Juan Castillo fired by Eagles; Todd Bowles to take over defense

Eagles DE Brandon Graham piles on Juan Castillo

Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham blamed former defensive coordinator Juan Castillo's inability to make late-game adjustments for the Eagles' fourth-quarter collapses.

Eagles owner had reservations about Juan Castillo as defensive coordinator

Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie was never entirely on board with Juan Castillo as the defensive coordinator.

Andy Reid expresses trust in new Eagles DC Todd Bowles

Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid expressed his confidence in new defensive coordinator Todd Bowles on Tuesday, the Eagles' official website is reporting. Reid spoke to the media a few hours after firing former defensive coordinator Juan Castillo, replacing him with Bowles, and said the former secondary coach has an understanding of the defense and will be able to help the Eagles get better.

"He has a good understanding of the game not only in the secondary, but the whole picture," Reid said on Tuesday afternoon hours after promoting Bowles from secondary coach to defensive coordinator. "He's detailed with his techniques. He works well with the players. He's a smart guy. He works hard."

According to the piece, the Temple University alum is a rising star in the coaching ranks and so far he has proven himself to Reid.

"I appreciated the way he went about his business and how he handled the other coaches and the players," Reid said. "I think the players that have worked with him surely have had a lot of confidence in him and there are some that have been very close to me, and so I put a little trust in that."

Bowles will take over a defense that on paper is good, but has shown flaws which haven't been fixed since last season. The straw that broke the camel's back was Sunday's 26-23 loss to the Detroit Lions that featured the Eagles defense blowing a 10-point lead with about five minutes to play.

Reid is hoping that Bowles can uncover the Eagles' untapped potential.

"I want to be the best football team we can possibly be. We're sitting here at 3-3," Reid said. "That's not good enough for what I think we have here."

Bowles will have a full two weeks to prepare for the Eagles' next opponent, the undefeated Atlanta Falcons. That game is schedule to be played Oct. 28 at 1 p.m. ET on FOX.

Juan Castillo fired: 'Average isn't good enough,' Andy Reid says

Andy Reid spoke on his decision to fire long-time assistant Juan Castillo as the Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Tuesday, making it clear that the team's middle-of-the-pack performance on defense was not what he was looking for.

Reid released a statement in the wake of Castillo's firing Tuesday morning, thanking the coach for his nearly two decades of service to the organization but pointing out that the defense needed improvement.

"I want to make it clear that I have nothing but the ultimate respect for Juan Castillo as a coach and as a person. He's one of the finest football coaches that I have ever worked with. He has served this organization extremely well for 18 years and letting him go was a difficult decision. I know he will continue to be a successful coach in this league and wish he and his family nothing but the best."

"We're six games into the season and average isn't good enough. I know the potential of our team and insist on maximizing it."

The Eagles have been slightly better than average under Castillo -- their 20.8 points allowed is 13th in the league; last year, they were 10th in the same category -- but the message that Reid feels the team can do better is clear.

Reid had worked alongside Castillo ever since coming to the Eagles as head coach in 1999, with Castillo outdating Reid with the organization, having worked with the team since 1995. Some said the coach was playing favorites by promoting his good friend from offensive line coach to defensive coordinator, a position he seemed unfit to perform. That certainly isn't the case with his decision to replace his colleague of more than a decade with Todd Bowles, who has been with the Eagles for less than a year.

Eagles fire defensive coordinator Juan Castillo; Todd Bowles to take over

The Philadelphia Eagles have fired Juan Castillo, the second-year defensive coordinator who was promoted from offensive line coach in 2011. He has been replaced with Todd Bowles, who briefly served as head coach for the Miami Dolphins last year.