The Triumvirate Speak

Laurie, Roseman & Sirianni met (each individually) with the press last week.  This is a rare occurrence!  What did we learn?  Let’s look at statements from all 3 by topic to glean further info:

Super Bowl:

Sirianni- Your obviously disappointed that you got that far… It’s always about the journey.  But the journey’s a lot sweeter when you win it… You get close and it just fuels your hunger.  You know the steps you had to take to get there.  You know that every detail matters.  You’re going to go and try to recapture everything you can as far as the work to put in.  It just makes you hungrier.  I’ve been able to coach in the Super Bowl.  It was a special journey.  When you look back at it, you know it… It builds your hunger wanting to recapture… That’s the sentiment of the guys in the locker room, the sentiment of the coaches, and my sentiment.  More determined than ever... I remember Jason Kelce saying last year ‘I don’t care who’s on this team, it’s gonna take the work every single day to get to where we need to get to.’  That was the message over and over and over.   We’ll bank on that next year.   I don’t care what happened last year.  It’s gonna take day-in, day-out work.  I know that’s cliché.  But if you can stay focused each day…

Laurie- “We’re challenged to be one of those teams. I think the most important aspect of that is to have the right quarterback. Assuming you have the right coach, the right staff, the right general manager, the right culture, all that stuff goes into — all the resources necessary. But then you’ve got to have… I think it’s so helpful to have a dynamic quarterback who’s a great leader, a special person, and someone who is so hungry, and not just to win it once, but to win it multiple times… and obsessed.  I think about a minute and 43 left in the game, and one timeout, we got the ball on the 25 yard line, what would have happened?  I would have liked that opportunity because we were built for it." 

Translation: "F The Ref!  We had what it took, and we have what it takes!"

Coaching Changes:

Laurie- (On his support)- “With Jeff Stoutland and others in the past – Jim Johnson, you know there's some great examples – we will go to terrific lengths, outstanding lengths and pay them just about the most in the league in order to retain them if we think they are incredibly talented at a very important position. And so obviously we've done that with Stout every year."

Sirianni- (On Desai) (Desai) is super organized, has a process for everything.  I really appreciate that about him... Grinding, works hard… Super talented, which is why we hired him with his scheme and his thought process… Getting on the same page regarding my vision for the defense… with certain defensive situations… There’s a lot of similarities because it’s a similar defense… There (isn’t) going to be a lot of change as far as the base defense…”  I was looking for the best coach, period. 

Laurie (On the coordinators)- “I don’t want to take credit for the fact that we have three minority coordinators," Lurie said. "They were the best each time they were being interviewed and the due diligence. It might not have worked out that way. Brian Johnson is someone we see as being very talented, Sean Desai the same, and Michael we have worked with before and he is a very young and developing coach. We’re open to it, we are colorblind, and we just want the best. It just worked out that way. I don’t want to have us take any credit for it.”

Sirianni- (On OC Brian Johnson)- “You promote somebody because you’re confident they can do the job … “I’ve been (having) a 2-year interview with Brian.  He’s shined every single day.  Jalen’s play (has demonstrated that).   Brian has a great offensive mind.  When we come up with a plan (he was a contributor in a large group), you hear the ideas Brian brought to the table.  We’re confident he’s going to be able to step in and do the job.  Its been fun getting to know him these last couple years.”

Laurie (On OC Brian Johnson)- “Nick Sirianni] had made it very clear during the season that we have an outstanding qb coach in Brian Johnson," Lurie said. "And so he was going to go through an interview process but he was very, very hopeful that we wouldn’t lose Brian. Because there were several teams looking to sign Brian and we didn’t know if Shane was going to be a head coach. So we were plenty concerned, very concerned that we would not have Brian to both promote and sort of have the benefits of somebody who’s worked with Jalen and works great with him and has the respect of everybody in the building. On that level, that was sort of a planned succession, so I was really happy for Shane that he got that job."

Sirianni (On positional candidates)- When you’re a position coach, there are 4 distinct ways to get a player better.  (1 & 2 are) Opportunity & Weight Room… that’s not the position coaches.  The third element is scheme where position coaches contribute, but the coordinators have the final say.  (The 4^th), Fundamentals is ALL the position coach… their main job.  That’s what we felt we brought in with some of the new additions. 

