Philadelphia stands apart from at least six known DC candidates.
Two new names have emerged as the Philadelphia Eagles search for a new defensive coordinator.
The Birds interviewed Los Angeles Rams passing coordinator/defensive backs coach Chris Shula and Michigan Wolverines defensive coordinator Jesse Minter NFL insider Mike Garafolo.
CHRIS SCHULA
Garafolo notes that Shula and Nick Sirianni overlapped for two seasons with the San Diego Chargers in 2015 and 2016.
Shula then joined the Los Angeles Rams coaching staff in 2017 to reunite with former Miami, Ohio teammate Sean McVay. The grandson of Pro Football Hall of Fame head coach Don Shula worked his way up from assistant linebacker coach to his current title. It’s a little interesting to see how he’s transitioned from playing LB and coaching that position to moving to DBs.
For what it’s worth, the Rams ranked 24th in the pass defensive DVOA in 2022. LA allowed eighth most yards per pass attempt. Star cornerback Jalen Ramsey made it to the Pro Bowl but missed out on first-team AP All-Pro honors for the first time since 2019.
Shula doesn’t exactly seem like a slam dunk candidate.
JESSE MINTER
Minter shares a resemblance with Sirianni in that both played college football as wide receivers for Division III programs in Ohio.
Minter, 39, began his coaching career as an intern at Notre Dame before eventually earning a title as Georgia State’s defensive coordinator. He then made the leap through the NFL ranks and spent four years with the Baltimore Ravens.
After serving as defensive backs coach under John Harbaugh in 2020, Minter spent a year at Vanderbilt before becoming Jim Harbaugh’s defensive coordinator in 2022. Minter replaced Mike Macdonald, who was hired as the Ravens DC.
Our friends at Maize N Brew spoke about Minter’s success over the past year:
Michigan Football finished the 2022 season with a 13-1 record and one of the best defenses in the country. Michigan placed 6th in overall defense and defense coordinator Jesse Minter was a semifinalist for the Broyles Award in his first year on the job.
Minter’s recent success combined with his experience in both college and the professional ranks could make him an interesting candidate.
With the Eagles also scheduled to interview Jim Leonhard, it’s clear the Birds are considering college coaches to replace Jonathan Gannon.
VANCE JOSEPH UPDATE
Denver’s Mike Klis originally reported that the Eagles were scheduled to have a two-day remote interview process with them Vance Joseph, former Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator on Wednesday and Thursday.
But one recent report by Klis states that Joseph had a 4.5 hour interview on Tuesday and will speak to Howie Roseman and Jeffrey Lurie on Wednesday.
Joseph is also still in contention to be the opening defensive coordinator for the Denver Broncos.
Gregory Schuman?
Here’s an interesting tweet from 97.5 The Fanatic’s John Kincade, who lived in Atlanta before moving back to Philadelphia:
Kincade followed in a Answer that he was not referring to Georgia Bulldogs co-defensive coordinator/safety coach Will Muschamp. That would lead to the assumption that he’s referring to co-defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Glenn Schumann instead.
Schumann, 32, was a student assistant in Alabama from 2008 to 2011 before serving as a research assistant from 2011 to 2014. He then followed Kirby Smart to Georgia as inside linebackers coach in 2016 before being promoted to his co-DC in 2019.
In his current role, Schumann has helped Georgia consistently have one of the best defenses in college football. The program has produced no shortage of NFL talent, as the Eagles well know after drafting two Dawgs last year. Notable players coached by Schumann include Nakobe Dean, Roquan Smith and Quay Walker.
Since the Eagles are interested in Leonhard and Minter, it would make sense for Schumann to be there as well.
EAGLES DC SEARCH REVIEW
So in case you’re lost, the Eagles have six known DC candidates:
- Dennard Wilson
- Vance Joseph
- Sean Desai
- Jim Leonard
- Chris Schula
- Jesse Minter
And Schumann could also be a contender.
You’d think the Eagles would love to get a job sooner or later.
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