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The Eagles announced yesterday that special teams coach Ted Daisher will be replaced by special teams guru Bobby April.  Is this the first domino to fall in what looks like it might be a busy season for the Eagles?

Special teams were not a bright spot for the Birds this season.  They were not a sore spot, either.  Daisher was "quite surprised" to be sent to the unemployment line yesterday.  He boasts two Pro Bowlers on his special teams squad, DeSean Jackson and David Akers.  But, let's be honest, Daisher had very little to do with the success of guys like Jackson and Akers.  They make their own plays.

My guess is that this is less about Daisher and more about Bobby April.  April is well-known and well-respected special teams chief, and I believe Andy Reid has been lonely in the genius department since John Harbaugh skipped town for Baltimore and Jim Johnson passed last year.  

If I'm Sean McDermott, I'm hoping I get the Buffalo gig.

If a guy as innocuous as Daisher is job hunting, McDermott most definitely has to be on the hot seat down on South Broad.  Sure, he dealt with key personnel losses in the off season (Dawkins) and major injuries (Bradley, Gaither), but his squad's problems ran deeper than that.  McDermott's schemes were routinely overwhelmed by playoff-caliber offenses and his players were often out of position and took bad penalties all year.  I don't envy the shoes he had to fill, but this isn't a mom and pop business that allows for a large margin of error and tons of time to learn on the job.

As the NFL coaching carousel turns, don't be surprised to see McDermott get his walking papers if Reid sees a better option open up.  Change is in the air at 1 Novacare Way, and all I can say is "who's next?"

There's been a lot of talk in Philadelphia this week about whether or not Donovan McNabb will be back in midnight green for the 2010-11 season.  Two days after the Eagles fell hard to the Dallas Cowboys for the third and final time this season, Andy Reid made it clear that he expects #5 to be back under center for the Birds next season.  I guess that also means that he expects Donovan to risk injury with no money guaranteed past 2011.  I'm not sure that they are realistic expectations.

Donovan McNabb enters the final year of his contract next season.  Last off season, McNabb requested a contract extension that was denied by the Eagles and masked by a 2-year "re-structuring" of his deal.  McNabb got a pay raise to keep quiet.  Now with much brighter light at the end of the contract tunnel, its going to be clear to Donovan that he's expected to play next season with no financial insurance for the next 3-4 years.  Thus, my guess is he'll start asking again to be extended.  The Eagles will play hardball, as they always do with aging players, and Donovan will threaten to hold out or request a trade.  He'll get traded, or he'll be released and the Kevin Kolb Era will officially begin.  That's how its probably going to end for #5 in Philly, whether Andy expects it or not.