Philadelphia Eagles Need Quarterback Guru George Whitfield Jr.
By Bret Stuter
June 29, 2013; Beaverton, OR, USA; Elite 11 coach George Whitfield leads some prospects through drills during the afternoon session of the Elite 11 at Nike World Headquarters. Mandatory Credit: Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports
Philadelphia Eagles Need Quarterback Guru George Whitfield Jr.
Few draft prospects, picking late in the first round. Nobody of real interest lining up in free agency. Team production below expectations. What can the Philadelphia Eagles do to restore their quarterback performance in 2015? The Philadelphia Eagles need help, they need the Quarterback Guru George Whitfield Jr. We’ve been down this road before, and the results have been spectacular.
In 2014, the Philadelphia Eagles had tried and failed to sign a significant free agent to help their pass rush. If the rumors were true, they had sincere interest in almost-free-agent Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker Jason Worilds. Likewise, they were rumored to have made an inquiry about Miami Dolphins defensive end Dion Jordan. Neither attempt produced any results. When the Eagles traded back in the first round and eventually drafted the outside linebacker out of Louisville, Marcus Smith , there were few who were NOT surprised that they elected to pick their outside linebacker a round or two early. But it was a position of need, and the Eagles had few options in the 2014 draft. The realistic fan base, as bold faced as they could, realized at that moment that the Eagles had taken their best shot to hit the pass rush need target, and missed everything. The dialogue and chatter among the fans was almost humorous in retrospect.
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No, the results of the off-season did not produce the clear upgrade that fans and perhaps even coaches had hoped for. In essence, the team was hoping for a much greater production out of the same (basically) group of players. Somewhere, I’ve heard that insanity starts like that. Backs pressed against the wall, defensive coordinator and someone I am finding ever increasing respect for, Billy Davis, called in a favor and a friend – Kevin Greene – was asked to come in and coach up the outside linebacker crew. Yes, it was a little unorthodox, but the situation called for desperate measures. We covered the story in October of 2014, and you can click on the link immediately below to refresh your memory.
https://insidetheiggles.com/?p=35053
Free Agency did not produce results. The NFL draft, shallow in outside linebacker and it was just bad timing for the Eagles to be sitting at the 22nd pick hoping to find one, only managed to produce a young man who found it virtually impossible to crack the Eagles rotation. But that visit from a man who knew what he was talking about paid dividends the entire season. The Philadelphia Eagles rose from 20th in the NFL in 2013 all the way up to 2nd in 2014. Hmm… One coaching visit could do all of that?
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Yes, yes he could. Changes were dramatic and were across the board. Sacks by the Eagles outside linebackers jumped from 16 in 2013 to 26.5 in 2014. As a team overall, they jumped from 37 to 49. From virtually the same players. Kevin Greene, and his “Get Violent” resonated with virtually every player he talked with. Veteran players remarked afterwards how meaningful the time with Greene was. It was the type of innovation that gets lost after the season is over, but it worked and worked well.