The Eagles this spring had six days of voluntary OTAs and one mandatory day of practice before summer break.
The team won’t be back together at the NovaCare Complex until late July, when players report for training camp.
Over the last few weeks, reporters got a chance to talk with select players and coaches. While there were plenty of big takeaways from those media availabilities, there are plenty of nuggets left over.
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The leader of the secondary
A few years ago, Reed Blankenship was fighting to earn a spot on the Eagles’ roster as an undrafted rookie out of Middle Tennessee State. Now, he’s the veteran leader of an extremely young secondary.
Blankenship is the guy veteran Darius Slay identified as the potential leader before his departure this offseason.
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“It’s an honor,” Blankenship said. “I came here with Slay, into the room with Slay. Just seeing how he operates, seeing how he leads. Just trying to model my leadership role like that. You come in to the league and he’s been here for years and you don’t know how he’s going to be but he just came here with open arms, took me under his wing. Like I said, I learned a lot from him.
“Him saying that, it’s a huge honor. I try my best to teach these guys what I’ve been taught. It’s just one of those things, they can take what I teach them or not. But I always let them know that I’m a strong shoulder to lean on if they need anything. Just to be that guy with the open door policy type of thing.”
Blankenship is still just 26 years old but he might be the oldest and most experienced defensive back in the Eagles’ starting secondary this season. Not only will the Eagles start second-year players Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, but the other starting cornerback could be Kelee Ringo, who will be just 23 to start the season. And the safety spot next to Blankenship will likely be filled by a relatively inexperienced player — perhaps even rookie Drew Mukuba.
Blankenship admitted it was “tough” to see his buddy C.J. Gardner-Johnson get traded this offseason. Blankenship said he wishes CJGJ the best in Houston but is ready to lead the Eagles’ secondary. He also said he isn’t worried about any sort of swagger deficit in Gardner-Johnson’s absence.
“People have to step up,” Blankenship said. “You can’t wait on somebody else to step up. I’ve been here the longest and it’s time to take the reins. What Slay said on the podcast, it’s my time. I want everybody to come along with me. Nobody’s left behind.”
Will Quinyon Mitchell travel?
The Eagles’ cornerbacks stayed on their respective sides of the field last season — Darius Slay on the left, Quinyon Mitchell on the right. So it seemed pretty notable this spring that every day reporters were present, Mitchell lined up on the left in place of Slay, who left this offseason.
“I’ve been working on both sides,” Mitchell said. “Just getting my feet wet on both sides.”
Last season, Mitchell played over 1,000 snaps as the Eagles’ right cornerback and played exactly zero on the left side. Could this perhaps be the first step in using Mitchell to travel with the opponent’s best receiver? Maybe. Mitchell will be the Eagles’ CB1 in 2025 and there’s a good chance there will be a big drop-off to their next-best outside cornerback.
Even if Mitchell wouldn’t travel into the slot — although he did play there last training camp — this could set up a situation where he flips from side to side to stick with the best receivers in the NFL.
Is that something that interests Mitchell?
“You see all the corners doing it,” Mitchell said. “Right now, just one day at a time.”
The new ideas
After the Eagles promoted Kevin Patullo to replace Kellen Moore as their offensive coordinator this offseason, the Eagles’ two outside hires were Scot Loeffler as QBs coach and Parks Frazier as passing game coordinator.
The Eagles are hoping those two can bring some fresh ideas to Philly.
“Scot's been great. I mean, he's got a wealth of knowledge,” Patullo said this spring. “He's been a quarterback coach forever, coordinator forever and a head coach. He ran a diverse system in college, which has been really cool.
When you have a guy in your staff that's got all this wealth of knowledge, it's great to lean on him and just kind of hear what he has to say and it's good.
You don't always want the same things from your coaches just like I am.
“I want somebody different to bounce ideas off of and give me some kind of new information. He's been really, really good so far. Super detailed guy, very energetic and works hard and he's passionate about football, he's been great.”
Frazier is new to Philly but not new to Patullo or Nick Sirianni. Before working for the Dolphins and Panthers, Frazier began his NFL career with the Colts under Sirianni and Patullo. But he has had a couple different stops since then.
“So really from the time we were with him at the Colts until now, his offensive knowledge has grown, right?” Patullo said. “Being in Miami last year, he learned all this new stuff and then being at Carolina kind of on his own, doing his own thing and coaching up Bryce [Young] there, he's really expanded his game.”
A glimpse into Sirianni’s coaching
As far as success stories go, Zack Baun is a pretty great one.
