Philadelphia Eagles: Can They Afford to Lose Marty Mornhinweg?

Since the end of the regular season, Juan Castillo, Steve Spagnuolo and the defensive coordinator saga have been the top subjects for the Philadelphia Eagles and their fans. In the next few days though, that might change.

Marty Mornhinweg, the team’s offensive coordinator, is scheduled for an interview with the Oakland Raiders regarding the head coach spot.

The Raiders fired Hue Jackson after only one season and are currently looking for the right replacement. They have already spoken with Todd Bowles, Miami’s interim head coach, and more candidates (Mornhinweg included) will follow.

This development can shake things up in Philly. Mornhinweg has been running the Eagles offense for the last eight years, and the results have been satisfactory to say the least. If he gets the Raiders job or another one somewhere else, the Eagles' “all-in” season will be at risk from the beginning.

First of all, Andy Reid will have to figure out if he brings a new guy in or promotes one of his coaches. It’s not an easy task, because both options have positive and negative points, and these will define the Eagles offense next year.

The signing of a proven coordinator will certainly mean more knowledge and experience, but will he agree to work with Howard Mudd and the rest of the current staff? The Eagles do not want to rebuild, they want improve—several new faces and a new philosophy can turn this into a tough assignment.

On the other hand, giving the job to one of your coaches contains a lot of unknown factors. Is he qualified? Will he be able to handle the pressure? Will the players respect him and play for him even when things don’t look bright?

Definitely, there are a lot of questions. The only sure thing is that if Mornhinweg leaves Philadelphia, the Eagles will have to start from scratch offensively. What scares me most though, is the impact of Mornhinweg’s absence on Vick.

Nonetheless, the offseason hasn’t even started and there’s no lockout ahead. Andy Reid and Howie Roseman will have enough time to make preparations and plan their moves. A new coordinator can translate into lower expectations, but that should not be an excuse for failing to meet them.

Despite being a major upset, the possible loss of Mornhinweg will not mean the end of the world for the Eagles. There is plenty of time, and some skillful coordinators are still unemployed.

With so much talent in the squad, the Eagles can dominate their division even with a fresh face at the helm of their offense.