As we learned yesterday in the wake of head coach Chip Kelly‘s firing, the Eagles don’t plan to hire a full-time general manager to take control of roster decisions. However, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link), Philadelphia does intend to bring in a head of personnel “at some point.” Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter) confirms this, relaying that the Eagles will hire a “personnel chief” to run day-to-day operations.
As Garafolo notes (Twitter link), executive Tom Donahoe is currently running front office operations, and while the club isn’t using the “interim” label on him, that’s essentially what his title is. For the time being, Howie Roseman is in charge of the personnel department, Rapoport tweets that this prospective new executive will work alongside Roseman. Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie spoke yesterday about instituting a more “collaborative” front office approach, and by bringing in a third person to work with Roseman and Donahoe, it seems like the club is trying to do just that.
It’s unclear what – if any – ramifications this news might have on Philadelphia’s upcoming coaching search. Kelly had wrested away personnel power from Roseman, but with the latter now back in a position of authority, it seems likely that the club will look for a coach to focus on just that — coaching. While the trifecta of Roseman, Donahue, and a third executive might dissuade head coaching candidates who are looking for some degree of roster control, it might also entice candidates looking for a clear separation/structure of responsibilities.
Because Donahoe’s background is in scouting, and Roseman’s in administration/salary cap, the Eagles won’t be forced to find an executive to shoehorn into either department. Rather, it seems as though the club will be able to look for the best overall candidate, perhaps someone who could as a go-between for the two decision-makers.
