Thank You Philly - A Letter from your Head Coach

by adelfish | 3 years ago | 0 Comments

 

Thank You Philadelphia - A Letter from your Head Coach

What a run.

8 seasons. 6 NFC East championships. 4 NFC Championship Game appearances. 3 time NFC Champion. 1 time RZ Bowl Champion.

When Philadelphia called me last May, I was not thrilled with the fit. My loyalty to Minnesota runs deep, and the pain inflicted by the Eagles on my state is well known. With a roster that was loaded with aging talent, it presented a unique opportunity to mold the roster as I saw fit, early.

The record speaks for itself, and we found tremendous success. As I head off to a new franchise, I wanted to say goodbye to the Eagles, and list some of my favorite players from my time in the city of brotherly love.

#1 - Miles Sanders - Running Back

The engine that ran our offense all year long was #26, Miles Sanders. In 8 seasons, Sanders scored 10+ total touchdowns and had 1000+ all purpose yards every year. He had 2000+ yards and 20+ touchdowns twice, and won Offensive Player of the Year in Season 69. He won RZ Bowl MVP in Season 64 after gashing the Titans for 5 touchdowns on the ground. A truly incredibly talented and durable running back, Sanders did it all. 

 

#2 - Alex Sharp, Jalen Reagor, Stefon Diggs - Wide Receivers

Cheating with this one, but who cares, it's MY article!

This receiving core was arguably the best in Red Zone for a few years, and they were all acquired in different ways. Alex Sharp is the speedy slot receiver, taken in the first draft way back in Season 62. He finished with two 1000 yard seasons, and his most incredible moment was a 69 yard Hail Mary against Ian Johns and the Chargers, in Season 63. 

Jalen Reagor was the Eagles' first round pick before our coaching regime took over. He finished a very successful Eagles career, 7 times going 900+ yards, and 4 times going 1000+ yards. He was the Robin to Stefon Diggs' Batman. Speaking of Diggs, he was signed in free agency to the tune of 5 years, $200 million. One of my personal favorite players, I was willing to pay whatever it took to bring him in. 

#3 - Davion Taylor - Linebacker

Taylor was the captain of our defense, with us since day one as a bubble guy, and ended up being the best player on that side of the ball. Beginning his career as a 67 OVR, Taylor developed into a 93 OVR player, and had votes for Defensive Player of the Year twice. 

When the Eagles won the championship in Season 64, our top five ranked run defense was fueled by his performance. Developing players is my favorite part of coaching, and Taylor was no exception.

#4 - Joshua Lawton - Cornerback

Josh Lawton was the 9th overall pick in the 65th Red Zone Draft (thanks Glenn!), beginnign as a 75 OVR, Normal development cornerback. He was drafted for his elite athleticism and ball skills, and that was apparent early and often in his career. 

Lawton developed quickly, catching 5 interceptions his rookie season. By the end of his 4 year career with the Eagles, he accounted for 30 interceptions and 7 touchdowns. He developed into a 93 OVR, X-Factor cornerback, one of the best in the business. In Red Zone's final year of the cycle, he accounted for 12 interceptions in the regular season, and 4 in the postseason, receiving Defensive Player of the Year votes. 

Lawton finished his career as a top ten cornerback in Red Zone at the time. 

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There are so many other names I want to mention, like center Nathan Dunn, who developed into a top five center by cycle's end, the interior guards Thad Fant and Paul Orchard, both taken in the 3rd and 4th round, and developed into 85+ OVR guards. The offensive line we developed was key to our success in the playoffs.

Defensive players like Bronson Elliott, Shaun Bradley, Zach Graves, and Shelton Ringer were all developed and were massive parts of our success. Many of these players were on that Season 64 championship team.

With that being said, it was fun to take a trip down memory lane. I will miss my Philly days, but am so excited for the future. This was a cycle that saw this coaching staff return to perennial success in the postseason, and hopefully is a sign of things to come!