Joe Banner once famously quipped after a terribly disappointing playoff loss that 'insanity is defined as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.'
Looks like his boyhood pal Jeff Lurie must agree.
Banner, who became known as the master of the NFL salary cap, is out as the longtime president of the Eagles, according to a report in the Philadelphia Inquirer .
Banner has been in charge of the Eagles' front office since Lurie bought the team back in the mid-'90s.
Don Smolenski, who currently serves as chief operating officer, will replace Banner, who will stay on as an adviser to Lurie. Banner likely will move on, however, and Lurie won't stand in his way if he seeks other opportunities.
But the key man in the Eagles front office, in particular when it comes to negotiating contracts and salary cap matters, will be GM Howie Roseman.
The realignment of the Eagles front office comes in the midst of one of the team's first off-season organized team workouts and just a couple of months after reports surfaced of a power struggle in the front office between Banner and head coach Andy Reid. One published report indicated Reid considered leaving the team at one point. Reid denied any power tiff.
The Eagles struggled to a disappointing 8-8 mark last season after a flurry of off-season deals reworked the roster and the collection of high-priced additions sparked talk of a "dream team." The dream quickly turned into a nightmare as the Birds spun their wheels, in particular on defense.
Owner Jeff Lurie stuck with Reid but said in a post-season press conference that there were no excuses for last season's 8-8 mark. Lurie decided to bring back Reid for this season.
The team has called a press conference at 2:30 to make the formal announcement of the front office shakeup.
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