The Eagles are close to filling one of their vacancies on the coaching staff.
According to an ESPN report, the Eagles have interviewed Marquand Manuel for their defensive backs job, and it is possible a deal is done by the end of the day on Friday.
Manuel has coached with the Seattle Seahawks and Atlanta Falcons, starting his coaching career in 2012 after seven years playing in the league. He coached special teams with the Seahawks in 2012 before moving to the defensive side of the ball in 2013. He was hired by the Falcons in 2013 as their secondary coach, and was their defensive coordinator from 2017 to 2018. He did not coach during the 2019 season.
If he does take the job, Manuel has a tough job ahead of him with plenty of questions. Both of the Eagles starting cornerbacks from last season, Jalen Mills and Ronald Darby, are free agents. Safety Rodney McLeod is also set to become a free agent, and Malcolm Jenkins won't be back if he doesn't get a new deal from the team.
Manuel is viewed as a great teacher, and is given credit for the development of Keanu Neal, as well as helping both Ricardo Allen and Damontae Kazee make the transition from cornerback to safety. His first season as defensive coordinator in 2017 was a strong one, as the Falcons had a top 10 defense which helped them make a push to the playoffs. The Falcons defense held the Eagles' offense in check during their playoff matchup, although the Eagles ended up winning the game. Things fell apart in 2018 for Manuel and the Falcons due to injuries, but Manuel would still come to the Eagles with a strong track record of success and player development.
Manuel has some history with defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, as he played for Schwartz during the 2009 season when both were in Detroit. After some speculation that Schwartz might not be back in 2020, a hiring of Manuel would be a strong sign that the team's defensive coordinator isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!
