Eagles management is despised in this city. It carries that burden through good times and bad. People still buy tickets, and merchandise, but in 2011, they do so almost grudgingly.
If the Birds fail to make the postseason after their summer spending spree, which left them feeling clever cap management finally had given them a significant edge on competitors, the fan base is not going to be excited about trying again in 2012, with yet another new defensive coordinator, or whatever. There is one sure way to get the masses fired up about the future, and that way is to end the Reid era.
You can bet Banner and Lurie know this. It's hard to know at exactly what point such knowledge becomes a factor in their calculations.
As we've noted previously in discussions of what happens if Reid goes, there are complications. Our assumption here is that Lurie generally adopts Banner's view of the Eagles' world. Banner is unlikely to fire Reid and hire a coach who will diminish either Banner's role or that of his protege, general manager Howie Roseman. One of the secrets to Reid's longevity, other than winning a bunch of games, has been that the Banner-Reid power-sharing relationship long ago was settled to Banner's liking.
Would such an arrangement be easily forged with Bill Cowher, or Jeff Fisher, or Jon Gruden, or Tony Dungy? What if the new coach doesn't agree that the surest path to the Super Bowl is stockpiling umpty-zillion sixth-round picks? What if he wants (gasp, swoon) to do something crazy, like drafting a linebacker in the first round?
What if a new coach thinks the "wide nine" is just a wide hole in your defense, and insists on sending Jim Washburn packing? What if he thinks cornering the market on undersized white guys with beards is not the way to build an effective offensive line, and pushes to send Howard Mudd back into retirement?
