When the 2011 season kicks off, Brodrick Bunkley will be the starting defensive tackle next to Mike Patterson, and Antonio Dixon will be on the bench.

And the reason is simple: Bunkley better fits the new scheme.

New defensive coordinator Juan Castillo has already made it very clear that defensive line coach Jim Washburn will be able to do whatever he wants with the guys up front. It will be Washburn's scheme, and Castillo, along with Mike Caldwell, Mike Zordich, and Johnnie Lynn will have to work accordingly.

In Washburn's scheme, the defensive ends go after the quarterback. That's been talked about to death, so we all know that, but something that's not being talked about is the fact that his defensive tackles also play a one-gap responsibility rather than two.

Under Sean McDermott (and, to a degree, Jim Johnson as well), the defensive ends were taught to look inside and play run before attacking the quarterback. That half-second on every snap was the difference between a sack or a touchdown pass on several occasions.


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First and foremost, the addition of Jim Washburn to the coaching staff excites me. No more will we have to watch Trent Cole dropping into pass coverage or see the defensive ends pause to read run before going after the quarterback.

This is going to allow Cole to do what he does best -- rush the quarterback. And it will allow whomever is playing the left side to do the same.

Not only that, but it doesn't appear as though the defensive tackles will be asked to play a two-gap technique under Washburn. Granted, I only saw a limited amount of Titans games, but it looked like the guys in the middle were able to shoot a gap and, like the ends, get after the quarterback and create havoc behind the line of scrimmage.

But the positives to that could also expose a glaring weakness -- at least for the time being -- on this defense and come with a whole new set of negatives.


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Once the hurt from the Eagles' playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers started wearing off, the ire of the fanbase was turned toward Andy Reid and his, let's say, methodical approach to finding a new defensive coordinator after sending Sean McDermott packing.

Dick Jauron was the favorite for the job considering he's one of Reid's old buddies and was already on the staff as the secondary coach; he's now in Cleveland. Jim Mora, Jr. was a candidate for a short time, but he's headed back to the booth.

Dennis Allen, the New Orleans Saints secondary coach, was brought in for an interview, but that was reportedly never very serious.

So a couple weeks removed from the season, the Eagles are still without a defensive coordinator and the fans are getting restless. But instead of focusing on the unsettling fact that the team still has not decided who will run the defense, perhaps we should take a half-full approach.


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Washburn is expected to leave the Titans for Philly.


UPDATE: Washburn has accepted a three-year deal with the Eagles to coach the defensive line. The following is my thoughts on the hire before it happened.

Right now all the talk about the Eagles is who will be taking over the defense. But with Rory Segrest getting the boot shortly after former defensive coordinator Sean McDermott, the team is also in need of a defensive line coach.

The first real candidate for the job, Tennessee Titans' defensive line coach Jim Washburn, is expected to accept an offer from the Eagles shortly according to Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean.

"After talking to sources tonight," Wyatt said via Twitter, "I'll be surprised if Titans defensive line coach Jim Washburn doesn't leave for Eagles."

Whether or not Washburn leaves for Philadelphia is pure speculation at this point, but Titans' head coach Jeff Fisher has confirmed that Washburn has definitely been in contact with Eagles' head coach Andy Reid about the opening.

"The only thing I can confirm is [Washburn] has been talking [to the Eagles]," Fisher said. "We are in the middle of it and going back and forth. I would think we'd find out in the next day or so."

It's worth noting that Washburn is being considered only to come in and coach the defensive line, and is not a candidate to become the defensive coordinator. That spots remains in limbo and likely won't be resolved for another week or so.

But a guy like Washburn taking over the defensive line could have more of an impact than anyone the Eagles could bring in to run the defense at this point. The biggest problem has been the lack of a pass-rush from the front four, and teaching how to get a pass-rush happens to be Washburn's specialty.

However, as noted by Tommy Lawlor, it could mean a change of philosophy in how the defensive ends are taught to play. Under McDermott, and even dating back to Jim Johnson, the defensive ends have always been told to play the run first and get to the quarterback second.

Washburn, however, teaches the exact opposite.

His ends are taught to get to the quarterback and if they happen to sniff out the run, go ahead and play it the best they can. It's worked for the Titans over the past decade or so, but that line of thinking might not mesh with the new defensive coordinator.

Either way, Washburn is by far the best defensive line coach in the league and should be able to help Brandon Graham and Antonio Dixon realize their potential, as well as guys like Mike Patterson and Brodrick Bunkley who have largely underachieved despite strong play.

Washburn's best quality is his ability to get everything out of his players. I thought it was worth keeping Jason Babin around this season -- especially at such a cheap price -- but it's entirely possible that Babin would not have been the same player in Philly this year as he was in Tennessee because of Washburn.

With Fisher's contract running out in Tennessee and his future very much in jeopardy, job security alone might be enough to get Washburn to jump ship. Add in the extra money the Eagles should be throwing at him, and by this time next season we could be talking about a defensive line full of Pro Bowlers.
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