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| Monday, May 7 Updated: May 9, 10:58 AM ET ESPN.com news services | |||
PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia Eagles just got tired of
hearing rumors about Tom Modrak leaving.
Modrak, the director of football operations who helped lead the
Eagles back to the playoffs last season, was fired Monday. Mike
McCartney, director of pro personnel, also lost his job in the
front-office shake-up.
"The constant questioning, the constant debate on whether Tom
was committed to the organization really took its toll," owner
Jeffrey Lurie said Monday.
On Tuesday, one day after firings, Lurie gave more control of personnel decisions to coach Andy Reid, promoting him to executive vice
president of football operations.
Reid signed a three-year contract extension Tuesday for around $2.5 million a season, meaning he is under contract for the next six seasons as both head coach and executive vice president of football operations. He still had three seasons left on his existing five-year contract as coach.
"Around the NFL it's obvious that he is a terrific, terrific
young head coach," Lurie said of Reid. "What is less
known is that he's a fantastic leader, a dynamic leader, with
greater organizational ability, a person who is respected
throughout the football franchise."
Modrak, hired in May 1998, was instrumental in turning around a
franchise that lost 13 games in 1998 and 11 in 1999. After hearing
his name linked to several job openings during the 2000 offseason,
Modrak asked the Eagles for an escape clause in his contract.
Philadelphia agreed to allow Modrak the right to terminate the
deal for 30 days immediately following the 2001 and 2002 drafts. In
exchange, the Eagles insisted on the right to terminate the
contract during those same periods.
Lurie decide to let Modrak go after his name surfaced last week
for jobs in Washington and Chicago.
"It's maybe not the popular thing to do, but it's the right
thing to do," Lurie said.
Modrak did not immediately return a phone call from The
Associated Press.
Lurie and chief operating officer Joe Banner met with Modrak on
Monday morning. Banner termed the first meeting as a
"thought-provoking discussion."
But after they broke for lunch, Banner and Lurie told Modrak
they were letting him go.
Modrak joined the Eagles following the '98 draft and served as
the team's director of football operations for three seasons.
He spent 19 years with the Pittsburgh Steelers before moving
across state, the last nine running the club's college personnel
department.
Modrak has been mentioned as a leading candidate for the Bears' general manager's job and also is expected to interview
with the Redskins for the position of personnel director. Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories | ALSO SEE
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Owner Jeffrey Lurie says the constant questioning of Tom Modrak's commitment led to his firing.