Eagles Vic Fangio has thoughts on Jalen Carter − and why Phillies stick with Castellanos

PHILADELPHIA − Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio provided a glimpse into their systems more three months since they were hired.

But it was only a glimpse.

Fangio, who's 65, has a wealth of knowledge on defense, having served as a head coach for three years in Denver and as a defensive coordinator for two decades in the NFL. The Eagles, in fact, have tried to emulate his system with previous coordinators Jonathan Gannon (2021-22) and Sean Desai (2023) to mixed results.

GRAND TIME:Why grand slamming Bryce Harper, Phillies are loosest, sexiest Brandon Marsh rock band team

CRASH COURSE:Eagles Jalyx Hunt goes from calling GM 'Big Pimpin' to crash course on NFL at rookie camp

Fangio and the Dolphins mutually parted ways after last season, and he jumped at the chance to return to Philly where he began his coaching career 40 years ago in the USFL with the Philadelphia Stars.

"Exactly 40 years ago, when I started my pro coaching career across the street at Veterans Stadium, I thought it’d be cool to hopefully end it here," he said Thursday. "So 40 years later, here I am."

Fangio, of course, will have autonomy over the defense because Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni is primarily an offensive coach.

That's not necessarily the case for Moore, who has the balancing act of meshing Sirianni's system for three years while adding his touches to an offense that even Sirianni said had grown stale last season when the Eagles went 1-6 to close the season.

That, of course, is why both Desai and his late-season replacement, Matt Patricia, were let go, as was offensive coordinator Brian Johnson.

So yes, there will be changes on both sides of the ball.

"I think everyone’s got their different flavor from a systematic approach," Moore said. "I think our real focus here, as we’ve gone through this process is, we got a lot of good going on. ... But there will be tweaks. There will be changes. Everything is constantly evolving. That’s part of this whole offseason program."

Here, then, are five takeaways from Fangio and Moore's press conferences:

Fangio would have come to Eagles in 2023 instead of Desai

The Eagles were already familiar with Fangio when they were looking for a defensive coordinator in February 2023, just after losing to the Chiefs in the Super Bowl.

Fangio was actually serving as a consultant for the Eagles for two weeks before the Super Bowl. Fangio studied the Chiefs' defense to benefit the Eagles' offense.

But the Eagles were reportedly under the assumption that Gannon would return as defensive coordinator. Two days after the Super Bowl, Gannon became the Arizona Cardinals' head coach. A few months later, the Cardinals admitted to tampering by contacting Gannon during a "dead period" for coaches.

Fangio, however, had already accepted a job as the Dolphins' defensive coordinator. So the Eagles hired Desai.

Asked Thursday if he would have taken the Eagles job instead, Fangio said: "I think that’s a fair assumption."

What does Fangio expect from Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis?

It's easy to see that the Eagles have big plans for defensive tackles Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis after Fletcher Cox's retirement.

As a rookie in 2023, Carter had 6½ sacks, but faded down the stretch of the season. The same is true with Davis, who improved from his rookie season in 2022.

Still, neither Carter nor Davis played 50% of the defensive snaps last season. They were significantly behind Cox, who led the defensive tackles with 59% of the snaps.

Fangio said that will change this season, and that work has already begun during the two-plus weeks of strength and conditioning drills, with organized team activities coming the week of May 20.

"I think he’s talented enough that no matter what we do with him, we’ll be maximizing him," Fangio said about Carter. "He’s gotta get in great shape, which I think he’s off to a great start here, so that we can play him a lot."

The Eagles didn't sign a free agent or draft a player at defensive tackle, a clear indication that they have high expectations for Carter and Davis.

Kellen Moore loves Jalen Hurts' uniqueness

Moore has served as an offensive coordinator in Dallas with quarterback Dak Prescott and last season with the Chargers with quarterback Justin Herbert.

Both are considered prolific passers, while Hurts adds the dimension of his running ability, having gained at least 605 yards rushing in each of his three seasons as a full-time starter.

"I’ve really enjoyed Jalen’s process," Moore said. "He’s a really smart player. He has a great feel for this game. The more conversations we have, the more we get to make these adjustments and build off this thing. Jalen is one of the premier quarterbacks in this league for a reason.

"Certainly, what Jalen has done in the run game, there are a handful of guys who can do this in this league. And so, it’s a really advantageous thing that we can continue to utilize, and certainly we will."

Moore is also excited about Saquon Barkley

Moore, of course, had a great offensive situation in Dallas with Prescott, running back Ezekiel Elliott in his prime and receivers led by Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb.

So Moore knows how to relate with the Eagles' skill position players of Hurts, running back Saquon Barkley and wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, along with tight end Dallas Goedert.

Can he keep everybody happy?

"Certainly we're really excited about the guys that we have in place here," Moore said. "A lot of guys who can do a lot of different roles and a lot of variety. That excites us as far as just the way we can present things for the defense, challenge people pre-snap with all the different alignments and personnel groups that we can play with."

Of Fangio and Phillies Nick Castellanos

Fangio admitted that he's a huge Phillies fan. So he was asked about how coaching in the NFL is different from coaching in the major leagues.

Fangio said he loves the football aspect because there are only 17 games, and they're once a week, so you have time to teach and correct. There's no time for that in a baseball season that lasts for 162 games.

That also, of course, increases the importance of an NFL game. And here, Fangio mentioned how Phillies manager Rob Thomson has the luxury of sticking with a slumping player like right fielder Nick Castellanos, whereas he can't with a slumping player on defense.

"He’s letting Castellanos fight his way out of his slump," Fangio said about Thomson. "We can’t do that here. And (the Phillies) wouldn’t do that if they were in the playoffs either."

Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on X @Mfranknfl.