Bengals assistant knows of Palmer's frustration

CINCINNATI - Eagles fans and media that cover the team were equally perplexed when Philadelphia Coach Andy Reid named Juan Castillo his new defensive coordinator last Friday. Not that they don't think highly of him. They'd come to know Juan as their long time offensive line coach. That’s right, "offensive line coach."

Being moved to the other side of the ball where he hadn't coached since 1989 at a Texas high school will require some adjustment.

Ironically the intractability Mike Brown is exhibiting relative to Carson Palmer might have led to Castillo being reincarnated as a defensive specialist.

Sources say that the Eagles identified and asked to interview a man with an extensive defensive background including years as a coordinator at Fresno State, Maryland and Syracuse. With 10 season's of NFL experience as an assistant.

But because he is under contract, the owner of that coach's current team wouldn’t grant the Eagles permission to contact him about the vacancy.

That owner I'm told, is Bengals President Mike Brown. Sources indicate the assistant in question is defensive backs Coach Kevin Coyle.

The NFL policy in such cases only applies when an assistant is being considered for a head coaching job, not a coordinator's position. But historically teams abide an unspoken etiquette that even if he is under contract, they won't stand in the way of a man bettering his situation.

Mike Brown is an unstintingly polite man, but some rudiments of etiquette obviously escape him. Ask Carson Palmer. And now Kevin Coyle.