Eagles news: Nick Sirianni keeps impressing, Odell Beckham Jr. now wanted
History has a way of repeating itself. Once upon a time, many, many moons ago, the Philadelphia Eagles were looking to change course. Chip Kelly was out. Doug Pederson replaced him, and a man who Philly was criticized for hiring led the Birds to a Super Bowl win in his second season… Then, he was replaced. Just five years and six days after hiring Doug, Philly was introducing his replacement, a young man by the name of Nick Sirianni.
There are many parallels between Philadelphia’s current coach and the man that preceded him. Both were mocked when hired. Both were the disciples of former Eagles coaches, one head coach and one assistant (Doug – Andy Reid, NIck – Frank Reich). Neither was Philly’s first choice. Both hitched their wagons to young stars in the making at the quarterback position (Doug – Carson Wentz, Nick – Jalen Hurts). We can only draw more parallels from there.
Both Nick and Doug saw those QBs enjoy MVP-level seasons in the second year that they coached them. The biggest question surrounding Nick this season has been a familiar one. Can he attain Super Bowl glory in his second season at the helm as Doug did back in February of 2018?
Then again, there is one thing that Nick may be able to lay claim to and distinguish himself by doing. Doug Pederson never won NFL Coach of the Year. ESPN NFL Insiders Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano shared a few notes about Week 15 and the race to that award recently. This one sits behind a paywall and is premium content for ESPN+ subscribers, so we won’t share any quotes here, but we will say this.
Both see Nick Sirianni as the favorite to be named the NFL’s Coach of the Year for the 2022 season. We’re sure that he’d rather hoist the Lombardi Trophy. That’s just the type of guy that he is, but there’s nothing wrong with individual accolades if your team is enjoying success. Stay tuned. An already amazing Eagles season could end with a bang.
More Eagles news: Anthony Harris named the NFL’s second-best practice squad player.
The Eagles turned heads earlier this week by welcoming Anthony Harris back into the nest and adding a Pro Bowl punter, Brett Kern, to their practice squad as well. CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso ranked the best/most fascinating practice squad players in the NFL. Harris finished second. Only Buffalo Bills wide receiver Cole Beasley ranked higher.
Trapasso also praises Philly for how healthy they’ve been all season. It’s an interesting angle, one we don’t see explored very often, but if you have a few extra moments, this is a story that you’ll want to check out if you’re looking for good content.
NFC East news: Place this Odell Beckham Jr. on a ‘wanted’ poster and place them all over Eagles Nation.
Here’s some brutal honesty. Odell Beckham Jr. has had his issues, but he’s grown up some. While he isn’t the bad guy that some have proclaimed, we still have to place him on a wanted poster, Cowboys-style (pun intended). This dude simply will not let us find reasons to like or support him.
He entered the NFL as a member of the New York Giants. That alone is bad enough. Once we reach December 30th, it will have been four years since he played his last game with them, but now Jerry Jones tells USA TODAY Sports that OBJ is expected to join the Cowboys for a postseason run.
Again, we’ve given this man every opportunity to give us cause to root for him, but if he insists on donning the wrong jersey, we have no choice but to place him in our crosshairs.