The Philadelphia Eagles are in need of a head coach and Jon Gruden is a name that has been circulating for days as a possible replacement. He doesn't necessarily have to coach the Eagles, but when looking at the their roster, could he be the one to finally get the most out of the Eagles?
Defense prowess dominated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' team Gruden coached to a Super Bowl victory back in the 2002 season. Guys like Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks, John Lynch, Simeon Rice and Brian Kelly ruled the defensive fields of the NFL.
Check out these stats. Brooks, linebacker, had five interceptions and three of these he ran back for touchdowns. Sapp, a compete monster at defensive tackle, wrapped up the season with 7.5 sacks and two interceptions. Lynch, strong safety recorded three interceptions. Rice, defensive end, finished with 15.5 sacks and one interception. Finally, Kelly, cornerback, had eight interceptions and one forced fumble.
All of these guys, with exception of Kelly, made the Pro Bowl that season.
Now, the 2002 Buccaneers didn't have an amazing offense, Keyshawn Johnson was their star who had 1,088 receiving yards and only five touchdowns that season. They had an average running game headed by Michael Pittman and fullback Mike Alstott who combined to rush for over 1,200 yards that season.
Now, as we can see, Gruden does a pretty good job on defense and the Eagles have guys that should be unstoppable on the defensive end.
Many thought the Eagles would wreck the NFL once they acquired Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie from the Arizona Cardinals in the 2011 offseason. They also acquired Nnamdi Asomugha who finished 2006 with eight interceptions as a member of the Oakland Raiders.
Both players posted mediocre seasons, but mostly Asomugha who seemed to get flagged on every play he defended. With these two corners, the Eagles should be feared. They were ninth in the league in pass defense allowing just about 216 passing yards per game.
Their issue was scoring points and allowing points as they ranked 29th in the league in both stats.
We already know Gruden did just enough with a decent offense as they scored 21.6 points per game which ranked them 18th in the league. There is no doubt that the Eagles have a more talented offense with LeSean McCoy as their running back, who can rush for 1,000 yards on his own and have DeSean Jackson another deadly receiver.
If Gruden comes in and can toughen up the Eagles' defense and bring out the best from a talented offense, then they could be the feared team everybody expected them to be in 2011 and 2012.
Of course, no head coach, unless a miracle worker, can fix injuries, but Gruden can instill a sense of urgency and toughness in this Eagles team.
As of right now, the Washington Redskins have set themselves up to dominate in the NFC East. The New York Giants' late season struggles hindered their chance to repeat as Super Bowl Champions. The Eagles have what it takes to win, but apparently they weren't guided by the right man.
Could the Eagles be the team that lands Gruden? We'll have to wait and see.
Tell me what you think about Gruden as the possible head coach of the Eagles. Hit me up on Twitter @Frankie_SWR.
