The Philadelphia Eagles are indeed losing Andy Weidl to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Just not exactly as expected.
Weidl is joining the Steelers as their new assistant general manager. He’s not getting the full on GM title he interviewed for. That’s instead going to internal candidate Omar Khan as he succeeds Kevin Colbert.
Regardless, Weidl leaving the Eagles is a big deal. Listed at the top of their scouting department on the team’s official website, Weidl served as Philly’s vice president of player personnel since Joe Douglas left to become the New York Jets’ general manager in 2019. Weidl originally joined the Eagles (with Douglas) during the 2016 offseason.
The impact of Weidl’s exit is exacerbated by the Eagles experiencing no shortage of front office departures this offseason. To recap:
EAGLES FRONT OFFICE DEPARTURES
The Eagles have already begun the process of making some new hires but they still have multiple holes to fill. Here’s a recap of their additions thus far.
EAGLES FRONT OFFICE ADDITIONS
It’s currently unclear who’s in line to replace Weidl. Perhaps it’s Russell, given his previous high-ranking title with Denver? Senior director of college scouting Anthony Patch has been with the organization since 2002 and could be primed for a promotion. It’s probably worth noting that former Jacksonville Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell is on staff. Or maybe the Eagles look to go with a different external hire.
Again, there’s something to be said for the Eagles employing front office people who are coveted elsewhere in the NFL. And the holes left by their departures give Howie Roseman an opportunity to attract more talent. But there’s also an obvious downside to losing talented executives. Especially a bunch of them in the relatively short amount of time of five months.
The Eagles are bound to officially announce front office changes in the near future. We’ll be staying tuned.
