Vermeil Deal Dies In Philly

The on-again, off-again courtship between the Philadelphia Eagles and former coach Dick Vermeil ended because Vermeil’s contract demands were too far out of line, team owner Jeffrey Lurie said.

Lurie, who announced Saturday that he’d broken off negotiations that would have seen Vermeil return to the team as coach and general manager, said Vermeil didn’t come very far off his contract demand: a fiveyear deal worth $20 million and 5 percent of the team.

The top candidates now appear to be assistants Mike Shanahan and Ray Rhodes (S.F.), Butch Davis (Dallas) and Tony Dungy (Minnesota) and Wisconsin head coach Barry Alvarez.