Jim Schwartz Brings Proven Track Record To Eagles Defense
By Ed Benkin
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Jim Schwartz had the opportunity to step back in 2015.
The highly-touted defensive coach was let go by Buffalo after the 2014 season, and took a consulting position with the NFL's Officiating Department. Now, Schwartz is back on the sidelines as the Eagles Defensive Coordinator, and the former Lions' Head Coach said the year away from coaching gave him a new perspective on football.
"You never get too far away from it," said Schwartz. "I think the biggest thing is looking at things from a different perspective looking at it through an official's eyes. You know, when you're on a team whether you're the defensive coordinator, the head coach or quality control coach, you have a dog in the hunt, so to speak."
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Schwartz is hoping to turn around a defense which went through its share of struggles in 2015. The defensive players know Schwartz has had success on the defensive side on every team he has coached with in the league. The 2014 Bills had the fourth-best defense in the NFL, and shut down Aaron Rodgers and the Packers in a critical December contest. Safety Rodney McLeod knows there is plenty of potential with Schwartz at the helm.
"You can learn a lot from him," McLeod said. "We're just looking forward to doing that here in Philly, and we're just working to build something great here."
It is a long way before the season opener on September 11. Schwartz wants to see progress during the off-season workouts, but admits the real competition won't get underway until the players arrive for training camp at the end of July.
"You're mixing and matching an awful lot," said Schwartz. You're trying to put guys in a lot of different situations and trying to sort of see what you have. They're honestly really not even competing right now. They're competing against themselves to try to improve their technique and to try to improve their understanding of the scheme, but the competition will start once we get to training camp and we really get going with some contact and full team drills."
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One key cog in the Eagles defense, who remains missing from OTAs, is Fletcher Cox. The defensive lineman is skipping the voluntary workouts while reportedly hoping for a new contract. Schwartz isn't worried about Cox falling behind, but chose to turn his attention on the players in attendance after being bombarded by questions about the absent All-Pro lineman.
"Let's just talk about the guys that are here," Schwartz said. "I really can't comment on the guys that aren't here. I haven't had any experience with those guys, so anything I would say would be hypothetical, to tell you the truth. We evaluated last year and what guys did, and he certainly had an impressive year last year. We think that scheme-wise and technique-wise, what we do is going to fit him very well."
