Player Updates

Eagles players have been meeting the media during OTAs. Sometimes player interviews are borderline worthless, but in a year of change they can be enlightening. They aren’t just answering the same old questions. You still get plenty of safe/boring/non-answer answers, but a bit of interesting info gets out as well.

Rodney McLeod

I was shocked to hear McLeod say he thinks he’ll be ready for the start of the season. I thought the timing of his ACL injury would make that a delusional goal. Just because he said it doesn’t make it a medical fact, but Rodney is a veteran and a smart guy. He seemed to genuinely expect to be ready. He did say that you’ve got to listen to your body so there are no guarantees.

If McLeod is able to play, that helps the safety position. I would love to see him used more in the box, with Anthony Harris as the deep safety. McLeod isn’t all that big, but he’s quick and fast around the LOS. He can shoot into the backfield to chase down a RB from behind. He is a good blitzer. I think he would be a good fit playing in that role.

Jalen Reagor

I hope he has a good year. Not for my sake, for his. Reagor seems wound pretty tight. He needs to experience some success to make sure he stays focused on the right things. All the critical comments and relentless Justin Jefferson comments have affected him. Brandon Graham had to deal with a similar situation. It was him vs Earl Thomas and vs JPP for years. Graham just kept grinding away and has had a terrific career and now might be the most popluar Eagle.

Reagor will be spending more time in the slot. We’ll see if that can help to unlock his talents. When asked what he worked on this offseason, he said everything. That’s the kind of comment that makes me nervous. Is he driven or is he so bitter that it’s not healthy?

Alex Singleton

You worry about guys that have unexpected success. Are they one-year wonders or just late bloomers? When Singleton was asked about dealing with success he talked about needing to work even harder this offseason. That is absolutely the right mindset. And the words seemed genuine.

I’m excited to see what Singleton does this year. The coaching staff got consistently good LB play in Indy and Minnesota. That bodes well for Singleton, who seems excited by the new staff and scheme.

Avonte Maddox

Interesting guy. My only real complaint is that he talks about doing whatever it takes to help the team win when he is asked about positions. I get that versatility is an asset, but he’s got to have a preference of where to play. The coaches have to have a preference, right? There is no doubt in my mind that Maddox’s development has been hindered by him moving so much. Find a spot for this guy and let’s see what he can do.

Avonte Maddox very much working on his eye discipline this offseason. Must have just said "eyes" about 20 times. Said it's been emphasized so far by new DBs coach Dennard Wilson.

— Geoff Mosher (@GeoffMosherNFL) May 25, 2021

I love this. Obviously the coach is emphasizing that point with his players and they are paying attention. Also, this is the kind of specific thing you can work on. You don’t improve by trying to do everything better (right Reagor?), you focus on specific details and work on them.

It will be interesting to see how the coaches use Avonte and to see how well he plays.

Anthony Harris

Harris played for Jonathan Gannon up in Minnesota a few years back. Based on that, I was hoping he would offer the most insight into the scheme and what we’re going to see this fall. Alas, Harris is a true veteran and avoided saying anything definitive. I’m sure the coaches loved his generic answers. Why give out info if you don’t have to?

He seems like a bright guy and you can see where he can be a good leader. He’s new to the team, but talked about reaching out to other players to “talk ball”. He feels like a guy that will lead a lot of discussions and have plenty of answers for his younger teammates.

Brandon Brooks

You have to love his mindset and his confidence.

Brandon Brooks: “I think what people are forgetting is I tore my Achilles before, and when I came back, I was the best. Period.”#Eagles pic.twitter.com/8F8N5EgBdI

— Brandon Lee Gowton (@BrandonGowton) May 27, 2021

If he and Lane Johnson can stay healthy, the Eagles will have one of the best OLs in the league. That’s a big if based on the last couple of years, but we have seen how good those guys can be. Keep your fingers crossed. A healthy right side would mean a world of difference for Miles Sanders and Jalen Hurts.

*****

The Eagles are projected to be one of the worst teams in the league.

You wouldn’t know that by listening to the players. This is an interesting group. There are guys coming off injury who are dying to show they are still good players (Johnson, Brooks). There are young guys dying to show they are legit (Reagor, Hurts, etc.). There are veterans who have a chip on their shoulder (Singleton, Harris, Eric Wilson).

This is a hungry, energetic group. Last year was a dysfunctional mess. I’ve referred to the team as bloated a few times. This group seems more focused and driven. That vibe could help them this year.

They certainly won’t go kicking butt based purely on talent. They need every edge they can get.

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