The Eagles might be in search for a new defensive coordinator for the second-straight season.
According to an ESPN report, defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon could be the Houston Texans first choice to be their next head coach, meaning he would be leaving Philadelphia after just one season.
Per ESPN’s Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler:
One of the hottest names out there is that of Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, who I'm told made a very strong impression in his interview with the Texans and is considered by some in that building to be the current front-runner for the job.
Gannon’s first season with the Eagles was an up-and-down year that have left many split on the job he did. On one hand, the Eagles’ defense was 8th in the NFL in points allowed prior to resting all of their starters in Week 18. On the other, they struggled against every elite quarterback they faced, and didn’t really have a strong game against any quality offense.
While fans are split, however, there is no denying the loss of Gannon would be a big one for the Eagles.
There are some big-name coordinators available, such as Vic Fangio, but there is no guarantee they will come to the Eagles. A hire like Fangio or Mike Zimmer might be an immediate upgrade based on their resumes, but if the Eagles strike out on either, they will once again be left betting on an unproven candidate like they did with Gannon.
Gannon’s first year might not have been perfect, but it was good enough to get the team into the playoffs. There is no guarantee the next defensive coordinator will be able to get this group, even with new talent, into the top 10 of points allowed. Plus, Gannon leaving would mean all of the defensive players learning an entirely new scheme for the second-straight season, doing away with any progress they might have hoped to make in the second year with the same coordinator.
At one point Gannon leaving seemed very unlikely, but the further along this head coaching cycle goes, the more it seems like the Eagles might need to find a new defensive coordinator.
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com