The Philadelphia Eagles have made another addition to the coaching staff, hiring Alabama running backs coach Joe Pannunzio (per Cole Cubelic of SEC Network). The position Pannunzio will occupy is unknown, but the Eagles have a vacancy at assistant wide receiver coach after the promotion of Carson Walch to wide receivers coach and the hiring of Roy Istvan as assistant offensive line coach.

Pannunzio has been with the Crimson Tide for the last two seasons, including the 2018 National Championship victory over Georgia. His list of running backs developed during his tenure includes projected 2019 draft picks Josh Jacobs and Damien Harris. He worked with tight ends and special teams in 2017 during his first year under coach Nick Saban. He also worked with potential first-round pick Irv Smith Jr.

The 59-year old former Murray State head coach has spent the majority of his 30-year career as a tight ends coach and special teams coach, including stops at Miami, Auburn, Ole Miss, Minnesota and TCU.

It has been an offseason for change at Alabama as Pannunzio joins a long list of departing Saban assistants. Defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi also departed for an NFL opportunity in Cleveland. Offensive coordinator Mike Locksley left to become the head coach at Maryland. Receivers coach Josh Gattis left for Michigan. Offensive line coach Brent Key took a job with Georgia Tech.

"I think you’re always going to have changes," said Alabama head coach Nick Saban about his new coaching staff. "You like to have continuity, but I think sometimes the changes bring a lot of positive energy, new energy, new ideas. And we’re looking forward to sort of rebuilding the program so that it’s what we want it to be. We’ve got a lot of work to do, but I’m excited about the people we’ve been able to attract to Alabama."

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Pannunzio has the inside information for Alabama running back Josh Jacobs, who would be a draft target of the Eagles after the team finished 28th in the NFL in rushing last season.

Jacobs was Alabama’s do-everything player in 2018, rushing for 640 yards and a team-high 11 touchdowns on 120 carries while catching 20 passes for 247 yards and three touchdowns in 2018. He was also the Tide’s primary kickoff returner and returned 14 kicks for 428 yards and one touchdown.

Jacobs isn't afraid of contact and uses his frame to bounce off a defender and drive him for that extra yard. That helps him catching passes in space, which is valuable for the Eagles passing game. The Eagles struggled mightily in short-yardage situations in 2018, so Jacobs would be an instant upgrade in that department.

Jacobs isn't a home run threat, but can provide the back-breaking run with his agility. He also has the drive to and the stamina to handle 20-to-25 carries a game, something the Eagles desperately need out of their running back-by-committee approach. This was why they were so successful with Jay Ajayi when he was acquired in 2017.

Philadelphia finished 28th in rushing at 98.1 yards per game, its lowest total since the 2009 season (when the Eagles finished 22nd in rush yards per game). The Eagles averaged just 3.9 yards per carry (30th in the NFL), which was the lowest yards per carry average since 2015.

Interesting to see where the Eagles have Pannunzio on the staff when the franchise formally announce the changes.