• March 28, 2024

It Probably Won’t Be Thurman, But He Would Work Miracles With Our Secondary

I have a friend who coaches for the New York Jets who would be a great addition to the staff for the Eagles but I haven’t heard his name mentioned by anybody but the guy is as good as of a secondary coach as there is in the National Football League.  He name is Dennis Thurman and I played with him at USC and he’s got a tremendous feel for playing defensive back.

I don’t know if Thurman would even want to be a defensive coordinator, but I guarantee that he would immediately put an end to our problems in our defensive backfield.  He would have a foot up Nate Allen’s, Quintin Mikell’s, Dimitri Patterson’s and rest of that secondary’s butts.

Dennis is well known by Eagles fans for delivering a cheap-shot to Harold Charmichael’s ankle which helped the Cowboys stop Charmichael’s consecutive catch streak, years ago.

Thurman wasn’t fast and he’s not big.  He was able to pick off 36 passes in his career and he’s been with Rex Ryan since they got together in Baltimore.  There’s a reason Ryan brought him with him to New York because he’s seen Thurman work with a secondary.

He was one of the best free safeties that I’ve ever seen at reading a quarterbacks eyes and he’s very good with young defensive backs.  Ronnie Lott mentioned Dennis in his Hall of Fame acceptance speech because Thurman helped him when he was at USC.  Ed Reed will make some of those same statements when he goes into the Hall of Fame in the following decade.

Thurman was a player/coach back in the 1980’s with the Dallas Cowboys and he did a nice job of working with Everson Walls, Michael Downs and the other young defensive backs there.  He’s always been a student of the game, who could read routes and anticipate what the opposing offense was going to do.

GCOBB

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ozzman
ozzman
January 23, 2011 8:49 am

Now thats a guy we need here.

paulman
paulman
January 23, 2011 9:08 am

He was a very good player with great natural instincts..I didn’t even know he was Coaching in the NFL,
and sounds like he has a promising future

phillystros5
phillystros5
January 23, 2011 9:54 am

think we could sign him to play db next year too.. give him a dual contract as a player/coach hahahaha. prolly only way we get him is give him promotion to DC or could we grab ur buddy G to come run our secondary as we need a coach there.. common G dont he owe you a favor for something back in the day? think long and hard G lol.

Boyer
Boyer
January 23, 2011 10:07 am

You gotta Press Pass, G. Tell ’em.

Boyer
Boyer
January 23, 2011 10:12 am

btw, G. That Haynesworth clip you put up there is SICK. Chris Williams is no slouch at all and he just DEMOLISHED him. I hope to God we can get that guy over here on the cheap to work with our new D-line coach. Put him next to Dixon and cut Patterson and our D has already moved up a couple rankings. I just want to see this D be as nasty as humanly possible. I wanna see 9 or 10 Dawkins out there playing with absolutely no mercy.

Butch007
Butch007
January 23, 2011 12:47 pm

I can appreciate this pick, but I can go one better. DAWK…

My suspicion is that Brian Dawkins will get released after this season and may not get another contract. If/when he gets released the Eagles should make him a player/coach that coaches the secondary immediately if possible.

paulman
paulman
January 23, 2011 1:37 pm

I was thinking the same thing Butch about Dawk in which Ido believe he get’s released by Broncos..
Invite him to camp and at least hire him on the Staff and groom him into a Secondary Coach or Assistant to the DC.. EAgles have a young Secondary with Allen.COleman,Anderson,Lindley and whoever else they draft this year, so do have Dawk as a mentor and Coach would be great for them..
I do think Q Mickell will get bigger dollars offers elsewhere and I don’t expect him to return to the Eagles..Look for the Panther (where he could re-connect with McDermott who has been his only coach) or possibly, even the hated Cowboys who need Safety help in a big way and would fit it nicely there ,since he would know their opponents very well sinec playing a similar schedule

Stevo
Stevo
January 23, 2011 3:39 pm

Yes butch I “reported” that several weeks ago on the topic I wrote that G posted. How did that sound paulman?? Reprted doesn’t work does it??

tjp2033
tjp2033
January 23, 2011 4:13 pm

Anyone think it is at all possible the Eagles take a hard run at Dick Lebeau? PFT just had a blog saying he is not signed next year. I know he runs the 3-4 and it would be hard not to see Pburgh signing him again, but does anyone think it is possible at all?

Pulauwin
January 23, 2011 4:36 pm

I wholeheartedly agree about Dawkins. He’s probably going to intern with the Eagles just like Duce Staley is currently.

Iggles
Iggles
January 23, 2011 5:13 pm

TJP:
LeBeau isn’t going anywhere; he’s been in a winning tradition for years. Extra $$ would never make me move.
I’m not sure we can afford to release Mikell without some young talent or better to fill in, though with a new DC, that whole secondary needs a change in play and attitude.
I completely forgot about Thurman’s shot on Harold, but why would he move to a REBUILDING team as same position coach when he’s got close ties with Ryan? There comes a time when good, older coaches get tired of the moving around country.

Stevo
Stevo
January 23, 2011 5:21 pm

About dawk- one thing everyone is forgetting… The eagles screwed him and he has not/will not forget it. Remember…. They didn’t even call him. I mentioned weeks ago that the birds SHOULD do it but I don’t know that dawk will yet.

paulman
paulman
January 23, 2011 6:08 pm

How did te Eafgles screw him Steveo..
Dawk just made $9 MIllion the last 2 Seasons… It was his choice .. Let it go …

Talongrip
Talongrip
January 23, 2011 6:35 pm

This team simply cannot get out of their own way….Every year its always something. At what point do we actually Draft smart, run the football, develop game plans to attack opposing defenses weaknesses, use smart clock management. How many fans know in the Eagles offense they dont have check downs or hot reads???? THIS PHILOSOPHY HAS TO CHANGE in order for the Eagles to win a SB. Unless this team makes a HC change we are in trouble. Help us please Bill Cowher or John Gruden.

