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At some point today, Jeffrey Lurie will likely think back to that frigid January afternoon in 2003 when the future of his franchise seemed so promising.

You know the day I’m talking about. The crowd at the Vet was ready for one final party. After Brian Mitchell took the opening kickoff 70 yards and Duce Staley found the end zone from 20 yards out, it looked like that’s exactly what they’d get.

Amid reports that Jim Washburn had become a disruptive, divisive presence on the Eagles’ coaching staff, Todd Bowles said today he never had an issue with the defensive line coach.

“Me and Wash had a good relationship,” Bowles said. “Wash is a good man, and he’s a good coach. He was never a problem for me.”

Did Bowles have any input into Andy Reid’s decision to let Washburn go?

Todd Herremans came wheeling through the locker room early Wednesday afternoon on one of those Roll-A-Bout’s, undoubtedly to the disapproval of Jason Peters.

Wearing a large cast on his right leg, he stopped long enough to provide us with an update.

Cullen Jenkins painted a different picture of Jim Washburn than the one that has been circulating this week. Rather than an out-of-control, divisive figure, Jenkins sees his former defensive line coach as a  misunderstood motivator with the best of intentions.

“Wash was a good coach. He just wanted the best for us,” said Jenkins. “People may not agree with his ways or saw what his goals were for us — I’m talking about people from the outside looking in — but Wash was a good coach. He had us motivated and playing hard.”

LeSean McCoy will not return to practice today as he continues to recover from a concussion sustained in the final two minutes of the Eagles’ […]

Last time around, the Eagles shocked everybody and hired a relative unknown named Andy Reid to be their head coach. We have to at least account for the possibility that Jeffrey Lurie might favor the thrill of discovery over the security of a known entity once again.

Forget preference for a second. Even if Lurie did want a big name, who is to say he would be able to land one? There should be a lot of head coaching openings this offseason, and the Eagles don’t seem all that appealing at the moment. They might be better served getting a young, hungry assistant who is not just promising but willing to take on the hard labor ahead.

With that in mind, we made a few calls around the league and came up with a pair of sleepers to keep half-an-eye on.

The Eagles’ fan base is a confused group right now. And in many ways, it’s understandable.

We hear from you in the comments section, via e-mail, on Twitter and during Birds 24/7 Radio on 97.5 The Fanatic (podcast links here).

This week, I’ve heard a variety of theories, all suggesting the same thing: Andy Reid is coming back as the head coach in 2013.

I’m here to tell you it’s not happening.

Let’s tackle the arguments one at a time.

From Jim Washburn to Andy Reid to the NFL draft, here’s the weekly roundup of what the national media are saying about the Eagles.

Tim and Sheil get into the firing of Jim Washburn and what it means for Andy Reid. Plus, some thoughts on Nick Foles being named the starter, Bryce Brown‘s emergence and the defense’s collapse.

Download it from iTunes here or listen online here.

You can listen to Birds 24/7 Radio on 97.5 The Fanatic from 6 to 7 every Monday. Or stop by Smith’s at 19th and Chestnut, where the guys broadcast live.

It was obvious that something was off in the Eagles’ locker room the minute it opened.

There was a tension that seemed out of place, even for a team that had just dropped its eighth straight. Some employees and players appeared on edge. When an emotional Derek Landri entered the room, he was instructed not to say a word. Trent Cole stood by him at his stall, almost protectively. The defensive line was gathered close.

Andy Reid fired defensive line coach Jim Washburn on Monday morning—too late to save his own job, more than likely. Reuben Frank says Washburn was […]

Andy Reid didn’t want to go into full detail, but he made it pretty clear Monday afternoon that Jim Washburn’s firing had to do with more than just the defensive line’s inability to get to the quarterback.

“I’m not going to sit here and go into great detail on the whys that I’m doing it, other than I think it’s the best thing for the Philadelphia Eagles football team that I made that move,” Reid said. “This was a move that I made. Nobody else made this move. And that’s important for you to understand. This isn’t a move to save my job. That’s not what that is. This is a move that I think needed to be done now so I did it now.”

It has been more than 40 years since Philadelphia Eagles fans pelted Santa Claus with snowballs, and it’s safe to say the incident has haunted—and […]

The Eagles announced early Monday morning that they’ve fired defensive line coach Jim Washburn and added Tommy Brasher.

Washburn was on the staff for 28 games. He implemented the wide-nine up front and had success in his first season, as the Eagles tied for the league lead with 50 sacks, 46 of which were by defensive linemen.

But this year has been a different story. The Eagles added resources to Washburn’s unit – including first-round pick Fletcher Cox and second-round pick Vinny Curry. They also got Brandon Graham back from injury and traded for linebacker DeMeco Ryans to help with problems against the run. But the defense has managed just 20 sacks through 12 games, tied for 27th.

With 13:28 left in the second quarter, Nick Foles took the snap from under center and faked a handoff to Bryce Brown.

He turned his head around quickly, as the Cowboys blitzed slot cornerback Mike Jenkins and linebacker Ernie Sims. Brown picked up Jenkins, but Sims came unblocked. Foles remained calm and delivered on-target to Brent Celek for a 19-yard gain over the middle just as Sims hit him.

It’s the kind of throw Andy Reid, Marty Mornhinweg, Howie Roseman and Eagles fans want to see out of the rookie quarterback at this stage in his career.