From Eagles player to 49ers coach, Darryl Tapp has become more than just Howie Roseman’s first trade

LAS VEGAS — Darryl Tapp looks and talks much like he did when he was part of Howie Roseman’s first trade as Eagles general manager almost 14 years ago.

He’s still got long dreads, a toothy smile, and the pleasant disposition that made even some hypercritical Philadelphia fans overlook the Eagles getting the short end of the deal that sent Chris Clemons and a fourth-round draft pick to the Seahawks for Tapp in March 2010.

“Whenever I go back to Philly, I definitely stop with Howie. There was a lot going on, but I learned a lot, too,” Tapp said of his three seasons in Philly. “I have no hard feelings at all. To me, however it shook out there, it added to where I am now.”

Tapp, 39, is now the assistant defensive line coach for the 49ers, who face the Kansas City Chiefs in Sunday’s Super Bowl LVIII. He’s been on the job for only three years, but considering the success of San Francisco’s front four, he could eventually head his own room in the NFL.

With 12 years of playing experience, having played for six teams and myriad coaches over that span, Tapp has a reservoir of knowledge to, ahem, tap into when and if he’s ever asked to run a scheme that accentuates individual strengths.

“The amount playing, getting into coaching, and all the skills that I’ve accumulated from those years in scheme, coaches and teams — it’s helped a whole lot,” Tapp said on Monday during Super Bowl media night at Allegiant Stadium. “The journey’s been cool so far.”

Drafted in the second round out of Virginia Tech in 2006, Tapp, a defensive end, had a promising first four seasons in Seattle. His peaked in sacks (seven) and quarterback hits (17) in his sophomore season, but when new coach Pete Carroll brought with him a new defense in 2010, Tapp became expendable.

Clemons, meanwhile, had fallen out of favor with the Eagles. He was a useful reserve defensive end, but he never reached his potential in two seasons in Philly. The Seahawks, though, saw an edge rusher who could fill the “Leo” role in Carroll’s 4-3 under front.

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Roseman, who had just been promoted to GM two months earlier, partnered with another neophyte GM in Seattle’s John Schneider and they swapped Clemons and Tapp, with the Seahawks also getting a fourth-rounder.

It was the first of many trades for Roseman in his new role. And while he would become one of the best in the NFL to get value in his deals — swindle has been an oft-used word to describe some of his better transactions — this wasn’t one of them.

Clemons was a perfect fit in Carroll’s system and notched 33½ sacks in his first three seasons in Seattle, while Tapp would have just six sacks over that same span.

“Chris went to a situation in Seattle where they were rebuilding,” Tapp said. “When I got to the Eagles, Trent [Cole] and Juqua [Parker] were still there. [Brandon Graham] had just got there. But I learned a lot about myself in Philly.

“You have to know how to handle yourself in public, with the media — that was a whole different animal than it was in Seattle. It was a good learning experience for me.”

There was also a lot going on — aside from personnel — outside Tapp’s control. Then-Eagles coach Andy Reid fired defensive coordinator Sean McDermott and defensive line coach Rory Segrest after the 2010 season and moved offensive line coach Juan Castillo into McDermott’s spot and hired fire-breathing Jim Washburn to replace Segrest.

The Eagles subsequently fell to 8-8 in 2011 and then 4-12 in 2012 and Reid, too, would be gone. He, of course, landed on his feet in Kansas City and has the Chiefs back in the title game for a fourth time in the last five years.

Tapp’s road to the Super Bowl has been just as rewarding, he said, even if it took several stops as a player and coach for him to get there. He played five more seasons for Washington, the Lions, Saints, and Buccaneers and returned to his alma mater Virginia Tech to coach for a few seasons before jumping back to the pros.

He now works under his former defensive line coach in Detroit, Kris Kocurek, and with formidable defensive linemen like Nick Bosa, Chase Young, Arik Armstead, and former Eagle Javon Hargrave.

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Tapp said he played a minor role in the 49ers signing Hargrave as a free agent last offseason. He called old Eagles teammates Graham and Fletcher Cox to get the skinny on the defensive tackle. Their endorsement of Hargrave’s character, he said, made it that much easier for San Francisco to give the defensive tackle a four-year, $84 million contract.

“I checked my sources,” said Tapp, whose easygoing personality no doubt factored into his NFL longevity.

Could he fancy a jump into personnel and make trades like the one Roseman made for him long ago?

“We’ll see,” Tapp said. “Right now, my goal is being the best assistant line coach in the league.”