Jeff Stoutland is gone. No one is happy.

Those two things feel very true after a day of reaction about the latest Eagles offseason news.

But, as we tend to do, coping has begun. Instead of accepting the Stoutland departure for what it was—mismanagement from the Eagles—some have tried to spin this into a “the Eagles didn’t really want Stoutland since they were moving to a new offense, with new blocking schemes, that he either didn’t want to or couldn’t teach” web.

And while a “he didn’t dump us, we really pushed him out the door!” story is plausible, it really doesn’t check enough boxes of reality based on Stoutland’s career arc and how the Eagles operate.

Here’s why.

Stoutland spanned three head coaches in the NFL.

He coached for Chip Kelly’s up-tempo, no-huddle offense.

He coached for Doug Pederson’s West Coast, Andy Reid-derivative scheme.

He coached for Nick Sirianni and Jalen Hurts’ ride-and-decide RPO plays.

Prior to coming to the NFL, Stoutland won back-to-back national titles as an offensive line coach for Alabama under offensive coordinators Doug Nussmeir and Jim McElwain. In previous stops at Miami, Syracuse and Michigan State, Stoutland helped prepare offensive lineman for schemes led by Patrick Nix, Mark Whipple, Morris Watts, and Dave Baldwin. Those coaches ran all sorts of offenses, from spread to pro style, to under center to shotgun.

If the Eagles treated Stoutland better, do you think he’d really be gone over a scheme change or an alteration to his role? Do you think the Eagles would have made the best offensive line coach in the NFL leave over Sean Mannion and a new scheme coming in? The coach that’s lasted three head coaching regimes and countless coordinators left because of the principals of Mannion’s run-pass marriage?

Are we listening to ourselves try to make this something it’s probably not?

The overwhelmingly likelihood is that Stoutland felt disrespected, and had no interest in returning for a different or diminished role. He should be the Eagles offensive line coach today and for the rest of his career. That isn’t debatable. And when you look at the team player he’s been for decades across college and pro football, the reason we are here isn’t really debatable either.

Stout out.

On WIP Daily, I dove into 5 questions that immediately came to mind after Stoutland’s departure.

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