As we wait in suspense to see who will be running the defensive side of the ball, Chip Kelly continues to unofficially add coaches to his staff everyday. The question of , whether or not the Eagles are going to a 3-4 base defense keeps coming up and continues to wait in limbo, as the search for the man to answer it progresses. During this process, there have been a lot of names thrown around in the hunt, with the latest being Ed Donatell and Ted Monachino. Unfortunately, because of the current NFL rules, they will have to be approached after the Super Bowl, as they both represent the NFC and AFC, respectively.
We, as Philadelphia Eagles fans, should all be very familiar with Donatell, who served as Defensive Coordinator for the Green Bay Packers and decided to blitz on 4th and 26th. We all remember how that worked out, ala Freddie Mitchell (FredEx). Through his coaching years, he has served stints in Atlanta as 
Defensive Coordinator under Jim Mora Jr. and New York as a special assistant. Either way, Donatell , who is the current Defensive Backs coach in San Francisco, is a well-respected coach around the league and highly regarded as a brilliant defensive mind. Along those same lines, the Eagles set the wheels in motion to interview Ted Monachino, who has spent 7 years in the NFL, with stints as Defensive Line coach in Jacksonville and most recently, as Linebacker’s coach for the Baltimore Ravens. One of his biggest accolades has been the way he has developed Terrell Suggs into a defensive beast and Pro Bowl, franchise player. Furthermore, the Ravens have fought their way to the Super Bowl, being led by a linebacker crew, who was playing without their two work horses, Suggs and Ray Lewis for the better half of the season.
Therefore, if I had to decide myself, I would tend to lean to the side of Monachino because of his alignment with the Baltimore Ravens,, who have been known for their defensive prowess of the last several years. The Philadelphia Eagles brass and Chip Kelly are taking their time in this process, trying to make the right decision, in order to preserve a dominant, 3-4 defensive pressure. Even though the Philadelphia fans are anxious to see which candidate is chosen, they really have no preference to the decision, as long as he brings an intensity and hunger to that side of the ball, that hasn’t been seen since the late, great Jim Johnson was in charge!
By: Tony Cutillo ( @TCutillo23 )
Related articles
- Ravens assistant Ted Monachino in mix for Eagles defensive coordinator (profootballtalk.nbcsports.com)
- Breaking Down Philadelphia Eagles’ Defensive Coordinator Candidates (bleacherreport.com)
- Eagles reportedly eye Ravens assistant for top defensive spot (miamiherald.com)
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