Keep in mind that this is an opinion piece by Marcus Hayes, who, along with Jeff McLane, I've always felt is among the biggest A-holes among Philly sportswriters, who are not a highly regarded group to begin with.  And I don't see how the DB's will be in mutiny mode when most likely 2 or more of the starters will be w different teams next year.  And didn't Slay go on record yesterday as saying that he loves Philly and wants to stay with the Eagles.  This is just click bait by an entitled, incompetent writer who should have been canned a long time ago.

https://www.inquirer.com/eagles/eagles-nick-sirianni-fired-dennard-wilson-20230305.html

Nick Sirianni courts mutiny by firing DB coach Dennard Wilson after snubbing him as Eagles DC

The second-year head coach, flush with Super Bowl near-success, dismissed his most popular and productive defensive assistant, even after Wilson assured him he would hold no grudges about DC position.

by Marcus Hayes | Columnist

Can’t wait to see their next tweets.

Continuity is always a challenge for successful teams. The Eagles have now lost the coordinator, defensive backs coach, and the linebackers coach from the No. 2 defense in the NFL. Gannon took Nick Rallis with him to Arizona.

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Significantly, he did not take Wilson.

Wilson, an 11-year NFL assistant who, like Gannon, was part of Sirianni’s first Eagles staff in 2021, was the DB coach and the defensive passing game coordinator of the No. 1 pass defense in the NFL. The Eagles’ 70 sacks set a franchise record, but many of those sacks developed because receivers simply were not open. The Eagles tied for fourth in the NFL with 17 interceptions.

Wilson’s influence went far beyond the field; he handled the team’s most volatile group of players like a demolition expert handles nitroglycerine.

For instance, Wilson defused a potentially explosive situation after the Eagles’ Christmas Eve loss at Dallas. After the game, Slay pointed a finger at backup slot corner Josiah Scott, who blew a coverage that allowed the Cowboys to convert a third-and-30 en route to a key loss. In fact, Wilson turned a potentially disastrous situation into a team-building moment.

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» READ MORE: How third-and-30 against Dallas reset the Eagles secondary en route to Super Bowl LVII

As such, after losing offensive coordinator and play caller Shane Steichen to the Colts, and with wholesale changes coming on the defensive roster, this move could well be Sirianni’s Waterloo.

Wilson was extremely effective in incorporating rental cornerback James Bradberry, converting nickel corner Gardner-Johnson to safety, and deploying Pro Bowl corner Darius Slay. Slay and Bradberry ranked eighth and ninth in profootballfocus.com’s coverage rankings, and Slay was a Pro Bowl selection in both his seasons under Wilson. Gardner-Johnson, who played corner his first three seasons with the Saints, landed in Philly via trade and tied for the league lead with six interceptions in his first season as a safety.

As significantly, Wilson turned scrap-heap safety Marcus Epps into a full-time player and the past two seasons and turned undrafted rookie Reed Blankenship into an emergency starter and consistent contributor last season.

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» READ MORE: Jonathan Gannon’s advice for Eagles successor Sean Desai may offer the best clue about a Super Bowl failure

Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Darius Slay (2), defensive tackle Fletcher Cox (91) and safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson (23) gesture during a game.
Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Darius Slay (2), defensive tackle Fletcher Cox (91) and safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson (23) gesture during a game.
Matt Slocum / AP
The Eagles are expected to lose Bradberry to free agency. They are expected to either sign Gardner-Johnson, who can be a free agent, to a long-term extension or use their franchise tag on him. They are expected to extend Slay’s contract past 2023, since he currently carries a salary cap hit of more than $26 million. They also are expected to use one of their premium draft picks to replace Bradberry at cornerback; they currently hold picks Nos. 10, 30, and 62.

This is what Wilson’s successor will inherit. The Eagles are expected to look outside the building for a replacement. Assistant DBs coach D.K. McDonald, a longtime college assistant, has been an NFL coach for just two seasons.

Gannon’s defense always has been a house divided.

