‘Dream Team’ lessons resonate for Birds
There’s something the Eagles need to keep in mind as they upgrade their playoff roster with free agents, trades and next month, draft picks.
Remember the Dream Team.
If you believe some of the estimates, it will be September before NFL business is close to being usual due to the insidiousness of the coronavirus.
That means no real offseason and a lot of ugly, mistake-filled football in the firstever season with seven playoff berths because we all know that practice — grinding is what the players call it — makes perfect.
There’s also a frame of reference for Doug Pederson and the Eagles.
It was August of 2011, and the Eagles were signing marquee free agents with such frequency that head coach Andy Reid stopped attending the news conferences at Lehigh University.
It was destroying Reid’s routine at training camp, which was more valuable than ever. The players had been locked out of all organized gatherings that summer. Reid was breaking in a new defensive coordinator in Juan Castillo, a new defensive line coach in Jim Washburn and bringing an offensive line coach, Howard Mudd, out of retirement.
Reid also didn’t know much about some of the guys team president Joe “All-In” Banner added to the roster.
By the time Reid and the squad got used to each other and their roles, it was too late. The Eagles started 1-4, won their last four games to finish 8-8 and missed the playoffs.
The Giants won the NFC East with a ghastly 9-7 record and beat the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI.
The Dream Team, as it was dubbed in 2011, featured three new starters on offense, all on the offensive line. The new parts were offensive lineman Evan Mathis and draft picks Jason Kelce and Danny Watkins, who played center and guard. The Eagles also added free agent quarterback Vince Young, running back Ronnie Brown and wide receiver
Steve Smith.
Six starters on defense were new, including highprofile free agents Nnamdi Asomugha, Jason Babin and Cullen Jenkins to fill the lineup. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie came aboard in a trade. It was Banner’s finest work.
What Little Joe didn’t understand was locker room culture. There was no take-charge leader on offense, as Michael Vick led by example. And it was much worse on defense.
Cornerback Asante Samuel didn’t handle the addition of Asomugha well at all for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, Asomugha’s man-to-man skills didn’t suit the zone scheme that made Samuel so comfortable. Samuel had seven interceptions the season before Asomugha was signed. He had three in 2011, the same as Asomugha. Rodgers-Cromartie wound up playing in the slot, even though that wasn’t his thing, as the Eagles tried to get their best players on the field.
At any rate, Asomugha was distant enough from his teammates that instead of having lunch with them, he spent his break in his car in the parking lot.
Samuel would later rip Banner and assistant Howie Roseman for their short-sightedness, only to apologize for it about an hour later after speaking with Reid about the remarks. Samuel was a standup guy.
Defensive end Trent Cole, who had to set the edge for the Eagles in 2011, wasn’t a fan of Babin, who ranked among the league leaders with 18 sacks that year and didn’t set any edges. Babin operated in the wide-nine alignment even if the Eagles didn’t call it.
It didn’t help that Reid defied Banner’s prodding to fire Sean McDermott and hire an outside defensive coordinator. Castillo, who came over from the offensive side of the ball, was set up to fail from the beginning. And he was undermined by Washburn, who acted like he was the defensive coordinator.
Washburn was admired by the defensive linemen, just nobody else. The following season he almost got a knuckle sandwich when he tried to tussle with Martin Mornhinweg. Reid fired him before the campaign was over.
The good news is that Pederson was on that 2011 coaching staff. He understands how critical it is to establish the culture. And this time, all NFL teams will be in the same boat calendar-wise.
The bad news is the Eagles made a ton of changes to their coaching staff. Rich Scangarello, who was canned by Denver, basically is the new offensive coordinator, although quarterbacks coach Press Taylor is pushing him. Mornhinweg, who was part of the 2011 staff with Pederson, is an offensive consultant. Matt Burke is the new defensive line coach. Marquand Manuel, previously defensive coordinator with Atlanta, is the new secondary coach.
The Eagles have to blend in big-bucks free agent Javon Hargrave, a defensive tackle, Darius Slay, who they made the highest-paid cornerback in football and eight rookie draft picks, who are the closest thing they’ll have to economical depth in this age of the salary cap with a mega-bucks quarterback in Carson Wentz.
Pederson has the most tenure in the NFC East, where the Dallas Cowboys canned Jason Garrett to roll with Mike McCarthy, who has a Super Bowl championship ring; the Washington Redskins are going with Ron Rivera, an underrated head coach who’s been to a Super Bowl; and the New York Giants have given the reins to LC grad Joe Judge, who could be in for a rude awakening.
For the Eagles to have a chance this season, Pederson has to remember the mistakes of the Dream Team.