Head Coach/OC Duo That's Perfect for the Philadelphia Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles off-season got started a little early with the firing of Chip Kelly a week before their finale against the Giants. So as their search for a new Head Coach begins, the solution to success may be nesting at their fingertips.

With all kinds of candidates lined up for interviews with the Eagles brass, one in particular has already had his. Eagles Offensive Coordinator (and interim head coach) Pat Shurmer. Retaining him will be the best way to solve their QB situation and fix their defense in one fell swoop.

Not as the head coach though. That designation should go to former Philly guy, and current Panthers DC, Sean McDermott.

By bringing in a defensive minded coach to fix the defense and retaining the coordinator who Sam Bradford is most comfortable with, the Philadelphia Eagles can drastically improve next season without shaking up their offense.

Sean McDermott is familiar with the front office structure of Tweedle-Dee Jeff Lurie and Tweedle-Dum Howie Roseman. He's been through the scrutiny of the Philadelphia media and fans. He's a disciple of the (late) beloved Jim Johnson and has turned the Panthers into a defensive force. He's a perfect candidate for the job because any retread head coach will see the front office in Philly and pass.

Let's face it, the Eagles front office has some serious issues. And because of that, it's not a desirable landing spot for an experienced head coach. The Philadelphia coaching gig is best suited for a coordinator who understands the situation and isn't going to challenge the current hierarchy of executives.

Which makes McDermott the perfect man for the job.

Meanwhile, by retaining Shurmer you won't have to revamp the entire offense. While some changes clearly need to be made, Shurmer will have another season with many of the same players. A familiarity is established and a trust has been gained. Plus, it's no secret that free agent QB, Sam Bradford loves playing for the guy. If Howie Roseman can work his salary cap magic to retain Bradford, with Shurmer's presence as a bargaining chip, now you have a second year with a QB who many of the players have grown to love.

Jordan Matthews and Zack Ertz have both expressed their desire to see their QB back next year.

Heck, it wouldn't surprise me in the least to hear that Jeff Lurie decided to hire the entire coaching staff as opposed to letting his new head coach do it. And since Lurie loves offense, retaining Shurmer (which in turn helps to convince Bradford to stay) makes total sense.

The final game of the season really showed what Shurmer and Bradford can do when given complete control of the offense. Which, under McDermott, they would have. Granted, that Giants defense is complete trash so putting up 35 points is what they should have done. If they did anything less, fans would be insulted.

For those concerned that McDermott can't interview until Carolina is finished with their playoff run, Panthers Head Coach, Ron Rivera, has given his coordinator's permission to do interviews.

So, while no official announcement to bring Sean McDermott in to Philadelphia have been made, and Shurmer has already had his, it'll be interesting to see how it all plays out. There is some interest on McDermott's part, however. He recently went on the air to discuss his resume and philosophy on Philadelphia's 97.5 the Fanatic, which you can listen to here.