All signs point to Eagles' replacing Castillo

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Andy Reid had plenty of chances to give Juan Castillo a vote of confidence the last few weeks of the season. It never came.

Jeffrey Lurie had plenty of chances to do the same on Tuesday. It didnt happen.

Even Castillos players had numerous chances to show support for their defensive coordinator lately. In many cases, they chose not to.

Maybe Castillo will return in 2012 for a second year as the Eagles defensive coordinator, but the circumstantial evidence overwhelmingly says thats not the case.
Nobody in franchise history has been a coach with the Eagles longer than Castillo, who was hired by Andy Reids predecessorRay Rhodesin 1995. Castillo and running backs coach Ted Williams are both finishing their 17th seasons coaching in Philly.

After 16 years on the offensive side of the ball and 13 years as offensive line coach, Castillo was named defensive coordinator last Feb. 11, replacing Sean McDermott two years after McDermott replaced Jim Johnson following his tragic death after battling cancer.

Castillos tenure as defensive coordinator started out bad and got worse.

On the Eagles first defensive snap of the season, Steven Jackson of the Rams ran 47 yards for a touchdown, and that was a fitting symbol for the first three months of the season.

Castillo received a large share of the blame for the Eagles' blowing fourth-quarter leads in five of their first nine gamessomething no NFL team had ever done.

Castillo also admitted misusing big-ticket free agent cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha early in the year and played at least some role in Casey Matthews playing before he was ready, Jarrad Page starting ahead of Jaiquawn Jarrett despite being clearly overmatched and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie playing out of position at nickel corner.

After a strong finish, the Eagles did wind up ranked No. 8 in the NFL in defense and 10th in scoring defense, but after the Week 12 Seattle loss, which dropped them to 4-8, they were 17th in yards allowed and 22nd in points allowed.

The last four games, Castillos group allowed only 11.5 points per game, but Lurie made it clear Tuesday that the late surge did little to change his feelings about the seasonand presumably about Castillo.

Instead of lavishing praise on Castillo for turning things around, he essentially disparaged the teams the Eagles beatthe Dolphins, Jets, Redskins and Cowboysand said that shutting them down means little.

Theres a lot of things you have to like and I like about the last month of the season, he said. However, in reality, and its the way the NFL schedule was, we werent playing Green Bay, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, Baltimore and some of the best teams in the league.

We proved we could dominate the last four games of the year against teams that werent that competitive. Theres a lot to be said for the players coming together and the coaching staff holding this group together in a way that was impressive, but to hold onto that as the reason to be completely optimistic I think is fools gold.

Lurie alsoeither intentionally or notacknowledged on Tuesday that Castillo never was the Eagles first choice to replace McDermott.

Reid made a list of all of the top people that he was looking at to replace Sean McDermott as defensive coordinator, Lurie said. And things happen, circumstances happen, and if changes dont happen on other teams, then certain coaches arent available.

He added: Theres a lot of hidden background in terms of where did that decision come from, the reason for it, what was the search process, who was truly available, and then move forward.

Obviously, one person now available who wasnt available a year ago is deposed Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo, a Jim Johnson disciple who was on Reids staff from 1999 through 2006 before winning a Super Bowl with the Giants, running the defense for Tom Coughlin.

Lurie did have high praise Tuesday for Castillo as a person, while again coming across as vague regarding where Castillo currently fits in with the organization.

Anyone whos known this man for 17, 18 years as we all have, incredibly impressive man, incredible family, incredible coach, Lurie said. And was he put into a situation where he couldnt succeed early in the season? Thats for us all to have answers to. ... I have a lot of respect for Juan, but its a complicated process when youre going through that evaluation.

Reid, like Lurie, has been vague in recent weeks when asked about Castillo.

Asked directly two weeks ago whether Castillo would return in 2012, Reid said, You guys know what I think of Juan. I know you have to ask that question, but we are focused completely on the Washington Redskins, and added, The last how many games hes done a heck of a job.

Reid has not spoken with the media since the season ended, which has also raised suspicions that hes about to dismissor at least re-assignCastillo. If things were going to stay the same, why wouldnt he have held his Monday press conference, like every other season, the day after the last game? Instead, just days of silence.

What about Castillos players? Several have been supportive of Castillo.

Others, not so much.

Heres Trent Cole when asked about Castillo: When you have a season like this, changes are going to be made. But regardless, this is the NFL, this is our job. We have to do what weve got to do. And whatever happens, just keep moving forward.

And heres Nate Allen asked about Castillo: I dont know whats going to happen, but regardless of who stays and who goes, weve got to keep rolling. Thats the way this league is. Anytime, anybody could be here for the last time. We dont know.

So what do we have here? Seemingly indifferent players, an owner who, without prompting, points out that Castillo wasnt the Eagles first choice for the job he holds and then makes it clear that Castillos best work was virtually meaningless, and a head coach whos steadfastly refused to give Castillo a vote of confidence.

There remains a chance the Eagles will replace Castillo as defensive coordinator but keep him on in another roleon either side of the ball.

And theres a chance that if the Eagles do indeed replace Castillo, it would mean the end of the line for defensive line coach Jim Washburn and his wide nine formation.

One of the problems the Eagles ran into a year ago was that candidates for the defensive coordinator job didnt want to come to a team that already had a defensive line coach with a unique scheme.

If it means getting the guy the Eagles really wantwhether its Spagnuolo or somebody elsethey presumably wont let that be a stumbling block this time around.

E-mail Reuben Frank at rfrank@comcastsportsnet.com

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