Not too much later, Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com reported that the Eagles have already interviewed Hoke for the team's open defensive coordinator spot, and the team has since confirmed.
So Caplan wasn't wrong, the information was just a tad behind.
Or maybe it was wrong. Brad Briggs of the Chicago Tribune is reporting Hoke's contract had run out, so the Eagles did not need permission to interview him. The fact that Andy Reid could have interviewed him at any point last week and chose not to could be a barometer of his true interest in Hoke.
Hoke is not a guy that excites me in the least. He's credited with turning the Bears' secondary around since he's been there the past two seasons (after spending seven years with the Houston Texans), but the Bears' successes seem more a result of Rod Marinelli and his scheme than the work of the assistants coaching up the individual players.
Not to mention the fact that the Bears were ranked 20th in passing defense this season. The Eagles, on the other hand, were ranked 14th. The Bears secondary did give up 17 less touchdowns than the Eagles, but at the very best Hoke seems like a lateral move.
This just seems like Reid covering his bases and interviewing a second-tier candidate while he waits for assistants from Green Bay and Pittsburgh.
According to Jason La Canfora, Reid also tried to interview Miami Dolphins assistant Todd Bowles and Cincinnati Bengals assistant Kevin Coyle, both of whom are secondary coaches.
