Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie was very consistent during his news conference in saying that Andy Reid was arrogant but he was only shielding his players and coaches from public ridicule. He talked about having very open and informative conversation with Reid.
He obviously had a conversation with Reid before today’s new conference. Reid was very open and forthcoming in answering questions from the media today. He explained himself in depth and the started things off by telling us why he had taken so long to talk.
“I appreciate your patience over the last few weeks for the summary of my feelings on the season,” Reid said. “I thought it was important to step back and take a thorough look at things, starting with myself and the job which I did this year and the coaching staff and the players and the direction we decided to go in free agency. I was able to do that over the last few weeks and we were able to finalize the spot that was vacant on our staff by bringing in Todd Bowles. I had a chance to evaluate the coaches and let them know how we did as a team, I felt both sides of the football and special teams have a tremendous room to improve. Juan will remain as the defensive coordinator.”
Reid dropped a bomb when he talked about offering a job to Steve Spagnuolo, but not discussing any job titles.
“Steve Spagnuolo was another topic and one that I understand and is a fine football coach. Steve and I talked throughout the season as we do every year. When Steve was released from the rams, I did offer him a spot to coach here if he needed one, a place to land, with open arms. My feelings was if you can have two great coaches on defense, that’s even better than just having Juan himself. That’s about as far as it went there. We didn’t talk about titles. He had opportunities to look at other places and I completely understand that and he wanted to go to New Orleans. That’s a positive for him.”
Reid discussed his idea of having Castillo and Spagnuolo working together.
“I thought the two of them together would be tremendous. They have a great relationship. It’s the same defense.”
Reid let us know that firing Castillo was never part of his plan.
“In this league, titles are thrown all over the place. Those two and Spags, I thought that could be done. We opened it up and looked at a couple of other people that I thought could fit in there and work as a staff. No different than I would do on the offensive side. I talked to Juan throughout the process. That never came about. We never went in that direction. I know a lot of things were out there and written, that’s all part of it.”
Teams that win have SB’s ….The Eagles have excuses.
That is what seperate winners from losers.
Look, I get some fans’ infatuation with citing how Castillo was a mistake, and the Eagles are losers with nothing but excuses, but there is one thing that stands out to me that I just don’t get. Can someone, anyone, tell me what Castillo did in the 5 games they blew 4th qtr leads that prevented the offense from scoring more than three points in those games?
Let me be very clear, I am in now way offering a defense for the job Castillo did in those games on defense. Instead I am merely trying to figure out why the fact that the offense couldn’t score more than 3 points in 5 4th qtrs in which they held the lead is not given nearly the same level of scrutiny from fans and the media as the defense’s failures. The Eagles offense was supposed to be a strength. But when you lead the league in turnovers one only needs to observe the outcomes of this year’s powerhouse teams in the playoffs to recognize the significance of not taking care of the football. The Patriots were the only team to lose the turnover battle and still win. Below is a list of each matchup from the 2011 playoffs and the number of turnovers committed in the game.
Texans 0
Bengals 3
Lions 2
Saints 2
Falcons 0
Giants 0
Broncos 1
Steelers 1
Saints 5
49ers 1
Patriots 2
Broncos 1
Texans 4
Ravens 0
Giants 1
Packers 4
Patriots 3
Ravens 1
49ers 2
Giants 0
Yes, the Eagles defense was a disappointment in 2011. But the offense was too. They have a lot of work to do for 2012 in what has all the makings of win or else. Regardless of what the fans think, the players need to buy whatever the coaches are selling and focus on execution. Whether they can put it all together to make it happen in 2012 will not be known for some time. But I think it would do us all good to just let it unfold because although Reid is still fat, and Castillo is still overmatched, and Roseman can’t draft talent, this is the crew that’s here right now and for the near future. It’s going to be either great or disastrous (which may be great for some of you). Either way it is going to be a very interesting year.
