The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Every week, the NFL delivers a remarkable range of stories. I like to use this spot to encapsulate that broad expanse here.
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The Good: Everybody Loves an Evil Genius
As Profootballtalk.com's Myles Simmons framed it, "Eagles first-year offensive coordinator Sean Mannion has likely been called many things over the course of his professional career."
But now that he's with Philadelphia, left tackle Jordan Mailata has a new moniker for the coach.
"Sean is an evil genius," Mailata said during the Eagles' offseason program.
ESPN.com's Tim McManus reminded readers that "honeymoon phases and hyperbole" are the norm this time of year.
McManus added, however, that "good buzz beats the alternative," and things are buzzing pretty nicely right now around Mannion -- the green coach charged with overseeing the most significant schematic overhaul of the Nick Sirianni/Jalen Hurts era.
Though the Eagles won the NFC East, they finished 19th in points scored, averaging just 22.3 points per game, and 24th in yards.
Having entered the league as a third-round pick in 2015, Mannion was a longtime backup quarterback for the Rams, Seahawks, and Vikings before beginning his coaching career as a Packers assistant in 2024.
According to McManus, the Eagles initially were targeting more experienced coaches like Brian Daboll and Mike McDaniel to replace Kevin Patullo, who struggled to find his footing in his first year as a playcaller and was fired at season's end, but needed to pivot once the established names landed elsewhere.
Mannion's resume is obviously light in comparison.
That said, he played a significant role in the development of Jordan Love and Malik Willis in Green Bay, and the Eagles will be deploying an offense in the Kyle Shanahan/Sean McVay mold, featuring lots of under-center and pre-snap motion.
Whether the new coordinator can get this offense back on a championship track depends in part on whether his performance matches the early hype.
For fantasy managers investing in Hurts, Saquon Barkley, Devonta Smith, Makai Lemon, and Dallas Goedert, Mannion actually being an evil genius would be a very good outcome.