My husband is from South Shields & being extremely pedantic would say that the entire band would have had to have been from the area to be Geordies & in any case Knopfler was born in Glasgow. So while Knopfler may be an honorary Geordie he isn't a 'real' one. But then my husband doesn't think Ross Noble, from Cramlington in Northumberland, is a 'real' Geordie either.
Leaving that aside I guess the Eagles comparison has some merit in that both bands were known for their distinctive sound. Dire Straits were less reliant on vocal harmonies & more reliant on one instrument. I will leave it there because it isn't something I really think about.