Ron Rivera To Interview For Eagles Defensive Coordinator Position

The Eagles' search for their next Defensive Coordinator has begun. Last night we learned that neither Sean Desai or Matt Patricia would return to call plays next season. That part makes sense, given they were amongst the worst defenses in the league last year. Now today, they are starting to build out their list of candidates to be DC next season. Starting with former Commanders Head Coach Ron Rivera.

Ron Rivera has not served as a defensive coordinator since he coached the Chargers to having one of the league's best defenses in 2010. That was enough to get him a head coach job, and he has had that job with either the Panthers or the Commanders ever since. But after several disappointing seasons with the Commanders he finds himself out of the job and is seemingly ready to make the move back to being a DC. Last season the Commanders finished 32 in both yards and points allowed. But in 2022, they were top 10 in both categories.

Coming to the Eagles would be a return for Ron Rivera. He coached the linebackers here under Andy Reid from 1999 until 2003. In that role, he worked with Jeremiah Trotter, who turned into a two-time All-Pro. He got hired as the Bears DC from there and eventually wound up working for the Chargers. But he still has connections with Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie.

"He's a family member of ours. Stephanie and my wife play golf together, and Ron is somebody I really respect," Lurie said back in 2020. "He's a high-quality person in every sense of the word."

There is still no official word on if Nick Sirianni will return. But the fact the Eagles are already interviewing candidates for the DC implies he will be sticking around. If that is the case. Why not come out and say it?

In Rivera, the Eagles would at least land a well-respected DC who has excelled in the job before. After this past season, it seems like that type of pedigree is something they could use. But if they don't give Rivera a better roster than they handed to Desai, it won't make too much of a difference.

Nick Sirianni panicked by demoting Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Sean Desai after 13 games. His adjustment only made a strugglinng defense worse.

The decision to expand Matt Patricia’s responsibilities as the primary decision-maker on defense was a knee jerk move. It turned a bad two-game stretch against good opponents into a complete disaster that sunk the team all the way down to the brutal embarrassment in their final three games.

Andrew DiCecco identified the decision as the “turning point” of the Philadelphia Eagles collapse down the stretch. He spoke about the future of the DC position when he spoke on The John Kincade Show. 

The Eagles can’t enter the 2024 season with Desai or Patricia as the DC. DiCecco proposed four external candidates who could take the position.

An announcement on Nick Sirianni's future will precede any decision the Eagles make to hire a defensive coordinator. Their lack of success on the defensive side of the ball, however, means they need to take action during the offseason.

If Sirianni does return in 2024, it’s likely that Howie Roseman and Jeffrey Lurie will take a more active role in choosing the new DC. Their defensive philosophy in recent seasons has aligned with the Vic Fangio scheme focused on limiting explosive plays.

The philosophy has its flaws. However, the Eagles experienced relative success through the NFC Championship Game under Gannon in 2022. A tremendous pass rush and opportunistic turnovers carried them to an impressive statistical finish and the Super Bowl appearance.

The evaluation of a potential new DC will likely depend on how the candidates feel about employing a similar approach to accomplish the organization’s objective.

Nick Sirianni fired Dennard Wilson after the 2023 season in a questionable move just after his former defensive backs coach was one of the leading candidates who missed out on a promotion to the DC position to replace Jonathan Gannon.

DiCecco suspects that Wilson would only return if Sirianni isn’t the head coach. Darius Slay spoke to The Philadelphia Inquirer about his respect for Wilson, who spent the 2023 on the Baltimore Ravens staff under John Harbaugh.

Sydney Brown, Eli Ricks, and Kelee Ringo will factor heavily into the future of an aging secondary. Younger players could benefit from tough coaching and accountability as they develop into key pieces of a restructured defense.

The Eagles boasted the best secondary in the NFL in the early 2000s when Brian Dawkins patrolled the field during his prime years. Troy Vincent and Bobby Taylor covered the outside, but Al Harris was a less-celebrated contributor.

Harris spent the first five of his 14 NFL seasons with the Eagles from 1998-2002, playing mostly under Andy Reid and Jim Johnson. He has worked as the defensive backs coach for the Dallas Cowboys since 2020.

The Cowboys developed Trevon Diggs as one of the most dangerous ballhawks in the NFL during his first three seasons. After a torn ACL ended his 2023 season early, DaRon Bland stepped in seamlessly. He led the league with nine interceptions and set an NFL record returning five of them for touchdowns.

Philadelphia fans who previously wanted to say Diggs’ big-play ability was somewhat fluky must acknowledge that the Dallas coaching staff plugged in a second ballhawk with even more success.

The Eagles finished tied for 25th in the NFL with nine interceptions in 2023. They picked off opposing quarterbacks 17 times in 2022 on their way to a 14-3 record.

The University of Michigan just won their first NCAA National Championship since 1997. Jim Harbaugh has dominated the headlines as an NFL head coaching candidate. However, a powerhouse program with a fierce defense that led the nation allowing just 10.4 points per game also points to a possible promotion for their DC.

Jesse Minter will be a hot commodity this offseason. NFL prospects like Kris Jenkins, Rod Moore, and Junior Colson flourished for the Wolverines in 2023. The Eagles have spent significant draft capital in recent seasons on defensive players (mainly from Georgia).

Could a new DC from the college ranks translate to the NFL level?

Journeyman coach Ryan Nielsen earned his first opportunity as a solo defensive coordinator in 2023 with the Atlanta Falcons. He bounced around through the NCAA and professional ranks since age 23, shortly after he stopped a playing career that included signing a contract as an undrafted free agent with the Eagles in 2002. 

The Falcons finished 24th in defensive DVOA in 2023. The Eagles finished 29th despite a roster with more talent, especially along the defensive front. They were one of only six teams in the NFL that forced fewer turnovers than the Eagles. 

If a candidate like Nielsen got the opportunity to work with more talent, could he lead a unit back into the top half of the league? The NFL might find out after the Falcons let go of Arthur Smith. Nielsen's future isn't certain yet with a coaching staff in flux.