Where Does Marty Mornhinweg Fit?
PHILADELPHIA (973espn.com) - So what does Marty Mornhinweg's return to Philadelphia really mean?
The veteran coach was added to Doug Pederson's staff on Thursday as a senior offensive consultant, yet another voice on what looks from the outside, looking in as an overabundance of eyes in Jeffrey Lurie's preferred collaborative setup.
Perhaps that's not the case, however, at least according to an NFL source who saw a similar dynamic unfold in Chicago with another Andy Reid protege in Matt Nagy. With the Bears, it was ex-Minnesota head coach and former Reid offensive coordinator Brad Childress being brought in as another set of eyes to help the offensive staff.
"I don’t think Marty is another chef in the kitchen per se," the source explained. "He has been in that Andy Reid offense for decades. Childress would just chime in from the back [in Chicago] when Nagy had questions about how they ran it here or there or with that quarterback or that running back."
Nagy was particularly interested in how Reid and Childress used to use Brian Westbrook out of the backfield in Philadelphia and how that could be married to Tarik Cohen and the Bears.
Couple that with Pederson's explanation of the hire and maybe this time, the title does fit in that Mornhinweg will just be the consultant that he's being labeled as.
"He gets what we're doing. He gets my vision. He understands my philosophy," Pederson told the Eagles official website. "He understands what my goal is and what my vision is for this offense."
A separate NFL source explained the Eagles' coaching setup to 973espn.com after the recent changes.
Using the old staff as an example QB coach Press Taylor was in charge of the red-zone package, now-deposed WR coach Carson Walch put his stamp on third-down plays, tight ends coach Justin Peelle was responsible for drawing up short-yardage and goal-line ideas, and assistant head coach/running backs coach Duce Staley was given domain over Carson Wentz's designed movement plays and the screen game.
With Mike Groh now in Indianapolis with the Colts after being fired, Taylor was promoted to passing-game coordinator to go along with his day-to-day QB duties with Carson Wentz and Co. and will also lead the offensive meetings. Andrew Breiner was added as an extra sounding board in the passing game as well.
Former Denver OC Rich Scangarello was also tabbed as a senior offensive assistant and given Groh's filter duties as the final stop before Pederson and the other offensive assistants. Aaron Moorehead will obviously take over the Walch role as the new WRs coach.
In many ways, the current titles are a more clearly defined definition of what was going on in that Pederson is the real OC of the Eagles, something he has admitted.
As for Mornhinweg, it's just another coach Pederson trusts who can be spun as the type of outside voice Lurie demanded.
"He’s a trusted veteran coach for Doug to lean on who has been there and done in Philly in the same offense," the source familiar with the Nagy-Childress dynamic said.
Pederson, meanwhile, seemed to be describing an idea man, stressing Mornhinweg's most recent experience as the OC in Baltimore.
"I think from that standpoint it helps from an ideas perspective – how they used Lamar [Jackson], what they were doing with their tight ends. The run game is a little different and unique than what ours is," Pederson said. "From that standpoint, having that information and knowing that structure can enhance what we're doing by bringing an idea or two from that system."
In the post-Chip Kelly, Lurie has been very big on stressing collaboration and Pederson needs to make sure each voice is being heard in a productive manner.
-John McMullen covers the Eagles and the NFL for 973espn.com. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen