Report: Eagles interviewed rising coaching star Joe Brady

The Philadelphia Eagles interviewed Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady for their head coaching vacancy, according to a report from NFL insider Ian Rapoport.

Brady is a very popular candidate in this year’s hiring cycle. He’s reportedly interviewed for nearly every opening on the market.

What exactly makes Brady such an intriguing candidate? Well, he was credited for a major offensive turnaround as LSU’s passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach in 2019. Under Brady’s influence, Joe Burrow went from being an afterthought to the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Brady also coached prolific talents like Justin Jefferson (you may have heard of him?) and Ja’Marr Chase (you may have also heard of him).

More context:

Consider this impact: The Tigers have thrown 49 touchdown passes in 2019, three more than during the previous three seasons combined. LSU’s offense ranks first nationally in yards per game and third in scoring and yards gained per play.

Pro Football Focus further made the case for hiring Brady:

ERIC EAGER: The LSU offensive coordinator in 2018 [Steve Ensminger] was dead ass average. Like, 74th in college football in EPA above what you would expect from the players on your team. Joe Brady was FIRST in 2019, two standard deviations better than what you would expect out of even those players. He’s currently the top play-caller in our rankings as well. So, you have a change of scenery, you have a change of players, you have the same production from him. He, to me, is the most deserving person of a job.

GEORGE CHAHROURI: Every team that needs a head coach should be building a gift basket that has stacks of hundred dollar bills, a rolex, whatever his favorite things are ... putting it in a private jet that is also his and flying it to Carolina and saying ‘Please come be our coach.

Brady made the jump back to the NFL (he previously served as an offensive assistant with the New Orleans Saints in 2017 and 2018) last year as Matt Rhule’s offensive coordinator. The Carolina Panthers saw an improvement from ranking 27th in offensive DVOA in 2019 to 17th in 2020 despite having Teddy Bridgewater as their starting quarterback.

There are questions about Brady’s ability to lead a team given his age; he only turned 31 this past September. For perspective, he’s younger than the following players currently on the Eagles’ roster: Jason Peters, DeSean Jackson, Jason Kelce, Brandon Graham, Vinny Curry, and Malik Jackson.

Then again, there’s thought that it’s better to risk taking a chance on him early than being late and missing out. Sean McVay was only 31 when he was hired by the Los Angeles Rams.

Brady is definitely at least a candidate worth interviewing. Will the Eagles really be able to land him when there are more attractive jobs available to him? We’ll see.

Eagles coaching search recap so far:

REQUESTED INTERVIEWS

49ers DC Robert Saleh
Titans OC Arthur Smith
Buccaneers DC Todd Bowles
Patriots ILB coach Jerod Mayo
Eagles assistant head coach/RB coach Duce Staley
Panthers OC Joe Brady

RUMORED INTEREST

Oklahoma HC Lincoln Riley
Chiefs QB coach/passing game coordinator Mike Kafka
Ohio State HC Ryan Day