Eagles show instant trust in Sean Mannion and make risky but calculated hire to replace OL coach Jeff Stoutland
It’s a coaching staff decision that may pay off or backfire rather quickly.
The Philadelphia Eagles had a divorce that many fans were dreading last week. Long-time, well-respected offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland announced his exit from the coaching staff.
Accordingly, finding his replacement has been a hopeful, yet concerning, concept for many. There is only one Jeff Stoutland, but someone has to fulfill his role going forward. The Eagles have reportedly landed on a candidate with ties to the coaching staff who has plenty of potential.
Eagles find Jeff Stoutland’s replacement at offensive line coach
According to Tom Pelissero, the Eagles are hiring Chris Kuper as their new OL coach. Kuper held that role with the Minnesota Vikings for the past four seasons. He played 8 seasons in the NFL with the Denver Broncos.
This new follows last week’s reports of uncertainty surrounding Landon Dickerson and Lane Johnson’s future. There is a reality where both of them retire this offseason, opening up two massive holes along the OL unit for the Eagles.
“In terms of Lane and his future, here’s what I can say: He’s definitely not sure if he’s coming back or not, is the impression I get. You would think maybe this would make it a little less likely,” McLane said. “When you’re looking at retirement, it’s, ‘Can my body do it again? Do I want to do it again? Lane has a very high standard for himself.”
“Landon Dickerson may be even more of a question mark [than Lane Johnson].” — Jeff McLane via the Uncovering the Birds podcast
Kuper’s ties to Sean Mannion, Vic Fangio, and the riskiness of this hire
Kuper spent time with new Eagles offensive coordinator Sean Mannion in Minnesota during the former QB’s playing days. There’s clearly a relationship there. Also of note, Kuper was on Vic Fangio’s coaching staff as the assistant OL coach with the Broncos earlier in his coaching career.
I talked to Tyler Forness, who covers the Vikings, about this choice and what Kuper can provide going forward for Nick Sirianni’s team in Philly.
“When the Vikings chose to move on from Chris Kuper this offseason, there were mixed opinions. Some were thrilled he was gone due to the inconsistency we saw throughout his tenure, which there was plenty of. Even so, the Vikings did a really good job overall of mitigating their circumstances. Kuper was key in the development of Christian Darrisaw and did a good job of mitigating his loss with Cam Robinson stepping in, including moving a career offensive tackle to center in Blake Brandel. This past season, 1/3 of all offensive line snaps were played by backups, and they allowed just 26 sacks, while being 15th in rush EPA and 8th in success rate.
Make no mistake about it, Kuper isn’t an upgrade over Jeff Stoutland. What he does bring is a solid coach who is a direct disciple of Mike Munchak that will do what new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion wants: implement wide and outside zone concepts.” — Tyler Forness, A to Z Sports
Replacing Stoutland is just about as tough as it gets for team to do with an OL coach in the NFL. There’s a reason he held down that position with the Eagles for 13 seasons. Expectations will surely be sky high, so Kuper has his work cut out for him in Philadelphia.
Philadelphia Eagles News
Eagles just got a brand new reason to make a bold trade during this offseason to bolster Super Bowl chances
There will be an extra bit of pressure on the Eagles next season.
