Defensive Backs Coach

Another day, another candidate. The Eagles interviewed Minnesota Vikings defensive backs coach Joe Woods yesterday for their vacant defensive coordinator position, a league source confirmed. The team had interviewed Chicago Bears defensive backs coach Jon Hoke on Monday. Everybody interviewed so far has coached defensive backs, including Dennis Allen, who was hired by the Denver Broncos as their defensive coordinator. A team source has said the Eagles intend to interview at least one coach from the Super Bowl staffs, who can't be approached until after Sunday's game.

Herm Edwards, who spent the last seven seasons in the Kansas City Chiefs organization, yesterday moved to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as assistant head coach-defensive backs for new head coach Tony Dungy. Edwards, 41, played 10 seasons with the Eagles and the Los Angeles Rams from 1977 to '86. He holds a place in Eagles lore as the player who scored the winning touchdown after Giants quarterback Joe Pisarcik's fumble in the 1978 "Miracle of the Meadowlands. " He joined the Chiefs as a coaching intern in 1989.

New Miami coach Al Golden has hired three assistant coaches and two staff members from his Temple football program. Defensive coordinator Mark D'Onofrio, defensive line coach Jethro Franklin and defensive backs coach Paul Williams will join Golden, who was hired by Miami on Sunday after 5 years with the Owls. The three will not be allowed to coach until after Dec. 31, when Miami plays Notre Dame in the Sun Bowl. Miami was granted an NCAA waiver to allow the three coaches to begin recruiting.

The Eagles interviewed Chicago Bears defensive backs coach Jon Hoke for their defensive coordinator opening, the team announced Monday. Hoke is the second candidate to interview for the job previously held by Sean McDermott, who was fired on Jan. 13. The Eagles met with former New Orleans assistant Dennis Allen last week, but he ended up taking Denver's defensive coordinator position. Hoke has been in Chicago for the last two seasons. Before that, the 56-year-old was the defensive backs coach for the Houston Texans for seven seasons.

The Cincinnati Bengals hired Eagles assistant Leslie Frazier as defensive coordinator yesterday, creating a coaching staff that has tied the second-highest number of African Americans in NFL history. Marvin Lewis, who was recently hired as head coach and is also African American, didn't want to emphasize the new hirings in terms of race. The hiring of Frazier, who coached an Eagles secondary that produced three Pro Bowl players this season, brought the number of blacks on the Bengals' staff to six, plus Lewis.

IN THEIR SUPER Bowl championship season, the Giants only went 3-3 in the NFC East, with a loss to the Eagles and two losses to last-place Washington. That might not make running back Ahmad Bradshaw an expert, but he was asked for his opinions about the other teams in the division. His observations on the Eagles were astute in their obviousness: "I think it might be a little bit of their defense," he said. "I guess they were trying to come together with a lot of different people.

Former Carolina Panthers coach Dom Capers agreed in principle yesterday to coach the expansion Houston Texans. "Discussions are progressing very well," Texans owner Bob McNair said. "We have reached agreement on the financial terms but there are other terms still being negotiated. " McNair said Capers agreed to a six-year contract. The team owner also said he was so convinced the hiring would become official that the team scheduled a news conference for tomorrow to announce the signing.

Frank Wycheck, the fourth tight end in NFL history with at least 500 career receptions, is expected to retire today. The Tennessee Titans confirmed last night that Wycheck, an Archbishop Ryan product, will speak at the beginning of an afternoon news conference. Wycheck, an 11-year veteran from Maryland, had said he would take a week or 2 to decide his future before announcing his decision. Wycheck suffered a pair of concussions this season that caused him to miss six games.

After two weeks of speculation about the Eagles' next defensive coordinator - and denials from team sources about just how interested they were in some candidates - they may have homed in on one coach. The Eagles want to interview Green Bay Packers assistant Darren Perry, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, which cited an NFL source. Wanting, of course, doesn't necessarily mean it will happen. Perry still has one year remaining on his contract, and Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy can deny permission to talk with his safeties coach.

The build up of security surrounding Super Bowl XXXVII continued yesterday as the United States remained on the brink of going to war with Iraq. More than 4,000 local, state and federal law officers will watch over festivities and Sunday's game between the Oakland Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But despite the threat of military action, America's biggest party will not be designated a "national security event. " The Office of Homeland Security has rated the game a "level two readiness" status meaning the FBI, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Secret Service will support the Super Bowl at a level similar to what they would for a presidential inauguration or political convention.

