If the Eagles were going to choose a first-time play caller as their new offensive coordinator, Sean Mannion was the guy. He may be balding with a dad bod, but the 33-year-old who looks 53 is widely considered one of the young up-and-comers on offense in the NFL. Whether the former quarterback pans out as an OC remains to be seen, but no one can accuse the Eagles of not doing their homework or lacking progressive thinking with this hire. “I’m thrilled to have Sean Mannion on board as the new offensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles,” head coach Nick Sirianni said in a team statement Thursday. “My goal throughout this process was to operate with an open mind regarding the future of our offense to find the best fit for the Eagles. “Over the last few weeks, I had an opportunity to meet with a number of talented candidates and great offensive minds. I am appreciative of the time I was able to spend with each of them. Some came with years of experience running an offense and calling plays. Others were young, sharp, and dynamic coaches on the rise. I felt it was important to be patient and thorough to allow the right fit to reveal himself to us. Sean did just that.” Mannion has worked with QB Jordan Love of the Green Bay Packers for the last two seasons under head coach Matt LaFleur, who comes from the innovative offensive school of Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay. His by the Eagles is reminiscent of when they hired Andy Reid, who was quarterbacks coach in Green Bay under Mike Holmgren, who came from the Bill Walsh tree. Kyle Shanahan’s father, Mike, worked under Walsh. All those names and legacies sound good, but Mannion has yet to prove himself as an offensive coordinator. He replaces Kevin Patullo, who flailed as a first-year OC, and he beat out the Colts’ Jim Bob Cooter, former Tampa Bay OC Josh Grizzard and Texans QB coach Jerrod Johnson. Mannion was a drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the third round (89th overall) of the 2015 NFL draft out of Oregon State, the fourth quarterback off the board in a draft where Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota went first and second. He was selected 14 slots behind Colorado State’s Garrett Grayson, a short-lived NFL backup whom most people have never heard of. He played 14 games with three starts over parts of six seasons with the Rams and Minnesota Vikings, in addition to stints with Seattle. “It was quickly apparent in meeting with Sean that he is a bright young coach with a tremendous future ahead of him in this league,” Sirianni stated. “I was impressed by his systematic views on offensive football and his strategic approach. “Sean’s 11 years in the NFL have provided him a great opportunity to learn from and grow alongside some of the best coaches in the game. As a result, he has a wealth of knowledge and experience that will be invaluable to our team moving forward. I can’t wait to see Sean with our team, and I want to welcome him and his wife, Megan, to the Eagles family.” ...read more read less