Jeffrey Lurie Reportedly Blocked John DeFilippo from Interviewing for OC Job

Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie reportedly stepped in to prevent quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo from interviewing for the New York Jets' offensive coordinator vacancy after he'd already received clearance from general manager Howie Roseman and head coach Doug Pederson.

Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer provided details Friday about why the owner "pulled rank," led by what's been deemed by some sources as an "obsession" to make sure quarterback Carson Wentz succeeds after the organization used the second overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft on him.

DeFilippo, who has one year remaining on his contract with the Eagles, wouldn't comment directly about the team's reported change of heart.

"I'm thrilled to be with the Eagles for another year," he told McLane.

The Philadelphia Inquirer report also noted that along with making sure DeFilippo stayed on the staff, Lurie is prepared to make an offseason splash to upgrade the skill players around Wentz.

While working to improve the offensive roster is crucial, going to such extreme lengths to keep the quarterbacks coach comes as a surprise. It's not like the North Dakota State product lit the world on fire under his guidance as a rookie in 2016.

Wentz finished his debut campaign with 16 touchdown passes, 14 interceptions and a 62.4 completion percentage while playing all 16 games. His 79.3 passer rating ranked 25th in the league, and he averaged just 6.2 yards per attempt, which was 29th of 30 qualifiers at the position.

Perhaps even more concerning is the fact that his play faded considerably as the year went on. Wentz tossed seven touchdowns in his first four games and then posted a minus-four touchdown-to-interception ratio during the final 12 contests.

Paul Domowitch of the Philadelphia Daily News passed along comments from DeFilippo in December about the improvement he expects from Wentz in his second year.

"His approach to next season when he gets back in this building [next spring] is going to be he's got be a leader on offense, a major player in this offense," he said. "He needs to play a major role in the development of some leadership on this offense. He's not going to be a rookie anymore. He's going to hopefully have 16 games as a rookie under his belt. He'll be ready to go."

It's a task that would be made easier if the Eagles are able to acquire a true No. 1 wide receiver through the draft, free agency or a trade. Jordan Matthews would be a rock-solid second option in the passing game, but he's not a top-tier target, a role he's been forced to fill over the past few years.

Ultimately, the situation puts a lot of pressure on both Wentz and DeFilippo in 2017. The quarterback must show he's trending toward becoming the face of the franchise. The coach must prove he's worthy of moving up into a coordinator role as his contract in Philadelphia comes to an end.