Laurie (On Sirianni’s role/process)- “You’ve got to not just rely on connections in terms of who you know, who you’ve worked with, who gave you a job beforehand. This is something I really appreciate about (Nick). He not only grinds on football and on connections and on culture. But when it came time and this was a first for him, when it came time to figure out who’s going to replace the coordinator you lost, he was relentless.”
Translation- The defensive (and offensive) schemes will remain the same, although Sirianni is leaving some room for some (what appears minor) adjustment.  The Eagles are a process first organization. Position coaches must be focused, with just 2 roles… contributing to the scheme (but deigning to their coordinator), with ultimate focus on teaching/ingraining their players with fundamentals.  And Howie and Jeff give their head coach both the support and autonomy he requires to maintain his staff.

 

Roster Emphasis:
Roseman- “It’s not like we have some secret sauce here, Everyone knows the ingredients.”

Sirianni- “Play the best 5 (on the O-Line)… Cam (Jurgens) sat behind one of the best players (Kelce) in franchise history.  Cam will continue to learn from him.  We’ll see what’s the best situation for Cam and for the team.  We have a lot of confidence in Cam, & we’re excited he can play multiple positions.  We still have a lot of things to go through before we have to make any decisions.  We’ll see where we go with him (Jurgens), excited he’s on our team and that he adds major depth to our team.  Stout does a ton of cross training… Cam has that versatility.”

Translation- First 2 picks in the draft, perhaps first 3, will be Linemen, an O-Lineman to compete with Jurgens at RG & perhaps inherit Lane Johnson’s spot when he retires, an interior defensive lineman to emulate the Javon Hargrave role, and an edge rusher to replace Brandon Graham in 2024.  Sirianni's response implies Jurgens, a 2nd round pick last year, could well remain a quality depth piece to Kelce at center, and at Guard.  Don't forget, backup Jack Driscoll becomes a free-agent next season.    

The 2022-2023 Starting DB’s:
Roseman- “You run out of resources & so we were very clear that at some point we were going to have to go in a different direction… you go into free agency with a plan but you have to be able to pivot, understanding where the values are and what the values are… having a valuation on a player, understanding that value, because it’s hard to get deals done.”

Sirianni- “That’s a position that’s (not easy to obtain)… We’re just happy we have those 2 guys (Slay, Bradberry) with the talent that they have, with the leadership qualities they have, with the connection they have. “

Translation- In the defensive backfield, as much as they liked Marcus Epps, effectively a home-grown Eagle, the Birds were never prepared to match market value there.  Plan A was keep CJG & Slay & Bradberry but, recognizing that difficulty, Plans B & C were to keep CJG & either corner, Plan D was keep the corners.  The Eagles tried to keep CJG, but would not do so in a vacuum.  Howie stayed disciplined, recognizing each plan (A-D) had merits and possible flaws. In the end, the health of Bradberry and Slay over the next 2 years, as well as the on-field play AND off-field flexibility of CJG in Detroit will grade the outcome. 

Jalen:
Roseman- “You navigate the off season understanding we’re not going to lose our Franchise QB.  What does that mean?  It means 2024 is going to look different.  We’re not going to have our {starting} QB on a rookie deal.”

Sirianni- “Jalen’s still in there working hard.  Lifting like a maniac in the weight room.  Just getting after it.  People have asked me how good Jalen Hurts can be?  Know one knows what Jalen’s ceiling can be, but I know he can reach it because of all the factors he has.  Part of what makes Jalen special is everything he can do.  We’ll do what we have to do to win football games.  And Jalen does a lot of things special, and we’ll try to showcase all the things he does special.  And try to add some new wrinkles with different things that we do.  We have a special quarterback and we’ll use his special abilities.” 

Laurie- “The thing with Jalen that I am so optimistic about is he has this incredible — and I’m not telling you anything you don’t know here — but seeing him virtually every day he has an incredible passion for being phenomenal. And you see that in the great ones. We all know in other sports, and with certain quarterbacks in this league, you can define them by obsession with detail and work ethic… He is 24 years old. Honestly, I don’t know if I have ever met someone that mature at age 24. My son is 27 and he is very mature but, no. Jalen is the most mature 24-year old I’ve ever come across… But the hardest part for sure is the scarcity of really good quarterbacks and we’ve got one. And we’ve got a really special player and individual in that category, in that position… We’ll be working with Jalen I’m sure for a long time.”
Translation- Fact- Jalen Hurts WILL be re-signed.  No question.  Assume the $ amount, move on with the other (roster) challenges.  This means, as one example, backup QB Marcus Mariota may cost $5mil this year on a 1 year deal, but anticipate the Eagles drafting a rookie QB that can become a cap-friendlier #2 QB in 2024. Most important, the opportunity for a 2022-like “All-Star” roster at most positions in either 2023 or 2024 is reduced to realistically handle the massive expense an All-Pro QB warrants.

