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The Philadelphia Eagles might be adding former Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Marquand Manuel to their coaching staff. Report from ESPN:
Eagles have interviewed former Falcons defensive coordinator Marquand Manuel for defensive backs coach and a deal could happen as early as today, per source. Manuel was a key member of Atlanta’s defense during Super Bowl run, can help a Philly secondary that needs it.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) January 24, 2020
Manuel, a sixth-round pick by the Cincinnati Bengals, played safety in the NFL from 2002 through 2009. He played his last season for Jim Schwartz’s Detroit Lions (there’s your Eagles connection) before joining the Seattle Seahawks’ coaching staff in 2012.
Manuel followed Dan Quinn to Atlanta when the latter was hired as the Falcons’ head coach. Manuel served as a secondary coach on Quinn’s staff for two seasons before being promoted to defensive coordinator in 2017. Manuel was then fired after the 2018 season and has been out of work since.
Manuel has worked with a number of notable defensive backs throughout his coaching career. He was an assistant secondary coach for Seattle when Byron Maxwell emerged as a full-time starter in 2014. (Some team went on to pay that Maxwell guy a lot of money in free agency but I can’t remember which.) Manuel oversaw Desmond Trufant’s sole Pro Bowl season in 2015. Keanu Neal also developed into a Pro Bowl player in Atlanta.
The 40-year-old Manuel seems like a worthwhile replacement for former Eagles defensive backs coach Cory Undlin, who was hired as the Detroit Lions’ defensive coordinator earlier this month.
The Eagles reportedly interviewed Cleveland Browns defensive backs coach DeWayne Walker earlier this week.