IN THEIR SUPER Bowl championship season, the Giants only went 3-3 in the NFC East, with a loss to the Eagles and two losses to last-place Washington. That might not make running back Ahmad Bradshaw an expert, but he was asked for his opinions about the other teams in the division. His observations on the Eagles were astute in their obviousness: "I think it might be a little bit of their defense," he said. "I guess they were trying to come together with a lot of different people.

WHEN ANDY REID reversed field and fired defensive coordinator Sean McDermott, the consensus was that he had a replacement in mind. Someone with whom Reid was very familiar; maybe even somebody already on his staff. After all, how else, in good conscience, could Reid vacation in the Caribbean? The consensus was right. Reid already had his man. But the consensus never considered that man would be Juan Castillo, an assistant with the Eagles since 1995 - on the offensive side of the ball.

DALLAS - At first, the news seemed ridiculous. Juan Castillo would be the Eagles' new defensive coordinator? Must be a mistake. Upon further reflection, and after hearing Andy Reid's explanation for the decision, the move makes even less sense. Indeed, the more you think about it, the less sense it makes. Every attempt to understand it just raises more questions. Reid wants to give an opportunity to one of his loyal assistants as a reward for his years of intense hard work.

Another day, another candidate. The Eagles interviewed Minnesota Vikings defensive backs coach Joe Woods yesterday for their vacant defensive coordinator position, a league source confirmed. The team had interviewed Chicago Bears defensive backs coach Jon Hoke on Monday. Everybody interviewed so far has coached defensive backs, including Dennis Allen, who was hired by the Denver Broncos as their defensive coordinator. A team source has said the Eagles intend to interview at least one coach from the Super Bowl staffs, who can't be approached until after Sunday's game.

The Eagles interviewed Chicago Bears defensive backs coach Jon Hoke for their defensive coordinator opening, the team announced Monday. Hoke is the second candidate to interview for the job previously held by Sean McDermott, who was fired on Jan. 13. The Eagles met with former New Orleans assistant Dennis Allen last week, but he ended up taking Denver's defensive coordinator position. Hoke has been in Chicago for the last two seasons. Before that, the 56-year-old was the defensive backs coach for the Houston Texans for seven seasons.

Count the Oakland Raiders as another team expected to wait until after the Super Bowl to fill their defensive coordinator opening. One of their candidates appears to be Packers safeties coach Darren Perry, according to the Oakland Tribune . Perry was the Raiders' defensive backs coach in 2007 and '08 before moving to Green Bay. The Eagles are also interested in interviewing Perry, according a report Friday in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel...

After two weeks of speculation about the Eagles' next defensive coordinator - and denials from team sources about just how interested they were in some candidates - they may have homed in on one coach. The Eagles want to interview Green Bay Packers assistant Darren Perry, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, which cited an NFL source. Wanting, of course, doesn't necessarily mean it will happen. Perry still has one year remaining on his contract, and Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy can deny permission to talk with his safeties coach.

MOBILE, Ala. - The Eagles are going to hire a defensive coordinator at some point, the Daily News has learned. It just isn't going to be anybody who has been confirmed as a candidate to this point. Various reports late last night said the Denver Broncos had hired Saints secondary coach Dennis Allen as their coordinator. This wasn't a big surprise, since earlier in the day New Orleans Times-Picayune reporters emerged from a session with coach Sean Payton feeling the Saints were preparing to lose Allen either to the Eagles or the Broncos, and then, yesterday evening, a source close to the situation told the Daily News the Eagles were not on the verge of making a hire.

While the interview process has not officially begun for the Eagles' vacancy at defensive coordinator, here are three names that have emerged: DICK JAURON Age: 60 Currently: Eagles senior assistant and defensive backs coach. Background: Jauron came to the Eagles last summer after having been fired as Buffalo head coach after a 3-6 start to the 2009 season . . . Has been an NFL assistant or head coach since 1985 . . . Was Jacksonville defensive coordinator from 1995-98 before becoming Chicago head coach (35-45 record, 1999-2003)

THE EAGLES aren't going for anybody's understudy, this time around. The three publicly identified candidates to succeed Sean McDermott as the Birds' defensive coordinator are veteran coaches with extensive resumes. The front-runner would seem to be Jim Mora, the former Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks head coach who was Steve Mariucci's defensive coordinator in San Francisco in the late 1990s, when Eagles offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg ran the other side. The Eagles also seem to be considering just-fired Arizona defensive coordinator Bill Davis, whose father once was an Eagles linebackers coach under Dick Vermeil, and Dick Jauron, a member of McDermott's staff last season who has been a head coach with the Bears and Bills.