Defensive Priorities:

Roseman- “Especially in a year where we understand the resources aren’t as plentiful as maybe they have been,” Roseman said. “You want to keep your priorities in line. For us, it’s going to start on defense with the defensive line and the cornerback position. When we look back at what we did here, it was consistent with what we think.”

Sirianni- “Our Player profiles will remain the same... It’s tough when you lose the relationships (with departing players in Free agency).  I wish them (Seumalo and Nate Herbig) the best... I wish Miles the best, rooting for him & his success.”

Translation- The Eagles retained all their 2022 corners and added a free agent (Greedy Williams) for further potential depth.  While retaining their edge rushers, the Eagles appear to have lost 3 Defensive Tackles (Ndamukong Suh, Linval Joseph and Javon Hargrave) while adding a potential depth player in Kentavius Street.  The Eagles are aware of their 2023 roster as well as potential replacements (for Brandon Graham?  For Fletcher Cox?) required in 2024.

 

Backup QB:

Roseman- “When you look at Marcus, you’re talking about an elite athlete who has really good tools as a passer.  We’re hoping that he doesn’t have to take the field other than in mop up duty, but I think we could run our offense if Jalen caught a cold or something and Marcus had to play.  I’ve always had a lot of respect for him as a player and as a person and just think it’s a good fit.”

Sirianni- I’ve wanted to coach (Marcus Mariota) for a long time.  Frank and I worked him out in 2014 at Oregon in a private work out (they were with San Diego then), and we thought the world of him as a person, his play spoke for itself.  He’s very talented.  There are a lot of different things he can do.  He’s played good football in the NFL.  I’m not always a guy that says you have to have the same type of quarterback.  You just want the best quarterback available to go out there and win games.    With that being said, there’s a lot of things we can recapture with Marcus being the backup that Jalen brings too.  Now you have the ability to bring some of the run game stuff in with Marcus.  That’s a positive part of it, but that’s not the main thing you look at when looking at a backup.  What you look at is Marcus is a proven starter in this league.  We are really confident in the person, the work ethic we’re getting, and the player we’re getting with Marcus.

Translation- Having an athletic backup QB that can run really helps when the team requires the transition.  Still, hopefully the use won’t be lengthy because the downgrade is so severe.  Again, anticipate the Eagles drafting a rookie QB that can become a cap-friendlier #2 QB in 2024.

 

2023 Sophomores and roster turnover:
Roseman “We have to implement some younger players here starting with last years draft (Nakobe Dean, Jordan Davis, Cam Jurgens, Reed Blankenship…) plus THE NEXT TWO”.

Sirianni- “Reed did a nice job last year of playing a lot of meaningful plays and starting games last year.  No doubt we have confidence in him.  We have a lot of confidence he can do the same thing this year.  One thing with Reed you noticed right away was he was shining when those pads came on… You knew he could be really good… The depth at safety is coming together, but you’re never a finished product.” 
Translation- 3 year cycle.  The Eagles are challenged to turn the next TWO drafts (2023 & 2024) into vehicles that’ll yield several young players that will be key parts of a refreshed, less expensive young core.  It is also likely much of the aging component of the existing Eagles core (Slay, Bradberry, Cox, Graham, Kelce) will be gone.  Only Kelce has a replacement waiting in the wings (Jurgens). 

2023, one Year Free Agent Signings, & the new Free Agency normal with a big QB contract:

Roseman- “When you’re looking at these 1-year guys, you want some high upside.  Guys who have traits in their bodies, guys we liked at some point (in the past, in the draft)… They balance, a little bit (our) re-signings that went in a different direction based on the market.  We like these 1-year upside guys, these lottery tickets.  They’ve gotta prove it.  They’ve got a chip on their shoulder.  They’ve got talent.  It hasn’t worked out perfectly (for them), so if you hit on some of these guys, it’s mutually beneficial.”

Sirianni- “You’re always looking to bring in the right type of guy, always looking for the same thing(s).  Looking for football IQ, character, we’re looking for people that love football, that are tough & competitive... And guys that are talented.  Those are traits we’re always going to look for.”

