After firing Mike Groh last week, the Eagles are on the search for a new offensive coordinator.
If only there was someone available who we know could get the most out of Carson Wentz, has a proven track record and understands exactly what Doug Pederson wants to do offensively.
Oh, that’ll do.
This just seems too perfect, right? At the exact time the Eagles are getting their offensive coordinator search underway, John DeFilippo becomes available.
DeFilippo, 41, was the Eagles’ quarterbacks coach in 2016 and 2017, when he worked very closely with Carson Wentz and Nick Foles. After Wentz’s rookie season, the Eagles blocked DeFilippo from interviewing with the Jets because they so desperately wanted to keep him with Wentz for another season. That decision reportedly came from owner Jeffrey Lurie.
And it was a good thing the Eagles blocked him. Wentz ended up having an MVP-like season in 2017 before he tore his ACL and DeFilippo had a lot to do with it.
NFL
Getting Flip back to work with Wentz again should be very attractive.
"He's just really detailed," Wentz said about DeFilippo in November 2017. "He's systematic with his thought process for some of the things that we put in and install. We kind of dot every 'i,' cross every 't' together."
DeFilippo even took getting blocked after 2016 in stride. He wasn’t bitter at all.
"I’ve wanted to coach in this organization for a long, long time, having been from Philadelphia," said DeFilippo, who grew up in Radnor, in June of 2017.
"Here’s my take on the whole thing: My goal this year is to be the best quarterbacks coach in the National Football League, improve our guys as much as I can, and then usually things have a way of taking care of themselves."
Eventually, Flip capitalized on the Eagles’ success and took the OC job in Minnesota but lasted less than a full season. And now he lasted just one season in Jacksonville, where he had a lot of success with rookie Gardner Minshew.
The one hurdle to get DeFilippo to come back to Philly is that he wouldn’t be the play-caller with the Eagles; that’s Pederson’s job. But there might not be an opportunity out there for DeFilippo to call plays; if he can’t find a better situation, a return makes a ton of sense.
Last December, after DeFilippo was let go by Mike Zimmer during the season, Pederson was asked about the possibility of bringing him back.
“I was anticipating this question, but listen, what I’ll say is John did a great job for me,” Pederson said last December 12. “He helped us win a world championship and then he had an opportunity. I love my coaches. I’m confident in the guys we have. So at this time, no.”
Back then, Pederson gave a vote of confidence to the embattled Groh. He wanted to give him a chance and he did. He gave him the whole next season, but Groh was fired last week.
“At this time, no,” Pederson said last December.
But times have changed. And this just seems really simple.
Bring back Flip.
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