On Tuesday, Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie made it known that coach Andy Reid will return in 2012. As of Wednesday, Reid has said nothing about defensive coordinator Juan Castillo.
Jonathan Tamari of the Philadelphia Inquirer notes the silence coming from Reid regarding Castillo, speculating that Reid possibly won’t meet with the media until he decides what to do with the long-time offensive line coach whom Reid decided to shift to the other side of the ball.
Last year, Reid had no qualms about declaring to the world that Sean McDermott would be back. Not long before Reid fired him.
Maybe Reid’s silence is a byproduct of apparent coaching he’s receiving from Lurie regarding the subject of media relations. Lurie said Tuesday that Reid sacrifices popularity to protect his players. In the past, Reid also has sacrificed credibility, too. So perhaps Lurie has told Reid, “Look, whatever you decide with Castillo is up to you. But don’t say at a press conference that you’re keeping Juan and then fire him a week later. You know, like you did last year to Sean.”
Meanwhile, a potential replacement for Castillo has made it known, in a roundabout way, that he’s interested in returning to Philly. Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News reports that former Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo plans to coach in 2012, and that he “would be interested in any opening that might occur with the Eagles.”
Apart from the fact that Castillo may not appreciate Spagnuolo or someone close to him expressing interest in a job that’s currently filled, it could be that the Eagles would have to clear out more than one position in order to attract Spags, who previously worked as the team’s linebackers coach. As we explained over the weekend, defensive line coach Jim Washburn is regarded as a wild card when it comes to the immediate future of the defense, and Spagnuolo may not want to work with Washburn, and vice-versa.
Regardless of how the defensive coaching staff shakes out in Philly, changes could be coming -- especially since Reid has yet to say anything about whether changes will or won’t be made.