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14 Jan 2010

Eagles Hire Bobby April

Big hire for the Eagles, who have picked up ex-Bills special teams coordinator Bobby April. Thanks to reader Vesini for the link.

Posted by: Bill Barnwell on 14 Jan 2010

24 comments, Last at 15 Jan 2010, 4:34pm by Pat (filler)

Comments

2
by jklps :: Thu, 01/14/2010 - 5:46pm

I really wanted the Redskins to hire him. Oh well.

4
by dmb :: Thu, 01/14/2010 - 5:57pm

Me too. I don't know what's worse -- that the Redskins didn't get him, or that the Eagles did.

1
by vesini :: Thu, 01/14/2010 - 5:40pm

Bill, to follow up on my comments in the original link, is this a good move? Daisher moves the ST from #13 to #2 and gets dropped? Is April worth that much?

vesini, who did not use the proper stats, and is dead.

3
by Temo :: Thu, 01/14/2010 - 5:48pm

Most of the increase was due to punt returns though, and that's really more D-Jax than anything else.

5
by vesini :: Thu, 01/14/2010 - 5:58pm

Temo - Not to be fussy but ... why the drop in kickoff returns? Abolition of the wedge affected Philly's retuns? Having multiple returners - after Hobbs went down - screwed up the numbers? It also seemed like Akers got his groove back, with the kick number's improvement - did they offset each other with Jackson being the difference?

That still seems to be down to Daisher - Akers' improvement, not the injury stuff - so again, why get rid of him?

vesini, who did not use the proper stats, and is dead.

7
by Pat (filler) (not verified) :: Thu, 01/14/2010 - 6:20pm

Temo - Not to be fussy but ... why the drop in kickoff returns?

Because he couldn't coach Maclin or Harris to be even a mediocre kickoff returner, and apparently couldn't convince Reid that Harris/Maclin as a kickoff returner was a bad enough idea that Demps needed to be active.

6
by Pat (filler) (not verified) :: Thu, 01/14/2010 - 6:14pm

Yes. Absolutely. Daisher had somewhat of a good year, but still - here's April's ST DVOA/rank over his tenure at Buffalo:

2009: 1.3% (12)
2008: 6.1% (1)
2007: 4.2% (6)
2006: 5.9% (2)
2005: 7.2% (1)
2004: 7.5% (1)

The two specialists were exactly the same over that period, so some of that consistency is them - however, the returners weren't. His tenure prior to Buffalo was up and down, but it should be noted: ST change, April arrives: +0.2%, April leaves: -3%.

It's also worth noting that ST DVOA doesn't take into account penalties, which hurt the Eagles special teams a lot, and some bizarro-things during the season (not having the right guys on the field, etc). Almost all of Daisher's "success," as well, was DeSean Jackson improving. Daisher was absolutely awful at picking a kick returner.

8
by Danish Denver-Fan :: Thu, 01/14/2010 - 6:29pm

So consistent coaching the unit that fluctuates the most, no less. It *is* very impressive.

16
by Spielman :: Thu, 01/14/2010 - 10:18pm

Wasn't a bunch of the "down" in the up and down prior to joining the Bills his time with the Rams?

Mike Martz's approach to special teams pretty well guaranteed that his squads weren't going to have good special teams, so the ratings don't really reflect April's ability very well.

18
by Pat (filler) (not verified) :: Thu, 01/14/2010 - 10:55pm

Nah, he didn't fare so well late in his New Orleans time, either, and NO improved quite a bit the next year, primarily in kick coverage. That's still early on, though. His Buffalo performance has been outstanding - the crazy thing is that it's not one player or unit that's propping things up. It's pretty much the entire special teams unit that's been average or better.

This year was really the first with a real weakness (the punt return unit) and it's quite possible there was some friction between April and Jauron on that point.

22
by Jimmy :: Fri, 01/15/2010 - 11:07am

April might have had different returners in Buffalo but therre were always several candidates for the job on the roster (McGee, Parrish, Jackson). Similarly the defensive scheme lends itself to undersized linebackers who are often excellent special teamers.