Translation- The Eagles signed safeties Justin Evans & Terrelle Edmunds, Rb Rashad Penny, LB Nick Morrow, QB Marcus Mariota, CB Greedy Williams, DT Kentavius Street.  Patterns here-

1. 5 Core traits: Football IQ, High Character, Love the game, Tough, Competitive
2. Athletic Prime: All (but QB Mariota) ages 25-27. 
3. Athletic Pedigree: All (but Morrow) were 1st or 2nd round draft picks (Street was easily a 2nd rounder till he got hurt right before his draft at his Pro Day). 
4. Low cost.  All came inexpensively aside from Mariota.  Even he, at $5mil, came as an affordable decent quality backup at QB. 
5. How was a valued player acquired at low cost? All (but Edmunds) have recovered from significant injuries in their past.  

All likely took lesser deals with Philly than their former team offered, “prove it” (inexpensive, cap friendly) 1-year deals in the “Howie Lottery” to see if they can demonstrate playing to their draft potential. 

Running Back:

Sirianni- “We feel really good about the room as it is right now. We love the addition (of Rashaad Penny). I wanted to coach him for a long time. … We all saw Kenny Gainwell have a really good playoff run. And it seems like every time Kenny’s in the game he makes plays, whether it’s in the pass game or whether it’s in the running game. Boston (Scott) being back is huge. I think that’s somebody that you always want to have on your team, and really glad we have him — especially because I know how much Shane (Steichen) likes him, too. We all love Boston.  He just provides great depth.  And he found a niche as a Kick Returner … And then Trey Sermon, really excited about him. … I can’t tell you how many times at practice Trey had an opportunity to showcase his talents… At Practice how many times he made a cut or you just saw him in his pads or he made a play on a screen or whatever it was, you’re like, ‘Man, this guy’s got a chance to be really good.’ I wish we could get him touches. So I’m really excited about that room…”

Translation- RB Rashad Penny, when on the field is special, but can they keep him healthy?  Over 5 seasons, he never reached 120 carries.  He’s talented enough to lead the league in rushing.  The Eagles will keep him on a strict play count.  He’s a wild-card, pure and simple.  Gainwell?  Not a lead back, OK as a runner, but after 2 seasons he’s learned his trade and can catch.  The question for this writer isn’t Gainwell’s ability to catch, but more Jalen’s willingness to leverage him as a secondary option.  Boston Scott?  A quality depth piece, now reinforcing his value as a key Special Teamer (Kicjk Returner).  Trey Sermon?  A 3^rd round pick that has some things to prove off the field and in the locker room (after getting cut by San Francisco) to get a chance to play here in Philly.

 

Defensive Tackle:

Roseman- “We drafted Milton Williams in the third round because we really liked him. We traded up for Jordan Davis because we really liked him. … I don’t really understand the perception on (Fletcher Cox). I think Fletch is a great player. He had seven sacks. I don’t know how many defensive tackles in the league had seven sacks last year, but not many. He took less to come back. He was offered more. So when you talk about him and the kind of player he is, too, all you have to do is turn on the tape and watch him and see the power he plays with, he’s a unique guy. That doesn’t mean we’re done there. We have some young guys, too, that we’re excited to see here. But it’s a priority position. Again, we start with those guys, and we have a long time until we play the next game. I think it’s a good start.”

Translation- In discussing the interior of the Defensive Line, Roseman views Fletcher Cox will be the “glue guy”.  It does not mean he’ll get the most snaps.  He may no longer be the most talented.  But he’s a good player who commands respect that the Eagles got without commitment beyond 2023, given he’s 32.  He’s a proven leader.  The triangle they have in that interior (Williams/Cox/Davis) is one the Eagles take pride in. Beyond that, the Eagles will look to 4 “lottery tickets” (Young 2023 free agent signee Kentavius Street, Rookie FA on IR last year Noah Ellis, 3^rd year player also went to IR Marlon Tuipulotu, Practice squad ascendent Marvin Wilson) and the possibility of adding thru the draft.  “It’s a priority position… we start with those guys, and we have a long time until we play the next game… I think it’s a good start.” Howie’s NOT done at DT.   

