Steve Spagnuolo

Practice for the Senior Bowl began Monday, and NFL coaches and scouts gathered once again in godforsaken Mobile, Ala., to pretend they can divine something about the current crop of potential draft picks that four years of videotape couldn't already tell them. Some of these players won't take part in the February scouting combine, and this might be the only chance to see them work out live and, well, everyone else is doing it. So, off they go with their clipboards and their stopwatches and their stubborn belief that the only way to beat the next guy is to put in one more hour than he does.

With Steve Spagnuolo off to New Orleans, and an Eagles contingent of coaches and scouts expected to be in nearby Mobile, Ala., on Monday for Senior Bowl practice, it's starting to look as if the Eagles have settled on a defensive coordinator. He has prior experience as a coordinator. His defense ranked eighth-best in yards allowed and 10th in points surrendered last season. Yes, Eagles fans, meet your (not-so) new defensive coordinator - Juan Castillo! A tire deflates.

For those who believe the NFL is secretly as scripted as pro 'rassling, Sunday's games could provide the most suspicious story line imaginable. If things break right, the Super Bowl could feature the Harbaugh brothers coaching against each other in the city where one (Jim) played quarterback for four years, and in the state where their brother-in-law (Tom Crean) coaches the Indiana basketball team. It would be an upset for either brother to reach the Super Bowl in Indianapolis.

WHATEVER changes might be in store for the Eagles' defense for next season, Steve Spagnuolo won't be part of them. Spagnuolo agreed yesterday to become defensive coordinator of the New Orleans Saints, according to Fox's Jay Glazer. The Eagles were believed to have been waiting to see what he did before settling on their plan for defensive coordinator Juan Castillo, though no one with the Eagles ever actually said this. So, what now for the Birds, who very pointedly have not affirmed Castillo's status in the nearly 3 weeks since their 8-8 season ended?

Steve Spagnuolo has agreed to join the New Orleans Saints as their defensive coordinator, according to reports from Fox Sports' Jay Glazer and the Associated Press. Neither the Saints nor Spagnuolo commented Thursday. Spagnuolo was high on the wish list of many Eagles fans hoping for a change to coach Andy Reid's defensive staff. Instead, he reportedly is going to a team that reached the divisional playoff round but needs to improve on defense. It's still unclear if the Eagles ever reached out to Spagnuolo, a former Reid assistant.

INDIANAPOLIS fired head coach Jim Caldwell yesterday, a little more than 2 weeks after the Colts' worst season in 2 decades. "This is obviously a big transitional time for us, but I know we're excited moving forward and it's hard when you say goodbyes to some people," team owner Jim Irsay said. "But it's part of the business. " The day after a season-ending loss at Jacksonville assured Indy of the No. 1 draft pick in April with a 2-14 mark, Irsay fired team vice chairman Bill Polian, the architect of the Colts' success, and his son, Chris, the handpicked general manager.

This originally appeared yesterday by Les Bowen on Eagletarian, the Daily News' Eagles blog, at www.eagletarian.com . INTERESTING developments yesterday that could affect the Eagles, none of them originating from One NovaCare Way. The Falcons hired former 49ers head coach Mike Nolan as their defensive coordinator, eliminating them from the Steve Spagnuolo sweepstakes. So the Spagnuolo picture is clearer? Ahh - not so fast! Turns out Spagnuolo interviewed Monday in Indianapolis for the d-coordinator spot there, with new general manager Ryan Grigson, who left the Eagles for that job last week.

The Eagles haven't made a change at defensive coordinator - at least not yet - but they may need to find a new offensive coordinator. Marty Mornhinweg will interview with the Oakland Raiders for their head coach vacancy this week, NFL sources said Tuesday. The Eagles offensive coordinator isn't believed to be a leading candidate in Oakland, but with six names already linked to the job and the opening still unfilled after a week, it could be for the taking. Mornhinweg could also be in contention for the top Colts job after Jim Caldwell was fired Tuesday.

TALKED TO someone close to Steve Spagnuolo yesterday. This person said Spagnuolo is going to take his time with his decision on what comes next, that he wants to "see what develops. " Meanwhile, Eagles coach Andy Reid was scheduled to return from vacation last night. The team's offices are closed today for the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. So Reid's long-awaited season recap news conference, which presumably will let us know whether Juan Castillo will return as defensive coordinator, won't happen before tomorrow, at the earliest.

When the Indianapolis Colts lured Ryan Grigson away from the Eagles to be their new general manager, it brought to mind the last time Grigson's name was uttered publicly in the NovaCare Complex. It was two years ago this month. In announcing the promotion of Howie Roseman to general manager of the Eagles, Andy Reid mentioned Grigson as one of the other candidates in the exhaustive, NovaCare-wide search process. Louis Riddick, who was also already on staff, was the other man Reid interviewed for the job everyone knew was being handed to Roseman.