5 Reasons Philadelphia Eagles fans can get excited about Ken Flajole’s LBs
By Hunter Doyle
2. Flajole takes a nice talent and makes him great in Carolina, and that may be the reason he’s on this Philadelphia Eagles’ staff now.
After the 2000 season, the Seahawks moved Flajole to the role he filled in 1999, defensive backs coach, but in 2003, the Carolina Panthers came calling as they were in search of a linebackers coach. Flajole accepted, and he’d spend six seasons in that role before getting the defensive coordinator job in Saint Louis. He had to be doing something right for that to happen.
Some of Flajole’s best work was what he did with Will Witherspoon from 2003 to 2005. Witherspoon had a respectable rookie season in 2002, appearing in 15 games with eight starts and racking up 71 combined tackles, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, five passes defended, but he really flourished under Flajole.
Over the course of the next three seasons, Witherspoon started 47 of Carolina’s 48 regular-season games. In that span, he posted 283 combined tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 6.5 sack, 33 pass breakups, seven interceptions, a forced fumble, one fumble recovery, a defensive touchdown. That would earn him a six-year, $33 million deal in St. Louis.
Dan Morgan, a first-round pick in 2001, wasn’t able to stay on the field throughout his career, but he had his best NFL season with Flajole. He was voted to the Pro Bowl that year despite playing in 12 regular-season games. He collected 102 tackles, two sacks, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, two interceptions, and six passes defended. It’s also worth noting that both Morgan and Witherspoon were key pieces in the Panthers’ first-ever Super Bowl run. Put another checkmark in the box for Flajole.