Eagles Set To Bring Back Scouting Exec

Former New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas will be returning to the Eagles in a senior scouting role, according to a league source.

Douglas was the Eagles' vice president of player personnel from 2016-19, and his scouting work helped build the franchise's first Super Bowl-winning team in 2017-18. The veteran personnel executive parlayed that into the GM job with the New York Jets after the 2019 NFL draft.

During his time in Philadelphia, Douglas was Howie Roseman‘s top lieutenant on the personnel side, and the organization's successes on the pro-scouting side in building the 2017 team were notable.

Veteran signings like receiver Alshon Jeffery, slot cornerback Patrick Robinson, defensive end Chris Long, and running back LeGarrette Blount all performed at high levels. Trade pickups at defensive tackle, Tim Jernigan, and RB, Jay Ajayi, also contributed heavily en route to the Super Bowl LII win over New England.

Douglas also helped spearhead the team's successful 2018 draft, which was light on volume but produced big-time contributors in tight end Dallas Goedert, DE Josh Sweat, CB Avonte Maddox, offensive lineman Matt Pryor, and left tackle Jordan Mailata.

Sweat and Maddox left via agency this offseason after seven seasons, and Pryor just returned as a free-agent signing after a successful year in Chicago. Goedert and Mailata remain among the best players at their respective positions in the NFL.

Douglas was fired by the Jets in November of last season shortly after head coach Robert Saleh had been dismissed. The Jets stayed as one of the poorer teams in the NFL during Douglas's stewardship and did not reach the postseason in his six-year run with the organization.

Douglas, 48, made his NFL bones with the highly-regarded Baltimore Ravens organization, working under legendary GM and player Ozzie Newsome for 14 seasons before a brief stint in Chicago launched him into the opportunity to run the Eagles' personnel department.

Philadelphia needed to repopulate its scouting staff after losing senior director of scouting Brandon Hunt and senior director of college scouting Anthony Patch to Las Vegas. The Eagles also lost national scout Jordan Dizon, who is returning to the Denver personnel department.

Douglas will become the second former NFL GM on Roseman's current staff, joining ex-Jacksonville Gm Dave Caldwell. Matt Russell, the former VP of player personnel for the Broncos, is also on hand. Both Caldwell and Russell have senior personnel executive/assistant to the GM titles, so Douglas could fit in the same category.

The Eagles currently have co-VPs of player personnel, Douglas' former title, in Chuck Walls and Alan Wolking with Walls' expertise on the pro side and Wolking's on the college side.