Thoughts On Pederson News Conference

New Eagles’ head coach Doug Pederson was introduced to the media on Tuesday afternoon.

This conference had a lot of interesting wrinkles and revelations, from Jeffrey Lurie commenting on the hiring process, to the confirmation of Jim Schwartz as defensive coordinator, to the fates of Jason Peters and Brent Celek, to the reveal that the Eagles will be searching for another personnel executive, this conference had a lot to break down.

Here’s some of my biggest takeways from the day.

Lurie Calls Coaching Search “Exhausting”, Reveals Search For Personnel Executive

The biggest laughable moment came in early in the news conference.

Jeffrey Lurie tried to tell anyone that would listen that Pederson was the team’s first choice for head coach. The Eagles began with a playing field of 25, and through all kinds of exhausting evaluations, the end of the rainbow led straight to Doug Pederson, and no one else.

Sure, whatever you say, Jeff.

Later in the conference, Lurie revealed that the team would be seeking an addition personnel executive to add to their front office.

This is good news for those who were concerned about Howie Roseman’s return to power. The team will in-fact add an outside voice that will bring a fresh set of eyes and ideas to the fold.

On Pederson Himself

I really liked a lot of what Pederson had to say. I’ve been warming more and more to the idea of him as head coach, and for the most part I thought he made a decent first impression.

The only moment in the conference that gave me pause was when Pederson was questioned about how he handled calling the Patriots game in the second half.

Pederson proudly revealed that he had been calling plays in the second half of Kansas City’s games, including last weekend’s game against the Patriots. During this game, the Chiefs brutally mismanaged the clock at the end of the game, taking too long to score and leaving themselves without a real opportunity to get the ball back.

And Pederson’s explanation for that gaffe?

“We didn’t want to give the ball back to Tom Brady.”

What? So Pederson’s strategy in that moment was to run as much time as possible off of the clock with his team down multiple scores before scoring and attempting to get the ball back? If you can’t follow that logic, you aren’t alone.

Pederson seemed a little uncomfortable in that moment, and to be fair I think what he was getting at was that the Chiefs knew they absolutely had to score in that situation, so they were going about things in a way they felt would assure them a touchdown on that drive, but his explanation was garbage.

Jim Schwartz Confirmed As Defensive Coordinator

During the conference, Pederson confirmed that former Detroit Lions head coach Jim Schwartz would be joining the Eagles as their new defensive coordinator.

I think this is a great bit of news for the Eagles’ defense, and Schwartz may instantly be the best guy they’ve had in the position ever since the great Jim Johnson passed away.

Schwartz last coached in Buffalo as defensive coordinator in 2014, and the Bills finished fourth in the league in total defense, led the league in sacks, and were ranked third against the pass. Those are some tremendous numbers that a clown like Billy Davis can only dream about.

Schwartz took last year off after Rex Ryan (who was stepping in as new head coach in Buffalo) wanted to put his own people in place.

Its very likely now that the Birds will indeed return to a 4-3 scheme, which will suit this team’s personnel much better.

Vinny Curry has a chance to thrive in a defense like this. Fletcher Cox returns to his natural position. Stiffs like Taylor Hart will be shown the door. Who knows, maybe he can even get something out of Marcus Smith.

I’m also thrilled that the Eagles didn’t end up with Steve Spagnulo. The Birds were reportedly interested, but the Giants denied them permission to interview their former linebackers coach. Spagnulo has really only had two good years as a defensive coordinator, and his units haven’t been anything special since 2008. In fact, he’s been ranked just as poorly as Billy Davis in recent years.

Eagles To Keep Jason Peters, Brent Celek?

Following the end of the 2015 season, the future of Philadelphia Eagles’ offensive tackle Jason Peters and tight end Brent Celek were very much in doubt.

Both carry a high cap number for next season,  Peters has seen his play level off and decline over the last two seasons, and this past year it was a struggle for him just to stay on the field, with the veteran coming out of nearly every game at one point or another with various injuries. While some of those in-game departures may have been related to his distaste for former head coach Chip Kelly, its clear that he’s trending towards the downside of his career.

However, Pederson went and singled out both players as guys that he’s looking forward to working with, implying that both players will return next season.

The Eagles are still in need of salary cap relief, and may still attempt to restructure their contracts, but their odds of returning are much more likely than they were before.

Follow Denny Basens on Twitter, @DennyBasens