Reid is great at winning more than losing (usually), he creates loyalty from players and respect from coaches. Outside of his treatment of the fans, he is supposedly a nice guy. What he is not is a coach who will win a championship. Let’s be clear, you do NOT make the decisions Reid makes and win championships. He should leave after next year and go to either Detroit, Cleveland, Cincy, Jacksonville, or some place where being above .500 and just making the playoffs would be an improvement. He would be run out of Pittsburgh, New England, New York and other places who actually want to WIN IT ALL. He has worn out his welcome here and his act has grown old. Thanks for the memories Andy, you can leave now.
X…i completly agree with your breakdown of the o and its failures this year. I always talk about the O not being the force it should of been when i hear cats talk about the D. We’re talking about crucial errors and horrendous play calling and no accountability from this Q. I do agree with Songs assesment as well…were empty handed and AR has made some crucial mistakes and always had an excuse.
Receiver…i believe these recievers are good enough to win.
Dawk…hey look i think these young guys can step up and improve.
Theres always an excuse to why they didnt get something done with regards to coaching moves….f Spags anyway….he is Giant blood. Give me this Bowles fiery guy to help Juan in tough spots. But in game getting outfoxed and outdown. He’s got this year….he gets us to a title game and competes ill give em another.Who knows….at that point Walrus may keel over from the pressure and stress of the job. Guy needs a program now.
unacceptable.
Championship teams findS a way to get their guy!
Period.
Reid didn’t make Spags an offer he couldn’t refuse and that separates teams like the Saints from the Eagles.
How can you have the inside track on a guy who you gave an opportunity to coach in the league and not lure him back to Philly?
This has Andy Reid written all over it. So what! he door was open for him to come back..but under what circumstances?
If the reporters are not going to ask the right follow up questions they might as well stay content with Andy’s dismissive antics.
This guy offered a coach spot for Spags…but was not going to give him the power or salary ‘JJ” had. Period.
May “JJ rest in peace..but Spags exceeded “JJ”s” status by coaching a team defense that won the Lombardi.
You think Andy would have control over “JJ’s” program and tell him he have to work with Washburn and a offensive line coach?
If spag’s was treated like a top guy instead of just another guy trying to “land on his feet”, as Andy put it…Spags would be in Philly right now instead of a press conference welcoming a secondary coach from Miami.
Can’t you guys see it’s just another bait and switch?
This is no different than giving Sean McDermott another season only to have him move on to another experiment by the name of Juan.
Now, the stage is set for Juan to fail again while padding his resume for a coaching position on defense in the future with another organization, and Bowles to step in as the next hyped experiment.
Then the Eagles fans would give him latitude (a built in excuse for 2 more losing seasons) being a new defensive coordinator implementing his new scheme.
This is a mess guys….
but continue to go back to the “GREEN VOMIT”
“TIME’S YOUR’S”
Well, now we know who Segrest passed the Negatives of someone high in the
eagles brass in compromising positions to.
Juan Castillo
Reid on Spagnuolo: “I did offer him a spot to coach here”
Yeah he offered him the Offensive line coach/ off. quality control positions.
Give me a f^#@ing break! If Reid really wanted Spags here he would have. He said several times at the press conf. “Spags & Juan would have been super together” (paraphrasing). Why the f^#@ would Spags want to come here & work with a clueless, inexperienced loser like Castillo & Washburns flawed Wide 69. I would have laughed in Reids inflated face. I hope the Saints win the SB again, just to stuff it in the Hindenbergs @$$. This team is a cruel, excruciating joke! He better have a monster draft & FA period, because it could get ugly by week 6 with the schedule we have this year. The fans we’ll be storming the NovaCare complex, with torches, pitch forks & battering rams.
Andy Reid and the Philadelphia Organization are delusional.
Andy reid is talking to a former NFL HEAD coach.
Andy reid is talking to a former defensive coordinator that not only won the superbowl, but shut down the most explosive offense in history.
And he wants to offer him some crumbs and be on par with Juan “bozo the clown” Castillo.
Spags had options and thank goodness he used them.
Andy Reid is going to show us all, that Juan was not a bad move. And he does not care if it cost us another chance to win the superbowl to do it.
Stubborn and stupid. Like his game plans, he just can’t make halftime adjustments.
I am going to rehab to get rid of this Eagles addiction, before I suffer an overdose of Fat Andy Reid and die of his stupidity.