Birds 365 Recap: OC Search Hits Day 15 as Eagles Play the Waiting Game

Tuesday's edition of Birds 365 opened with the Eagles' offensive coordinator search now in its 15th day and third week — and still without a resolution. Hosts Zander Krause and John McMullen covered the full landscape of the search, coaching staff changes, offensive line health questions, and the state of the running game heading into 2026.

OC Search: "Panda Watch" Continues

McMullen compared the search to "Panda Watch" from Anchorman — it just keeps going. Two candidates, Declan Doyle and Charlie Weiss Jr., have withdrawn their names, which McMullen explained is standard NFL agent-speak indicating they weren't getting the job. "When you see guys withdraw, that's an indication they're not getting the job. That's not Eagle centric. That's NFL centric," McMullen said.

The two candidates McMullen believes the Eagles truly wanted were Mike McDaniel and Brian Dable. McDaniel is firmly headed to the Chargers, but there may be a sliver of hope on Dable. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Albert Breer both suggested the door to Philadelphia isn't completely shut for Dable, especially if the Tennessee offensive coordinator situation isn't as concrete as originally reported.

New interviews include Texans quarterbacks coach Jared Johnson and Frank Smith, though McMullen views the latter as more of a due-diligence conversation about fixing the running game. McMullen's prediction: if Dable doesn't come, it'll be Matt Nagy, noting that Andy Reid was publicly pumping up Nagy just yesterday in Kansas City.

Joe Casper Elevated to Secondary Coach

The Eagles moved quickly to replace Christian Parker, who departed for the Dallas Cowboys, by elevating Joe Casper from safeties coach to secondary coach. McMullen called it a "no-brainer" — Casper is highly regarded in the building, a favorite of Vic Fangio, and had other offers including a return to Green Bay with Jonathan Gannon. Cooper DeJean publicly endorsed the move.

Offensive Line and Running Game Concerns

On the offensive line front, McMullen dismissed any interest in potentially-released Makai Becton, saying "lightning struck" once and the Eagles shouldn't expect it again. He's more optimistic about Cam Jurgens recovering from back surgery than about Landon Dickerson's chronic knee and ankle issues. Lane Johnson's status remains a question mark.

The running game discussion produced a surprising take from McMullen: Saquon Barkley was the worst individual performer among the offensive linemen and himself. PFF graded Barkley 42nd out of 59 running backs, while Cam Jurgens was 18th of 37 centers. McMullen emphasized that the team had the highest rate of contact behind the line of scrimmage, but also noted Barkley's own admission that he needed to be better on "dirty runs."

Looking Ahead

McMullen predicted the OC hire will come by the end of this week, likely after the Buffalo Bills make their head coaching decision. Once that domino falls, he expects the Eagles to move quickly. The Senior Bowl is later this week, the NFL Draft is 86 days away, and free agency opens March 11. Major roster decisions loom on Lane Johnson, A.J. Brown, and Dallas Goedert.

Watch Birds 365 on YouTube. Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify.