There are a couple of obvious answers. Saturday's announcement that Johnnie Lynn would not return as the team's cornerbacks coach created an opening in the coaching staff, so all eyes are directed at Andy Reid and his next move there. I am as intrigued as you with regard to the coaching staff.

Clearly, there is a plan here and there are moves to be made. What they are, I don't know.

The speculation is rampant, and I hear it all. Steve Spagnuolo? Not a whisper here. Well, plenty of whispers from those who aren't in the know, but we whisper about everything. I have no idea who replaces Lynn or any other changes that might be coming for the defense.

I do know that this defense is pretty good, judging by what I watched throughout the first weekend of the postseason. Detroit and New Orleans struggled defensively. The Falcons were pretty awful through and through. The Giants played very, very well and took advantage of an Atlanta offense that couldn't get out of its own way.

Sour grapes, I know ...

Anyway, we're in a slow period here. No getting around it. The personnel department continues it preparation for free agency and the draft. The coaching staff reviews the 2011 season and then turns its attention to 2012. 

The "plan," as we know, comes together in the next couple of weeks. Not now. Right now, it's agony for me and for you.

We wait.

In the meantime, a couple of tidbits ...

1. My reaction to the Lynn move is that I wish him the best of luck. Good man in the short time I got to know Johnnie Lynn. I have heard every theory on what this means for the coaching staff and what could happen down the line, but I'm not sure at all what is going to happen next. I don't think anything is "done," either, as far as next steps. It is all very fluid, but I don't expect any moves to be made until next week.

2. In every playoff game this weekend, the best quarterback won the game. That's easy to say, isn't it? The quarterback who didn't turn the ball over, who made good decisions and who took advantage of what defenses gave him won the game. That's all. This is the continuing message to Michael Vick, because I know he wants to play quarterback at the maximum level, and to do so Vick has to be smart, not try to make a big play out of every snap and get the football into the hands of his playmakers.

3. Major credit goes to tight end Brent Celek, who played much of the season with a torn labrum and a sportshernia. He's going to be fine, but his success this year even with the injuries speaks to his remarkable toughness.

4. I've been thinking about the backup quarterback position a lot, wondering if the Eagles will add a "franchise quarterback of the future" at some point in the offseason. Maybe the Eagles think it is Mike Kafka, I don't know. Maybe they think they will draft one early in April. Perhaps. How would people react if Andy Reid drafts a quarterback in the first two rounds in April? 

5. Jason Pierre-Paul is a beast, yes. And the Eagles are going to be reminded of that until Brandon Graham steps up and proves himself as a high-level defensive end in the NFL. There is a lot of pressure on Graham to step up and have a great offseason. He can't just talk the talk about doing it. He has to come back to the NovaCare Complex in April, when the offseason conditioning program begins, in the best shape of his life. And then some.

6. I think Tim Tebow is a great player to watch and a wonderful story. He doesn't turn the football over. He is improving as a quarterback. More than anything, the guy is a winner and the Broncos believe in him. That's why they are still alive.

7. By the way, I wonder if Brian Dawkins will play another down in the NFL. He is out with a neck injury and has had a bunch of those lately. Be safe, BDawk.

Now he has another huge challenge: replace a key member of his personnel staff.

Ryan Grigson was a key member of the Eagles' personnel department as he helped oversee the draft and shape the roster first as a college scout, then a director of college scouting and then the team's director of player personnel. He was a big man behind the scenes, and he and Roseman worked very well together.

Grigson on Wednesday was named the general manager in Indianapolis. It's a great promotion for Grigson, and everyone wishes him the best of luck. The most, though, takes away an important cog in the personnel machine just at the time when the Eagles are to gather and strategize for the 2012 free-agency period and the NFL draft.

Roseman knows that always has to be prepared when his good men depart, and it is a sign of success that the Eagles have strong personnel men around the league who have worked here -- Marc Ross with the Giants, Jason Licht in New England, Matt Russell with Denver and Tom Heckert in Cleveland.

The Eagles have had the foresight in the instances when those men have left to have the next person in line step up, or go outside the organization to bring in a quality talent evaluator and roster builder.

The fallout from Grigson's departure is significant right off the top, as Roseman will likely act quickly to fill that role. Then comes the question of who Grigson might take with him from the Eagles' staff.

Also, Grigson is going to hire a new Colts head coach. Would he consider someone from the Eagles' staff, perhaps offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg to work with the Colts' likely No. 1 draft pick, quarterback Andrew Luck?

Combine the personnel scenario with the intrigue over the defensive coaching staff and you understand how critical a time it is for the Eagles. They have to make the right choices for the personnel department and for the coaching staff. There is no taking a step back here, not after an 8-8 season for a franchise that has not won a playoff game since the 2008 season.

It's great that Grigson moved on and moved up. He deserves the promotion. Now the focus shifts to Roseman and his next move. Roseman is as prepared as they come at his position. He considers all angles and prepares for the future. In his two years as the general manager, Roseman has pulled off two major trades, dealing away quarterbacks and bringing back excellent pieces in return. He has bounced up and down the draft expertly. He managed free agency very well last year, adding an influx of talent to the roster.

But what he's about to do now, as his department shifts, is every bit as important. Roseman needs to be right on with his next moves as the Eagles prepare to put their plan in place to build for the 2012 season.