We live in a fast-food society where everyone wants definitive answers right away. Who is good? Who isn't? You can't get this from one practice or even one month of practice. You must be patient, as frustrating as that is.
Things are different now for the Eagles than they were a year ago, of course. A full season with Kelly in the lead established the protocol of the way things are to be done around here, starting immediately. The program is vastly different than the one previously in place, and everybody understands that. The tempo is different. Kelly's energy level is different. It's all just ... so ... different.
"He's one of the guys who has really improved through the spring training here," offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur said of quarterback Nick Foles. "He's going to be a better quarterback as far as I'm concerned. I think he's looking forward to getting it going though."
"We're teachers, they're players," defensive coordinator Bill Davis said. "We have to teach them how to play together and how to fit together, and the better job of teaching we do – and we have an outstanding group of teachers – that's how you get ahead and become a dominant team defense. It's not the star players that can win one-on-one, as much as it is 11 guys really playing fast together. And we're a lot further along this year than we were last year."
"Jason (Kelce) is truly the motor that drives the engine for us in so many ways," offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland said. "You have to have a guy there who is in a comfort zone making quick reads and decisions and articulating that information to the rest of the offense. He's confident in what he sees and in gathering information. And this is an area that I think we can be a lot better than last year is helping Jason. The players around him have to feed him information so that he can put us in the correct situation. I think we'll be so much better at that."
Others may claim to be the most interesting man in the world, but we all know that title most likely belongs to Chip Kelly.
Head coach Chip Kelly kicked off the final week of spring football for the Eagles as the team hosted the first of three training sessions this week. Here's a recap of what Kelly discussed with the media.
"Our whole premise is we are going to throw him in at the deep end and see if he can swim," Chip Kelly said of rookie safety Ed Reynolds.
"I think Nick can be a lot better, and I know he shares that sentiment," quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave said of quarterback Nick Foles. "He's looking to have a fantastic year because there are a lot fewer unknowns in terms of how defenses can counterbalance our system. Nick knows our system more, he's in a different role at this stage than he was 12 months ago, so I know he's looking forward to taking that next step."
"This offseason has been great for me, just getting reps in that I didn't get last year and it's really helped me out knowing the defense," said outside linebacker Travis Long. "That's my thing, I've always known the defense and where I was supposed to be. I never had any trouble picking up anything. So when I came here, I kind of got frustrated with myself when I couldn't pick it up just immediately. Now that I know it, it's much easier."
"He looks great," Nick Foles said of Jeremy Maclin. "I can't tell a difference at all. He's a guy who's going to give it his all every day. Coming out of breaks and everything, going downfield, I think he's looked great. Obviously he's working every day to get better, but he's the same Jeremy and that Jeremy is a guy who wants to get better every day, no matter what. That's a big injury, any time you hurt your knee, and he's done everything that he can to get back on the field, so it's exciting to have him back out there and healthy, and we just have to keep him that way."
Chip Kelly will often pick up a ball and toss to receivers or running backs during drills. On Tuesday, second-round draft pick Jordan Matthews was waiting for his turn, so Kelly fired a pass to his new offensive weapon. Kelly has often spoke out how impressed he's been with everyone buying into the Eagles system, and when you see Kelly connecting with his players like this, it's easy to understand why.
Wednesday marks the second day of the Eagles' minicamp. The weather was hot and humid with temperatures at the NovaCare Complex in the 90s, which presented more of a Training Camp feel indicating just how close the season is. Prior to the start of the training session, head coach Chip Kelly offered his view on some players who has impressed during the spring. Here's the Tweetcap ...
Wednesday was a big day in the world of Twitter, as users can now view animated GIF files on the social network, and there's no better way to celebrate the occasion than to look at some of the best Eagles GIFs.
"Everybody has the same amount of time during the day," Chip Kelly said, "and you can either spend your time or invest your time and that's what we are trying to get our players to understand. It's how you allocate your time. We all have 24 hours in the same day and it's what you want to do. If you want to go play video games and watch TV and do all those other things, you're going to get beat out by the guy that is doing the little things that are going to make the difference between making the team and not making the team."
Chris Maragos is what we all want to love in a football player. He's scrappy. He's tough. He's in the game because he loves it and because he's carved out quite a niche at the highest level. And he's not taking a second of what he has for granted.
The Eagles wrap up minicamp on Thursday and will have 35 days off before reporting for Training Camp in July 25. Head coach Chip Kelly offered his final thoughts on the team's spring training sessions as well as what his plans are before the team reconvenes in Philadelphia.
"It was tough ... It was humbling," wide receiver Ifeanyi Momah recalled. "You go from having a lot of attention and doing well to not playing so well and getting cut. Everybody forgets who you are. It humbles you real quick."
Call him "Wolverine" or "Weapon X" or whatever you'd like, there's no doubt that Brian Dawkins performed like a Super Hero throughout his Eagles career. Whether Dawkins was getting on all fours as he came out of the tunnel before a game or he was pouncing on ball carriers and taking them to the ground, Dawkins perfectly embodied the animalistic intensity of Wolverine. In fact, the Wolverine nickname stuck so well that Marvel created a custom print for Dawkins' retirement ceremony in September of 2012.
The final training session of the Eagles' 2014 spring ended with a collective cheer from the team gathered on the field, and after a team meeting players went their separate ways. Training Camp begins in 35 days. The countdown is on.
"I mean, I'll go home and see my family and spend some time with them, but I don't look at this as I need a break from what we've just done," head coach Chip Kelly said. "I mean, this is our life choice and we enjoy it, so it's not like I can't wait for – this isn't like Fred Flintstone with the Yabba Dabba Doo and we're trying to get out of work. It's another day, and we'll finish up with some different things before we get some time off. But I think anybody that's in our situation that coaches isn't like, I can't wait to get out of there. I think most of them can't wait to get back in there."
Next up for Alejandro Villanueva is the layoff before Training Camp – time that he'll use to continue preparing his body and to continue fulfilling his Army requirements at Hunter Army Airfield in Georgia. The tallest player on the Eagles roster may face the longest odds of making the team come September, but if there's anyone who shouldn't be counted out, its Villanueva.
Your Eagles put in plenty of work this offseason: building muscle, perfecting technique and bonding as a team. Nose tackle Bennie Logan brought a sneak peek of what's to come in 2014 during our minicamp Twitter Takeover. Not only did he answer your #AskAnEagle questions, he also celebrated Eagles Nation and fueled #BeatDallas.
On Friday night, Connor Barwin is hosting a benefit concert for his Make The World Better (MTWB) foundation. All proceeds from the concert at Union Transfer will be donated and matched by MTWB and will be used to make improvements to Ralph Brooks Park in South Philadelphia. The lineup for the concert will feature a number of local Philadelphia bands, as well as bands from the Houston area. If there were to be an ultimate Eagles concert, what would the lineup look like? Perhaps it might look a little like this.
"I feel like every year is a make-or-break year," cornerback Curtis Marsh said following a practice during which he made an impressive interception. "Every year I'm out here, I'm competing. I'm hungry to play. My first couple years, there were guys ahead of me, Pro Bowl guys. Then last year we had a new coaching staff, new free agents come in. Every year it's been a battle, so I'm just focused on competing. Every year is a make-or-break year, but I'm confident. I'm confident in everything I do and I just know it's only a matter of time before it surfaces."