Gardner-Johnson’s critical tweet, quickly deleted, was not the first instance of insubordination by an Eagles player toward Gannon. In 2021, defensive tackle Fletcher Cox criticized Gannon’s absurd use of him in pass coverage. Sirianni brought Gannon with him from Indianapolis. Gannon was the Colts’ defensive backs coach and never had been a defensive coordinator.

By contrast, Wilson managed to bring together a defensive backs room awash in ego and entitlement.

Wilson often had to chasten Slay, a disruptive diva in Detroit who became a foundational leader in Philly.

"All the time,” Wilson told me last month. "It only lasts about 10 seconds, but, like every day. He knows when I get real serious, and he gets quiet. If I get on him about something, he’ll come back with a sly comment to ease the tension.”

He described Bradberry, pensive and mature, as an "old soul.”

Both Bradberry and Gardner-Johnson are likely to approach the top tier of earnings for their positions this offseason, just like former Wilson pupil Jamal Adams, a former Jets safety whom Wilson coached for his first three NFL seasons and who signed a four-year, $70 million extension in 2021.

Before this season, Wilson told Bradberry and Gardner-Johnson, "It’s my job to help you get as much money as you can. As long as you play well together, you’ll always benefit from it, even if it’s not here.”

As it turns out, it’s Wilson who moved on ...

To Sirianni’s demise?

» READ MORE: Could complaints lead the NFL to outlaw the Eagles’ QB sneak ‘tush push’ tactic?

Published March 5, 2023

 

This writer's job has to be that of over-the-top takes on any situation and put negative spins on it.  The report was a "mutual parting of ways"...this guy is the only one stating that Siri "fired" him.  And he doesn't back up his claim of the "firing" with any substance...such as, did Wilson directly tell him that he told Siri there would be no grudges? Who told this writer that?  Seems baseless.

And "Gannon’s defense always has been a house divided" ?  That is certainly a bit of a stretch if not just outright false.

The history of Marcus Hayes' writing is primarily a history of hate mongering, even when no hate exists. He's a whining trouble maker who can't put together a positive piece about anyone unless he's in his self anointed social activist role. I think the best approach is to ignore him completely. 

It was being discussed this morning on WIP.  They claim Sirianni and Wilson got into a heated exchange (I wasn't able to listen to the entire conversation as I just pulled into the parking garage at work but can only assume it was over having not promoted him to DC).  

Good thing that we have a amazingly phenomenal leader in Hurts that can rally the troops.

On 3/7/2023 at 11:39 PM, judunno said:

Good thing that we have a amazingly phenomenal leader in Hurts that can rally the troops.

I'm not putting too much credence into the article, but what does Hurts have to do with the defense?

On 3/7/2023 at 7:21 AM, time2rock said:

It was being discussed this morning on WIP.  They claim Sirianni and Wilson got into a heated exchange (I wasn't able to listen to the entire conversation as I just pulled into the parking garage at work but can only assume it was over having not promoted him to DC).  

If there was any truth to this, it would be all over Twitter and everywhere else. Haven't seen word one about it.

Marcus Hayes = turd

 

On 3/6/2023 at 3:44 AM, Procus said:

Keep in mind that this is an opinion piece by Marcus Hayes, who, along with Jeff McLane, I've always felt is among the biggest A-holes among Philly sportswriters, who are not a highly regarded group to begin with.  And I don't see how the DB's will be in mutiny mode when most likely 2 or more of the starters will be w different teams next year.  And didn't Slay go on record yesterday as saying that he loves Philly and wants to stay with the Eagles.  This is just click bait by an entitled, incompetent writer who should have been canned a long time ago.

So true. Him and others (BLG, Sileo) make a living out of sh—ing on the Eagles and trying to talk about dissent and weakness. Super annoying d—bags.

1 hour ago, Infam said:

So true. Him and others (BLG, Sileo) make a living out if sh—ing on the Eagles and trying to talk about dissent and weakness. Super annoying d—bags.

Yup - hey Marcus, how's that mutiny coming along?  Both starting CB's are so pissed they decided to come back.