SportsBum
SportsBum
January 23, 2011 9:20 pm

It is very strange to see the Eagles not really interviewing anyone for the D-Coord spot. So far, they only interviewed 1 person. Now there were some other supposed candidates, but so far, only Allen has actually interviewed. Are they really pinning all their hopes on 1 coach that is on a team that is still currently playing? Seems kinda foolish.

I mean, they could just interview some coaches that have prior experience, just in case, like Atlanta’s DB coach, Tim Lewis. Or if they wanted to stick with the whole D-line theme….. There are a couple coaches that have been D-line coaches their whole careers in Atlanta’s Ray Hamilton, or Oaklands Mike Waufel. They had to of learned something in all their years of coaching, even if it was only as D-line coach, right?

I am just concerned that they are throwing all their eggs in one basket, unless they think they can definitely get the guy they are targeting or maybe they already have a verbal agreement?

And before you reply to me Paulman, saying how they already have an agreement in place with Trgovac, because of your “sources”…… Save yourself some time and effort. I really don’t care what you think or have to say.

phillystros5
phillystros5
January 23, 2011 9:23 pm

no way did the eaglesscrew thedawk…they offered him a contract but denver offered him and insane deal… it was bdawks choice to go and in the offseason he will prolly sign a lildeal with the birds so that he can retire a eagle..

phillystros5
phillystros5
January 23, 2011 9:28 pm

sportsbum im not paulman but i would think that there is a coach who the eagles believe 95% they are ganna get to keep laying low like they are..i am not saying what coach from what team but if they dont sign a coach in the nxt 2 weeks then weknow the coach they are waiting for is a GB or Pit coach.. and with the latest reports that the birds want to stay with a 4-3 d then we know it aint labeau(which would be a long shot n e way) so that comes down to GB and Trgovac is a 4-3 guy so im guessing it would be him

Stevo
Stevo
January 23, 2011 10:11 pm

Paulman- “let it go”? For the record… I was in favor of letting him walk away. It was time. So…. It has nothing to do with me. Did you see him put on the jersey for the first time?? He was pissed. Admitted he was pissed. They screwed him because they never even offered him a real deal. They never called him. He is a God fearing proud man and they hurt him… Deeply. So…. Even though I was prolly the first to say he should come back as a coach, I’m not sure he will…… YET.

Stevo
Stevo
January 23, 2011 10:15 pm

For the record… Dawk was my all time fav eagles but it was clear he had nothing left as a FS. He was bangged up ALL the time. I would not have brought him back for that kind of money but you have to actualcall and see what he wanted.

Stevo
Stevo
January 23, 2011 10:16 pm

I would add him to the roster though. Let him get out there as a LB or something. Can’t be worse than sims.

SONGSRME2
SONGSRME2
January 23, 2011 10:29 pm

The Eagles did screw Dawk anf it had nothing to do with money. People here be buying the Banner Spin. How can you not pick up a phone and call youe defensive leader and all time pro Safety? It was disrespect and that would not have happened with any other organization. People might talk about him losing a step yet his attitude and leadership that Dawk brought to the “d” have yet to be replaced. We have a bunch of nobodies like Stewart Bradley and Quinton freakin Mikell…Who sold us on these average players? where’s the fire? Safety is a weakness in our secondary and it’s no coincidence that it’s been a weakness since Dawk left….Britt just caught one for another touchdown.

SONGSRME2
SONGSRME2
January 23, 2011 10:30 pm

Stevo I’m with you..they can play Dawk close to the line like GB uses Woodson now. We need attitude on defense instead of a bunch of average players.

Stevo
Stevo
January 23, 2011 10:44 pm

I can’t belive paulman does not remember this. He was friggin crying about jow they never called. Even banner admitted he never called. Songs- he did lose a step and it did hurt us. If we had a star back there with him we could have kept him. But… Water under the bridge… It wss time. Bring him back now if he wants to.

Gotta Luv It
Gotta Luv It
January 24, 2011 9:10 am

Bring Dawk back for what ? For fan appreciation night sure…to play HELL NO…..Dude was great when he was here no doubt about that…but come on fellas Dawk playing for us again,,,I for one don’t want to see it….
And Dennis Thurman …I mention this guy a week ago…look at the teams and players he’s been with..all have been great secondaries and players…I just want somebody with a track record of having good defenses

greenfan
greenfan
January 24, 2011 9:53 am

Why would Thurman want to make a lateral move from the Jets, where he is working with a HC that he has a 10 year history and coaoched in championships and SB’s with?

Stevo
Stevo
January 24, 2011 10:42 am

Gotta love it- I made mention a few weeks ago that i would bring him back as some kind of coach…perhaps quaity control or something. I would not bring him back as a player because he really doesnt have anything left. I was fine when he left, it was time.

Gotta Luv It
Gotta Luv It
January 24, 2011 11:19 am

if he wants to coach… i’m fine with bringing #20 back……BUT I would rather he come back like Ike & Hugh and become a Media personality…SO HE CAN TELL IT LIKE IT IS

WellWellWell
WellWellWell
January 24, 2011 2:31 pm

Don’t matter who you bring in if you don’t have the right players to make a difference.