Inside the Iggles
FanSided

The Case for Keeping Philadelphia Eagles Defensive Coordinator Bill Davis

By Dave Searles

facebooktwitterreddit

Nov 23, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles outside linebacker

Trent Cole

(58) and defensive end

Fletcher Cox

(91) celebrate a sack against the Tennessee Titans at Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles defeated the Titans, 43-24. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

With one game remaining, the 2014 season has gotten so rough for Philadelphia Eagles Defensive Coordinator Bill Davis that relieving him of his duties has come up more than once by writers and fans alike. It’s even been imagined what soon-to-be-fired New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan could do if he were to take Davis’ role next year.

While it’s not unheard of for a coaching change to be made after only two years, it’s a coaching job that has been a revolving door essentially every two seasons for the Eagles since the unfortunate passing of team legend Jim Johnson prior to the 2009 season.

Firing Davis now, while convenient to justify the failures of the pass defense this past season, is ill-advised and potentially premature. While he’s struggled to adapt and seems personally opposed to changing starters regardless of effectiveness, it’s too early to call him the primary reason for the struggle at this point.

The Philadelphia Eagles have dramatically improved at getting to the quarterback (49 sacks compared to 37 in 2013) and actually shaved about thirty yards off of their per-game average (366.9 compared to 394 last season). It’s difficult to believe, and subject to change pending the Eagles’ introduction to Odell Beckham, Jr., but it’s the truth for now.

Steps backwards in pass deflections (just 83 compared to 111 in 2013) and interceptions (11, down from 19 in 2013) can largely be attributed to the regressing play of Cary Williams, Bradley Fletcher, and even Brandon Boykin to a lesser extent. The Eagles deflected less passes, intercepted the ball less, and gave up a full point more (24.9) than last year’s team. That has to change, and it will.

More from Inside the Iggles

To me, the most efficient way to address the issues above involves retaining Bill Davis as defensive coordinator for at least one more season, but there is still a coaching change that could be considered.

It’d be in the best interest of the team to search the ranks for a potential replacement for current DB Coach John Lovett (no, not Brian Dawkins), but it will admittedly be difficult to replace the knowledge of a man who has been coaching since 1976, longer than any member of the current Eagles roster has been alive.

The next step, somewhat predictably, would be to invest resources into acquiring as much talent as possible this offseason. While it may be a stretch to expect the Eagles to find the next Richard Sherman or Earl Thomas (has it been mentioned they could have had the real one?) in the 2015 NFL Draft, the team cannot afford another miss like Jaiquawn Jarrett in 2011.

More from Eagles News

If for absolutely nothing else, a more aggressive approach to acquiring talent would remove the safety blanket excuse that the Eagles currently have when thinking of reasons to keep Davis. As easy as it is to complain, he has been starting the third cornerback from the Baltimore Ravens (Cary Williams), St. Louis Rams (Bradley Fletcher), and a fourth-round pick from before he was hired (Brandon Boykin). Getting Davis a high pick or two for his secondary debunks the “he just doesn’t have the players he needs” theory.

If the Eagles can find a new DB coach, acquire a solid veteran (whether it’s Patriots CB Darrelle Revis or S Devin McCourty, or even Seahawks CB Byron Maxwell), and spend one of their top two selections on another CB — that’s when the heat becomes real.

If we’re right here again after the 2015 season and the Eagles still give up bottom-ten yards per game numbers, then you make the change at Defensive Coordinator. Just not before.

Home/Eagles News