The value of a franchise QB goes far beyond just what he does on the field... All of the Eagles new assistants met the media today, so that meant we got our first chance to hear from defensive line coach Jim Washburn. The first question he was asked was why he chose Philadelphia over the other offers he had? His main reason was not what you would have expected.
"I had some opportunities at several different places. It was sort of tough. (clip) But it was really a no-brainer between the other teams and this place because it's got a quarterback. It's about that simple no matter what anybody tells you, it's got a quarterback. We've got two..."
You wouldn't think a defensive position coach would be that concerned with who is playing QB, but it really does make sense. Like anyone, Washburn wants to be a part of a winner and the fact is that having a QB is the first part in that. It's also the hardest part to get right. Washburn has to feel that he can teach a defensive line to be good, but there's nothing he can if his team doesn't have a QB. That had to become abundantly clear to him in Tennessee.