 

Culture:

Laurie- ‘“You want the culture to be great…I know what we have as a culture, I know how close we all are, whether it’s owner-coach, coach-player, GM-player, just the camaraderie of the players themselves, the people in the building with those players, they mean an awful lot… You want to have an outstanding program for injury prevention, which is multivariable…  Nutrition, training, practice schedules, alternative modes of therapy... Mental-health awareness, there’s so much that goes into that… I can give you 30 people (not players or coaches) that, without each of them performing really well, we’re not talking NFC championship.”
Laurie on Roseman: “I just want to say Howie, you can’t underestimate the job that he’s done the last few years to… deal with every issue you could possibly deal with in terms of trying to get back to the Super Bowl again. His assistant GMs became GMs because they are so well trained … It’s a culture of curiosity and information. You’re going to make mistakes but — and you’ve heard me say this before — never be risk-averse. People didn’t want us to draft Jalen Hurts because we had a quarterback. That was, I mean, it’s the most important position in sports, take your shots, those were kind of no-brainers in terms of (his) strategy. Whether it works out, sometimes it’s not going to work out, but take your shots.”

Translation: The owner has the GM’s and coach’s backs.  He supports them with whatever he can, and allows them to take risks other guys cannot take.  This is one of their most significant competitive advantages- Being able to mix Short, Intermediate and Long-Term thinking.  Thanks to a forward thinking owner, the top of the cultural pyramid.

 

Roster Management:

Roseman- “I think when we look at what we did here (Free Agency), it was consistent with what we think, but that doesn’t mean that TJ Edwards wasn’t a heck of a player.  He was a homegrown player.  We don’t want to lose a guy like that.  But for us, when you have a limited amount of resources, you have to make sure your priorities are taken care of.”

Sirianni- “Quez did a lot of things that don’t show up in the stat sheet.  It’s how he stretches the field.  A lot of the balls that AJ caught over the middle, if you look at the tape you s Quez running thru the middle to pull a safety out of there.  The difference (for Quez 2022 vs. 2021) was opportunity.  (Quez) did not have as many opportunities.  The pass game runs thru them (Brown, Smith Goedert) and you’ll have to make plays when it’s time to make plays.  He was frustrated he didn’t have the amount of plays to make this year as opposed to last year.  Our pass game runs thru those (other) 3 guys…  It’s the accountability piece and how he gets better for the sake of the team.”

Laurie- “You need a mix of older players, younger players, draft choices, vets, up-and-coming players, players you’re developing from lesser known players from the practice squad or bottom of the roster," he said. "You need all that. I think the Chiefs were a good example. They had to let go of Tyreek Hill, but they were able to draft McDuffie and Karlaftis. They’re going through a transition… This year we thought about whether we should re-sign some of our older players… What we really decided was, and this was more Nick and Howie than me, that they’re playing at such a high level that it was a smart thing to bring back Jason Kelce, and BG and Fletch at different levels. You don’t want to just take something that you’re worried about if actually they’ve been playing great. So that’s a good example. Try to retain key players and know when you think it’s not smart to spend the money that way and allocate resources.”

Translation- Alternatives are forecasted like a giant future road map

1. Possibilities- The Eagles clearly have a detailed plan, with contingencies (What-Ifs).
2. Demand- Every possible move is considered and QUANTIFIED (Position implications, Roster implications, Cap considerations, Locker-room impacts, Future considerations, Cultural impact, Reprioritizations… ) vis-à-vis the impact of achieving the best possible final roster.
3. Contingencies- The Eagles have a “Plan A” for every decision, but as Mick Jagger so famously sang- “You can’t always get what you want.”  So in the planning process ALL possible end games get considered, moving backwards (and then forward again) to each decision point (“domino”) to gauge it’s importance to the best over-all possible roster.
4. Execution- The Eagles account for all these “What-Ifs…” but as each roster decision drives a particular path, it is possible to re-calibrate a route per the latest decision… Some What-ifs become more desirable/likely, others fade away because they now become irrelevant or redundant.     
5. Fulfillment- The Eagles integrate each domino, so as they fall (or not) ALL the next steps, paths and what-if’s tied to the roster ripple, with a best path becoming clearer, alternatives shimmering, and those paths no longer relevant fading away.  

Lessons Learned: Jeff Laurie said “As an owner, when you have a quarterback that’s an ultimate grinder and just an incredible person, a coach that’s like that, a GM that’s like that, their staffs become like that, the culture in the building is based on a grinding philosophy. We’re never satisfied. Whether we had won the Super Bowl or not, that hunger for more…I have it, everyone has it.”    Great!  To quote Al Davis then, "Just win baby!"