NFC East news: Former Cowboy Ken Norton Jr. hired in Washington, Eagles’ star denies requesting trade
There is a lot of coaching crossover happening in the NFC East right now.
Cowboys Ex Ken Norton Jr. Among 3 Coaches Hired to Commanders Staff: Details - Nathaniel Marrero, Sports Illustrated
Norton previously worked with HC Dan Quinn in Seattle.
The Washington Commanders coaching staff is beginning to take shape.
Head coach Dan Quinn has reportedly hired Bobby Johnson to be the offensive line coach and Ken Norton Jr. as the linebackers coach, per NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero. Washington also added John Pagano to the defensive staff, according to NFL insider Benjamin Allbright.
Johnson was previously the New York Giants’ offensive line coach for the last two seasons. He was fired after the 2023 season after the Giants led the league with 85 sacks allowed.
Norton Jr. was previously on the same staff with Quinn on the Seattle Seahawks as the linebackers coach (2010-2014) before becoming the Las Vegas Raiders’ defensive coordinator (2015-2017). He then returned as the Seahawks defensive coordinator (2018-2021) but was let go after four seasons.
Pagano was previously with the Denver Broncos as the outside linebackers coach (2020-2021). He also has experience as a defensive coordinator from stints with the Los Angeles Chargers (2012-2016) and Raiders (2017).
Haason Reddick addresses Eagles trade rumors - Alexis Chassen, BleedingGreenNation.com
The Eagles’ star pass rusher understands it’s a business, but doesn’t want to leave.
Super Bowl Sunday ended up being notable for Eagles fans with news that the organization gave Haason Reddick permission to seek a trade. It appeared as though Reddick was unhappy toward the end of the 2023 season, but the EDGE defender clarified the situation on Tuesday, noting that he didn’t ask for a trade and actually wants to work out an extension to stay in Philly.
“I would like to get an extension done here at home. At no point did I ever tell the organization I want to be traded,” Reddick said, according to Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report. “This is home for me. I was born and raised here. Two of the most fun years playing football in my life came here. I’ve cherished being an Eagle.”
Reddick has one year left on his deal with the team, with none of his remaining contract money guaranteed. While the Philly native reiterated that he never asked for a trade, he also admitted that he understands it’s all a business, and he’s prepared for whatever is next.
The Eagles were aware of the top defender needing a new contract, which led to them informing Reddick’s team that they could explore trade options. Although, that’s also far from the team actively working to unload their sack-leader.
It’s reassuring that Reddick actually wants to stay in Philly long-term, especially given how impactful he’s been for the defense through his two years with the team. His frustrations at the end of last season were more than a little justified, notably so when Matt Patricia had the pass-rusher dropping back in coverage rather than getting after QBs.
While the Eagles still have Josh Sweat under contract and rookie Nolan Smith on a rookie deal, to say the defense would be as dynamic without Reddick would be foolish. The Eagles have to know this, but are likely still hoping to get him back at a reasonable price. Letting Reddick explore trade options might show the DE what his value would be in free agency, which would give both sides a better picture of how they might move forward together.
Cover 4: What the 2023 NFL season can tell us about 2024 - John Shmeelk, Salomone, et al., Giants.com
Giants’ writers discuss just how difficult it is to win a championship.
In the wake of Super Bowl LVIII, the Giants.com crew discusses big-picture takeaways from the 2023 NFL season:
John Schmeelk: As I watched the Super Bowl (and the NFL postseason as a whole), two distinct but interconnected things struck me. It is incredibly hard to win a Super Bowl because of the way a team has to be able to put the big and small things together in the most important moments in order to hold the Lombardi Trophy at the end of the year. The Chiefs did so many small things right, but they wouldn’t have mattered if the big things weren’t in place to put them in the position to be playing in a game like this.
The macro part of this usually begins with the front office, which has to put the right head coach (who puts in the right staff) and quarterback in place to make the team competitive. Then there has to be enough players around them to be able to make special plays and win 1-on-1. We saw that with Travis Kelce on offense, and players like Chris Jones and Trent McDuffie on defense in Super Bowl LVIII. Special players make special plays against superior competition to win titles. These things are non-negotiable. Without them a team isn’t winning a Super Bowl. Without Kelce beating Fred Warner 1-on-1 on that key crossing pattern or Jones constantly pressuring Brock Purdy so he missed open receivers, the Chiefs do not win that game and probably don’t even get there.
The micro stuff is trickier, and these are the things that often hold back the teams like the 49ers that have the requisite talent to win a Super Bowl from hoisting that trophy. Do players elevate their game in big spots? Patrick Mahomes constantly does and so did Eli Manning. Does the team avoid critical mistakes in all three phases, such as fumbles on punts and in the red zone? The Giants rarely turned it over during their Super Bowl runs. Can a team stay healthy and avoid injuries like the 49ers suffered with Dre Greenlaw and Deebo Samuel? Does the head coach make the correct game management decisions late in games? Does a team avoid critical penalties?
Once a team has the talent to be in these games, can they execute the little things that allows them to win critical games against other teams with similar talent? The 49ers failed some of those criteria, some of which were just grounded in luck, in the Super Bowl. There isn’t a huge gulf separating those two teams, just some levels of execution, and more importantly the presence of a special player like Mahomes to tip the scales just enough towards Kansas City.
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