The Wait Is Over

After three weeks of speculation and turmoil, the Eagles finally have a defensive coordinator. Andy Reid hired the Eagles' offensive line coach, Juan Castillo to take over the defensive reigns nearly a month after firing Sean McDermott and just days after interviewing the Bears' Jon Hoke. The reactions from the Eagles' defensive squad was mixed. Fans and Eagles analysts were surprised by the move, with many arguing that Castillo's hiring was foolish since his last defensive experience was at Texas A&M and Kingsville High School from 1982 - 1989. The move is very interesting, given the coaches they have interviewed or considered thus far.

One hint at the decision's logic came in the hiring of Howard Mudd, the Colts' former offensive line coach. This hiring seems comparable to the hiring of Jim Washburn on defense. Mudd's name is legend in the NFL, capped off with his final run with the Colts in 2008, ranking second in the league in sacks allowed. Mudd will definitely bring improvements to an offensive line that has struggled since the days of Donovan McNabb. If Mudd is still half the coach he was two years ago, the O-line should be able to offer Michael Vick more protection from the increasingly difficult defensive lines that began to visibly chip away at the quarterback this past season. We can only hope that Castillo will be able to pick up the defense again after 20+ years.