Doug Pederson’s Stability has Been a Key to Success

There will be a lot of new faces leading NFC East sidelines next season, three of the four teams will feature new head coaches, the only team that won't - the Philadelphia Eagles.

Doug Pederson was brought to Philly in 2016, replacing Chip Kelly.  He won the franchises only Super Bowl in 2017, and been to the playoffs each of the past three seasons.

"Doug is a tremendous coach and person," explained Eagles right guard Brandon Brooks, who is slated to undergo surgery on his injured shoulder on Thursday, and expected to be cleared for training camp.

"He's been a player as well, so he understands what we go through each and everyday, has a really good pulse on the team as far as if guys are hurting today, or guys need to be chewed out a little bit."

It's his stability on the sidelines that has the Eagles currently above the Cowboys, Giants and Redskins.

Each of those three teams are trying to catch the Eagles in the standings.  To do so, Dallas will turn to former Green Bay Packers coach and Super Bowl champion Mike McCarthy. Washington hired two-time NFL coach of the year winner, Ron Rivera, who led the Carolina Panthers to a 15-1 record and Super Bowl appearance in 2015.  New York is meeting with candidates that includes Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels this week, a young, energetic mind, that will have some interesting weapons to work with the Giants.

So after a historically bad NFC East in 2019, change is coming to the division, but the difference could be Pederson.

"It says a lot when you got a group of grown men that believes in you head coach the way that we believe in Doug," Fletcher Cox stated. "We respect his so much.  We know he pours his heart out to us, and we do the same to him - but at the end of the day, its our job to go out there and win."

So while Pederson might be difference-maker for the Eagles on the sideline, they will need to add more talent, and stay healthy on the field if they want to duplicate their 2017 success.

So what guys will be back with the team in 2020? If the injuries displayed anything this season, it was that the Eagles may have found a few diamonds in the rough, who helped the team rip off five straight wins en route to an NFC East title.

Running back Boston Scott, wide receiver Greg Ward are two players who helped contribute on the offensive side of the ball and hope to continue to do so in 2020.

"I haven't arrived by any means," Scott told reporters on Monday. "I haven't reached the standard that I have for myself. I appreciate all the support, I appreciate all the love, but I still not done, I'm still hungry, there is still more."

It's that kind of hungry mentality the Eagles will need, as their NFC East foes are gearing up to take them down in 2020.