Everything was well organised at practice – there were four practice areas on the two practice fields. The stands were packed – it was teeming with a very, very large number of Eagles fans, which was not surprising. The pace was great and the Eagles were clearly enjoying training against another team, as both teams kept it simple in terms of game tactics.
This is about putting together the best squad for September and beyond.
“Our job is to execute things really well, no matter who we’re playing against and who we’re training against,” Brown said. “I think we’ve done a pretty good job of that.”
Defensive end Brandon Graham said: “We tried to bring energy on defense. Today was a good day for everyone. Good energy on both sides of the ball.”
There were many memorable moments – a connection from quarterback Jalen Hurts to running back Saquon Barkley, who ran a wheel route that ended in the end zone, some well-timed sacks by Zack Baun and Jeremiah Trotter Jr., physical play by the front seven against the run, a lot of work on kickoffs with the awareness that there is still a lot of work to be done in the new game.
And when it was over, the players rushed to the locker room, showered and hopped on buses to return to the hotel for lunch, rest, meetings and more. Then there was some time to get acquainted and sleep before a walk-through and game preparations on Wednesday.
“You learn that everything we do means something,” said rookie running back Will Shipley. “Everyone is helpful and everyone is competitive. I love the culture we have.”
It’s an intangible benefit to spend so much time together, but it pays off. We saw in 2022 what it meant for the team to get through those two weeks and build something special. Maybe this week will have the same impact.
We can only hope that’s the case. On the field, the Eagles are working on their competitiveness, their accountability, their football IQ and their fundamentals, the other four core values Sirianni emphasizes every day.
A big part of this is the CONNECT part. Three nights and a fourth, very long day help create something for everyone who has a say in the team’s future success.
