While blame belongs on the shoulders of first-year coordinator Juan Castillo, Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer wonders whether the Eagles struggled this season because their defense is too small. "Make no mistake about it, the Eagles are small. Taking into account a possible margin of error in deciphering depth charts and assuming every team fibs on its measurements, the Eagles' starting 11 is the shortest in the NFL, and only two other defenses are lighter," McLane writes. "The Eagles' average starting defensive player stands 6-foot-3/4 and weighs 240 pounds. The league average is 6-11/2 and 246.3 pounds. Because 3-4 defenses are generally larger than 4-3s - of which the Eagles are one - the disparity isn't as great when compared to teams that use a four-man front. "The average size of the league's 17 4-3 defenses is 6-11/2, 244.5 pounds; of 15 3-4 defenses the average is 6-13/4, 248.3."