The Philadelphia Eagles are adding some beef -- both literally and figuratively -- to their coaching staff by bringing in former Seattle defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt.
A massive man who played on the defensive line in college at Miami, Hurtt will be tasked with finding the ceiling for the Eagles’ best unit on what was a disappointing defense in 2023 and one that went through two since deposed play-callers in Sean Desai and Matt Patricia.
The former Seahawks DC is coming in to coach the defensive line for new Eagles defensive chief Vic Fangio, a reunion from when Fangio was also Hurtt’s boss in Chicago back in 2015-16.
In many ways, Hurtt will have both the easiest and toughest job on the defensive staff. He will have the most talented group but also the one with the most expectations and urgency to produce.
There are still plenty of unknowns when it comes to Hurtt’s job description and what he will be working with during the 2024 season, though.
The Eagles have been using a Fangio-style scheme for three seasons so now that they have the real McCoy, obviously a similar setup will be employed on the field but it’s conceivable Fangio could set up his staff somewhat differently than Nick Sirianni and Desai did last season when Tracy Rocker was the defensive line coach and responsible for the interior players. The edge rushers were the domain of Jeremiah Washburn.
Last season in Miami, Fangio had a D-Line coach (Austin Clark), an assistant D-Line coach (Kenny Baker) as well as an outside linebackers coach (Ryan Slowik). If that holds with the Eagles, Hurtt will be getting an assistant and either Washburn will stay to work with the overhang players or a replacement will take over.
As for the players, Hurtt would most notably be working with foundational players Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis, as well as the underrated Milton Williams, Marlon Tuipulotu, Moro Ojomo, and future contract players Thomas Booker and Noah Elliss.
Veteran defensive tackle Fletcher Cox is considering retirement, according to a source, and even if he decided to play Cox would be a pending unrestricted free agent coming off a very good season in which he could again demand eight figures, somewhere the Eagles may not want to go considering that Cox will turn 34 by December of next season.
Rocker taught a unit that seemed to wear down late in 2023, something that could be tied to conditioning issues for Carter and Davis, who both didn't have to play major reps in college at talent-laden Georgia, plus the number of snaps Cox had to play at his advancing age.
One NFC personnel source lamented the production of the Eagles’ interior defenders late in the season when measured against the talent available.
“There was too much talent there to fall off the table like they did," the source said. "There were too many examples of players getting off the ball poorly and getting pushed back. The technique and discipline weren't there consistently enough.”
Hurtt is the next man up to try to tap into the top-tier talent that the Eagles possess.
He's also the first example of the kind of cachet Fangio possesses when it comes to luring assistants.
As a long-time senior defensive assistant in Seattle before running the defense himself with experience in the Fangio way of doing things, Hurtt is uniquely qualified to not only handle his defined role when it comes to the day-to-day teaching but also carry that into the larger structure of the defense being played.
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