April and Dave Toub are probably the most hyped special teams coaches in the league and they both coached for Tampa2 teams whose GMs were happy to take talented athlete's who don't really know a position with higher draft picks than they probably should have. I think they are probably very good coaches but if the Eagles aren't prepared to allocate the resources that Buffalo or Chicago do to special teams they might not get the same results just by transplanting a coach.

(FWIW I think the Bears and Bills probably give too much emphasis to specials play when determining their final roster leaving them short of useful depth on defense year after year.)

23
by Pat (filler) (not verified) :: Fri, 01/15/2010 - 4:31pm

April might have had different returners in Buffalo but therre were always several candidates for the job on the roster (McGee, Parrish, Jackson).

There are always candidates for kickoff returner on teams. The job is essentially "catch the ball and run ahead very fast." You need to coach them a little so they make decent decisions and follow blocking a bit, but it's definitely something anyone who's fast can do.

The Eagles probably give as much emphasis to special teams play as just about any team in the league, Bears and Bills included. The problem's been that the recent special teams coaches have been, well, limited in their evaluations and coaching of players.

There's really no other explanation for it. DeSean Jackson's got talent, but he made an awful decision earlier this year where he took a punt in his end zone and brought it out (vs the Saints). He seemed to believe that he was allowed to make that kind of a decision (which would be, well, stupid - you always take a knee) and Andy later essentially contradicted him. Maclin and Harris, when they fielded kickoffs, made incredibly stupid decisions at points when the ball was deep in their own end zone.

Then you have the on the field arguments between Reid and Daisher when they didn't have their guys on the field fast enough, the stupid special teams penalties from guys losing their cool... like I said, at first glance, Daisher appears to have done decently, but that's pretty much all Jackson and Akers having a great year.

9
by drobviousso :: Thu, 01/14/2010 - 6:40pm

Damn. Was really pulling for him to come back to Pittsburgh. We need the help.

11
by Theo :: Thu, 01/14/2010 - 7:12pm

Management went in their hibernation 2 weeks ago.

10
by Independent George :: Thu, 01/14/2010 - 6:40pm

To quote Ralph Wiggim: "I'm Special!"

12
by Jim B. (not verified) :: Thu, 01/14/2010 - 7:25pm

How 'bout the Eagles also hire Ryan Fitzpatrick from Buffalo to replace McNabb too?

14
by commissionerleaf :: Thu, 01/14/2010 - 8:14pm

Actually, what would be really funny would be Philly shipping McNabb to Buffalo to reunite with his favorite receiver...

13
by Packerpalooza (not verified) :: Thu, 01/14/2010 - 8:05pm

Way to nap Packers. Geez......

17
by justanothersteve :: Thu, 01/14/2010 - 10:23pm

Yup. Shuckydarn.

15
by t.d. :: Thu, 01/14/2010 - 8:22pm

damn

19
by oi! (not verified) :: Fri, 01/15/2010 - 12:14am

Crap. I thought for sure the Steelers would get him.

20
by Theo :: Fri, 01/15/2010 - 6:22am

He was interviewed by Tomlin.
I'd like to know why he wasn't hired / turned down the offer.

21
by andrew :: Fri, 01/15/2010 - 8:16am

One of the articles in the link says he apparently has a long history with Andy Reid going back to San Fransisco State and Arizona in the 80s.

So its probably more than, not the other teams who needed him napping as to why he chose Philly...

So he's known and working with Reid since Mike Tomlin was eight years old...

24
by Pat (filler) (not verified) :: Fri, 01/15/2010 - 4:34pm

Philly's also one of the teams that devotes a lot of resources to special teams, as well - basically during John Harbaugh's entire tenure, they were one of the best teams in the league in special teams. So it's a better opportunity for him to use his talents.

Might also be because Philly did essentially successfully launch a special teams coach to a head coaching position.

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