As an experienced defensive coach and a potential future head coach, as many league observers believe, new secondary coach Todd Bowles might be the perfect foil for Juan Castillo, who will remain as the Eagles' defensive coordinator in 2012. The decision to retain Castillo — after a failed dalliance with former Eagles LB coach Steve Spagnuolo, who took the coordinator job with the Saints — was not handled well by head coach Andy Reid from a public-relations standpoint, but it could turn into a heady stroke if Bowles proves to be a steadying force, as expected, on the defensive staff. Bowles is respected around the league, especially in Dallas and Miami, where he helped guide some pretty good defenses, which led to him being mentioned for open head-coaching positions around the league in recent years. Some believe that Castillo was put in an unenviable position — having not coached defense in the NFL previously and having to run a defense without the benefit of an offseason. He now has that — along with a strong cohort in Bowles, who could end up being a trusted source for Castillo to bounce ideas off of and help mold a defense that was playing its best ball in the final quarter of the 2011 season.