Eagles will be fine without Jim Johnson

By Lou DiPietro  |   Wednesday, May 20, 2009  |  Comments( 1 )

Philadelphia Eagles
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The Philadelphia Eagles got some bad news this week about their defense.

Longtime coordinator Jim Johnson will be taking a leave of absence from the team to battle a relapse of cancer and undergo chemotherapy. While Johnson is out, secondary coach Sean McDermott will take over as the interim defensive coordinator.

Johnson, who was diagnosed with melanoma in 2001, had some back pain in early January that forced him to coach from the press box in the playoffs. Shortly after the NFC championship game, the Eagles announced Johnson’s cancer had returned, but were optimistic that he could battle through it. He was able to return for their first minicamp a few weeks ago, but he has decided to step away for now and isn’t sure when he’ll be back.

The lack of his physical presence could be a huge loss for the Eagles, as Johnson’s complex schemes built on blitzing have consistently put the Eagles at the top of the defensive ranks over the last 10 years. In 2008, they were third in total defense, fourth in points allowed and at times carried an inept offense to a 9-6-1 record and nearly a berth in the Super Bowl.

But Johnson’s absence, especially if it lasts into the season, could also be a huge rallying point. While Andy Reid has never been one to make a “win one for the Gipper”-type speech, will his defense be even more motivated to show its under boss that it’ll be OK while Johnson focuses on his health?

It’s possible. But if I could give McDermott one piece of advice, it would be this: Don’t change a thing.

Just because it’s not Johnson on the sidelines doesn’t mean the defensive schemes should change. Again, the Eagles were at the top of the list on defense in 2008 and have been for years; no need to rock the boat. And to that point, McDermott is actually the best candidate to take over in the interim -- and beyond, should Johnson have to step down for good.

Despite being nearly half Johnson’s age (67), the 35-year-old McDermott has been with the Eagles longer than the defensive guru. After a successful career as a safety at William & Mary, McDermott joined Philly's scouting department in 1998, and moved onto the field as an assistant to the head coach when Reid joined the team in 1999. He’s held various defensive assistant positions over the last 10 years, most notably four years as the secondary coach.

And unless you haven’t been paying attention, you would have seen that the Eagles’ secondary has been spectacular over the last few years. Brian Dawkins and Asante Samuel made the Pro Bowl last year, and Dawkins had four Pro Bowl berths under McDermott’s tutelage.

His experience under Johnson, knowledge of the game, and ability to work with all facets of the defense -- he was linebackers coach in 2006 in between his two stints as secondary guru -- makes him the perfect guy to step in for the man who might possibly be the greatest Eagles defensive coordinator ever.

And Eagles fans need not worry about the secondary in the interim; while having one (and potentially two) new starter and turning over nearly half the depth chart would be cause for concern for most teams, the Birds should be OK.

For one, McDermott’s assistant secondary coach is Otis Smith, who had a very productive career as an NFL cornerback and in fact began it with the Eagles in the early 1990s. Smith knows what he’s doing and how to get the best out of his players. And beyond that, the defensive quality control coach is another former Eagle, Mike Caldwell -- whose 11-year career included a four-year stint as one of Johnson’s linebackers at the beginning of his tenure in Philly.

For now, then, Jim Johnson needs only to worry about his health, because his defense -- and his legacy -- should be fine for the time being without him.
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About Lou DiPietro

Lou DiPietro is an accomplished freelance writer who is fascinated with all things sports. In addition to his duties at RealFootball365.com, Lou contributes to TheBleacherReport.com and Pro Wrestling Illustrated magazine, and has been featured on "The Sports Buffet with Matt West" on 1080-AM ESPN ...
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