So ... are the Eagles going to hire a new general manager? According to Eagles Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie, the answer to that question is "No." Following his press conference on Wednesday, Lurie specifically told reporters that the Eagles will not be hiring a general manager. Instead, this is how he explained the new personnel department power structure will work:
In terms of the front office and the executives and all that, Howie Roseman will remain as executive vice president in charge of football operations. [Senior Director of Player Personnel] Tom Donahoe will run the day-to-day player personnel department, which is a crucial hire in a crucial position in terms of player personnel. Howie will be responsible for making sure our player personnel department is as good as it gets in the NFL and be accountable for that, and that's pretty much the way it would go.
Our new head coach, executive vice president of football operations and a player personnel head, they are all partners to collaborate and that's the structure.
But now ESPN's Chris Mortensen seems to be reporting otherwise.
Now begins a search for a new coach and a new general manager, or it very could well be a director of player personnel who evolves into the GM. Howie Roseman, who was ingloriously pushed aside to formally give Kelly the control he desired a year who, will remain as the vice president of football operations. But, as of now, Roseman will not be the general manager again. Tom Donahoe has been promoted to head the personnel department but he has no desire to serve as the GM at this stage of life. The search has begun for a new personnel director and a new coach.
Mort makes it sound like the Eagles are going to hire another guy that will work along Roseman and Donahoe. There has been some speculation that current Colts general manager Ryan Grigson, who has struggled in Indianapolis, might return to Philadelphia:
Should the Colts make sweeping changes, GM Ryan Grigson is still very highly thought of by Eagles brass in evaluating capacity
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) December 30, 2015
But maybe Mortensen is just off base? Les Bowen seems to think so:
That is not what Lurie told us...Eagles would've moved quickly to correct if we all had gotten it wrong. https://t.co/Je3sqpiiET
— Les Bowen (@LesBowen) December 31, 2015
So ... I'm not sure what to think.
What I do know is that it's troubling to see Roseman back in charge. The Eagles need to hire a real general manager, or at least something equivalent. Maybe that's still possible if Mortensen is right?
UPDATE: NFL insider Mike Garafolo weighs in. It seems like Mortensen was right:
Following up on what @mortreport said re: Eagles, league source says the team will be looking to hire a head of personnel at some point.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) December 31, 2015
Though Eagles haven't used "interim" tag on Tom Donahoe, that's basically what he is. Long-term personnel head to be hired at some point.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) December 31, 2015