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After a disappointing 2018 season, Dan Quinn made big changes. He fired all three coordinators, an unprecedented and bold move by a coach that needed to put together more wins.
The most interesting thing was finding out what the rest of the league thought of the former coaches. Quinn’s bold move suggested he thought the problem was coaching, not personnel. Would the rest of the league agree?
Keith Armstrong was immediately hired by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Steve Sarkisian was quickly hired by Alabama, but there were no rumors of NFL interest. Marquand Manuel, surprisingly, never landed anywhere. That may finally change.
Eagles have interviewed former Falcons defensive coordinator Marquand Manuel for defensive backs coach and a deal could happen as early as today, per source. Manuel was a key member of Atlanta’s defense during Super Bowl run, can help a Philly secondary that needs it.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) January 24, 2020
Manuel, similar to Sarkisian, showed some flashes while in Atlanta. The young defense looked great in 2017, with many expecting a big jump in 2018. That jump never happened after injuries took out many top defenders. Manuel had no answers as the defense fell to the bottom of the league.
He probably needs a few more years before he gets another shot at defensive coordinator, but Manuel is widely considered as a great secondary coach. That work is sometimes overshadowed by some inappropriate questions he asked during the NFL combine. While Manuel has received the least interest of any of the former Falcons coordinators, he is clearly still respected around the league for his positional coaching.