East Notes: Eagles, Giants, Patriots, Hickey

The Eagles interviewed running backs coach Duce Staley for their head-coaching job, Ed Werder of ESPN.com reports (via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter, on Twitter).

The former Eagles running back has been on the Philadelphia staff since 2010, serving as the running backs coach since 2013.

Staley’s coaching experience doesn’t meet the usual criteria for a realistic shot at the job. This pre-offseason summit does, however, allow the Eagles to meet the Rooney Rule requirements put in place for the consideration of minority candidates. Not exactly in the spirit of the rule, as more qualified candidates are certain to follow the 40-year-old Staley in interviewing once the season ends.

Here is some more from the Eastern divisions on the eve of the final regular-season Sunday.

• Chip Kelly‘s year of full personnel control went awry quickly, and the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Zach Berman takes a look at the steps that led to the early divorce. Not paying enough attention to keeping the offensive line fortified after releases of Evan Mathis and Todd Herremans proved to be part of the downfall, Berman writes.
• The Giants expect Owa Odighizuwa to come off IR-DTR today, per NJ.com’s Jordan Raanan (on Twitter). The 23-year-old defensive end’s been out since October with a hamstring malady, playing in just four games as a rookie. When the Giants used their IR-DTR slot on their third-round pick Nov. 5, the playoffs remained in sight. But Sunday was the earliest Odighizuwa could play, and present circumstances mean he’d make a rare return for a meaningless contest.
• In the likely event Tom Coughlin‘s 12-season Giants tenure concludes after Sunday’s game, Big Blue needs to pursue former OC Sean Payton or Nick Saban, Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News writes. The New York reporter notes those two candidates wouldn’t require any on-the-job training, although Saban’s Dolphins stint left much to be desired, and the Giants’ winning pedigree shouldn’t force them to settle for an unseasoned coordinator. Vacchiano also reports the Giants interviewed the 64-year-old Saban for their head-coaching job in 1997 and offered the then-Michigan State head coach the position. Jim Fassel eventually became Big Blue’s coach, and Coughlin took over seven years later. The Giants would have to trade for Payton, who earns $8MM per season and is signed through 2017.
• Dennis Hickey remains unlikely to be retained as Dolphins GM, Armando Salguero reports (on Twitter). Hickey has not been fired yet and could be reassigned, Salguero notes. Mike Tannenbaum‘s presence stripped power from Hickey, who’s only been on the job two years after being hired to succeed Jeff Ireland in Jan. 2014.
• Danny Amendola, who has 63 receptions, can earn $225K in incentives with seven catches against the Dolphins, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe reports. The inconsistent Patriots wideout’s made $525K in incentives already this season. Julian Edelman missed out on $500K in incentives by finishing nine catches shy of 70. The bonus only applies to the regular season, meaning the top Pats receiver’s prospective playoff receptions wouldn’t count toward it. Sebastian Vollmer will miss out on a $750K bonus by falling short of the 80% snap threshold this season, and Alan Branch won’t hit the 50% standard to receive a $250K bonus.