Juan: Nobody Told Me to Leave, So...

Eagles defensive coordinator Juan Castillo said today his month-long limbo after the season wasn't that big a deal.

Castillo, questioned after Eagles coach Andy Reid's long-awaited, 48-minute-plus season wrapup address, said he found out he definitely was going to be the 2012 d-coordinator "probably when y'all heard it." That would have been yesterday, when the Eagles announced that the addition of secondary coach Todd Bowles completed their staff.

Castillo was a tad evasive on this point, though; at one point he opined that when somebody wants you gone, they usually tell you. The inference seemed to be that as time passed, he had a pretty good idea he was still the coordinator.

Reid acknowledged having offered a job to fired Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo, who eventually opted to become defensive coordinator in New Orleans. Reid said he never talked titles with Spagnuolo, and that Castillo would have remained, regardless, presumably as defensive coordinator. Of course, that would not have precluded coming up with some fancy title for Spagnuolo like "assistant head coach/defense."

But Spagnuolo didn't come, and the experienced voice Reid sought to help Castillo will be that of Bowles, who only has the title of secondary coach. Reid was a little vague on whether Bowles will have more say in the defense than position coaches customarily have.

Castillo, ever the company man, said he would have been happy to work with or for Spagnuolo, and that he welcomes Bowles' input.

"Steve and I are friends. Steve has what we want (a Super Bowl ring from the Giants)," Castillo said. "(Bowles) brings experience in the back end, someone I can talk coverages with, someone I can bounce ideas off, certain types of schemes to stop certain people."

Castillo said last season's early struggles "can't happen again."