reacted with elegant compassion to both men's bravery in dealing with issues that could have been emasculating in other NFL franchises. Pederson benched Agholor for one game. He simply let Brooks get better.

These were Pederson's finest hours, among many, many good ones.

Grade: A.

hayesm@phillynews.com

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