McMullen's Insider Take: What Josh Grizzard Brings to the Eagles' Offensive Overhaul

When John McMullen returned to the Birds 365 broadcast after gathering intel on the Josh Grizzard hire, he delivered the kind of inside-the-building perspective that transforms speculation into understanding. His reporting painted a picture of an Eagles organization deliberately seeking new perspectives — and willing to accept some risk to get them.

The McDaniel Connection and Deep Ball Philosophy

McMullen's sources described Grizzard as a coach heavily influenced by his time with Mike McDaniel in Miami and Liam Cohen in Tampa Bay. The hallmarks of his offensive philosophy include deep ball concepts designed to stretch defenses vertically, 12 personnel packages that create mismatches, and pre-snap motions to manufacture leverage before the snap.

"Very run game influenced," McMullen reported. "Did a lot of 12 personnel in Tampa when he had the opportunity and then using the deep ball similar to McDaniel's sort of take on the Shanahan stuff." For an Eagles offense that ranked near the bottom of the NFL in explosive plays, that deep ball emphasis could be transformative — if the weapons are there to execute it.

Fresh Eyes on a Stale Problem

McMullen was emphatic about the Eagles' primary objective in this hiring cycle. "The most important part from the Eagles' perspective is the fresh eyes on the problem," he said. "Sometimes you're too close to things and you bring in outside advisors to look at things and say, 'Hey, did you think about doing this?'"

That philosophy is what ultimately disqualified internal candidate Jim Bob Cooter, despite his familiarity with the system. The Eagles wanted voices from outside the organization — coaches who would look at Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, and the offensive personnel with no preconceptions and no loyalty to existing schemes.

With both Mannion and Grizzard coming from outside the building, the Eagles now have two layers of fresh perspective. It is the most dramatic offensive brain trust overhaul since Nick Sirianni's first year in Philadelphia.

The Jeff Stoutland Question

One of the more delicate situations McMullen addressed was the future of Jeff Stoutland, the beloved offensive line coach. At 63 years old and having contemplated retirement in the past, Stoutland's return is not guaranteed — but McMullen indicated the Eagles would welcome him back under the new regime.

McMullen downplayed reports about Stoutland losing run game coordinator responsibilities mid-season, calling the narrative "overblown." He attributed the shift to schematic changes — more under-center concepts that were outside Stoutland's traditional zone-blocking wheelhouse — rather than any loss of confidence in the coaching legend.

"A lot of it has to do with whether he wants to be back under new offensive coordinators," McMullen explained. "If you got Mike McDaniel, he's probably not going to be back. With Sean Mannion, they probably want him back." It is a nuanced situation that could have significant ripple effects on the offensive line's continuity.

More Turnover Coming

Predictions suggested that additional changes beyond Mannion and Grizzard. The quarterback coach position is in flux, with Parks Frazier's role now eliminated. Wide receivers coach is another potential area of change. The offensive staff could look dramatically different by the time OTAs begin.

"Everybody's got a shelf life," McMullen said. "Everybody does this. That's just the nature of the NFL and the coaching profession." The pendulum effect he described — where organizations swing from one extreme to the other after underperformance — is exactly what is playing out in Philadelphia right now.

The Succession Plan Nobody Is Saying Out Loud

Perhaps the most interesting subtext in McMullen's reporting is the unspoken succession plan. By hiring two young, ambitious coaches with head coaching aspirations, the Eagles have potentially set up a scenario where Grizzard could step into the OC role if Mannion succeeds and gets poached, or where Grizzard himself could eventually replace Nick Sirianni if the organization decides to move in a different direction.