Baun was pretty much an afterthought when the Eagles signed him to a one-year deal in March of 2024. But the former New Orleans Saint ended up being a starting linebacker in Vic Fangio’s defense, was an All-Pro and then cashed in on a three-year, $51 million contract this offseason.
“In team meetings, Nick (Sirianni) kind of mentioned my story with all the one-year deal guys we have now,” Baun said this spring. “Nick mentioned my story earlier on in OTAs. I love it because it uses me as an example to kind of prove yourself, especially in this organization. This is an organization that’s going to give you a shot, an honest try.
“I’ve talked to Josh Uche especially. He’s really inspired and trying to take that same trajectory, that same path. And with that, it’s a lot of hard work and dedication to making it your best year.”
A standout newcomer
Baun wasn’t the only star Eagles player to mention Josh Uche unprompted on the final day of spring practice. When asked for an edge rusher who was standing out this spring, Lane Johnson quickly mentioned Uche.
“Uche. I remember playing him (with the) Patriots,” Johnson said. “Really quick. He’s very versatile with what he can do.”
After that, Johnson talked about Azeez Ojulari, Jalyx Hunt and Nolan Smith. But it seemed notable that Uche came to his mind first. That’s not indicative of the depth chart or even expectations but Uche could perhaps end up being a nice surprise.
The Eagles signed Uche to a one-year deal this offseason after he was a healthy scratch against them with the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX. Uche was a second-round pick out of Michigan back in 2020 and spent the first 4 1/2 years of his career in New England before getting traded to Kansas City in the middle of last season. His best season came in 2022, when he had 11 1/2 sacks — but he has just 9 1/2 in his other four seasons.
While Uche had just three sacks in 2023, he did have one nice move against Johnson that the All-Pro didn’t forget.
“He made a good inside move and beat me,” Johnson said. “The ball was gone but … just really quick. I think he plays really low for a taller guy so he can get under you if you let him. I think he’s great in coverage, just a multi-tool player. So I think he’s going to help us.”
Lucky No. 7
Kelee Ringo has always liked the No. 7. He wore it in youth football and might have worn it in college but linebacker Quay Walker had it at Georgia. And then when Ringo got into the NFL, Haason Reddick was already wearing No. 7 in Philly. And then last year, it went to Kenny Pickett. But after Pickett got traded this offseason, Ringo pounced.
“I wanted to make the most of the opportunity,” Ringo said.
Ringo will be the 19th Eagle all-time to wear the No. 7 in a game and the first defensive back thanks to a real change in 2023 that made defensive backs eligible to wear single digits. The No. 7 has mostly been a QB with the Eagles. Of the 18 players to wear it all-time, 13 have been quarterbacks.
While Ringo wore 37 his first training camp, he took over 22 after RB Trey Sermon was released. Ringo has worn No. 22 for his first 39 career games, but was always eyeing No. 7.
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t,” Ringo said.
The perfect time for the Axe
One of the coolest moments of Super Bowl LIX was watching Jeremiah Trotter Jr. tackle Chiefs return man Nikko Remigio on a kickoff in the fourth quarter of the win. Because after the tackle, Trot hit the Axe Man celebration.
It was a long time coming.
“I feel like I was kind of saving it for the right moment when I felt like it would have been right,” Trotter said. “And also, the guys knew that was something I was doing in college and they knew my dad did it when he was playing for the Eagles. The whole season, even in the Giants game where I made some plays, they were like, ‘Man, why didn’t you throw it?’ But I was like, ‘I don’t know. I just gotta have a feeling for it.’
“And then I came on special teams and I made that tackle and I just feel like it was right with it being the Super Bowl and everything. So I threw it and got everybody hype. Everybody was just kind of waiting for it the whole season I guess.”
Trotter Sr. played in 11 playoff games but just one Super Bowl and the Eagles didn’t win that one. But he’s happy for his son to finally get a ring and told Trotter Jr. that at least his name will still get on there.
Dealing with newfound fame
It seems like Cooper DeJean is everywhere these days. Nothing wrong with enjoying your newfound fame.
“It’s been a little different,” DeJean said. “Just walking around, I try to hide as much as I can. But it gets harder and harder. But it’s still not going to change who I am as a person. Just be myself, treat people the same way. I haven’t changed but things around me have changed a little bit. But I’m still the same person.”
DeJean turned 22 on Super Bowl Sunday and had his first career interception (a pick-6) against the Chiefs in the Eagles’ 40-22 Super Bowl LIX win. Even before then, DeJean was a popular player but he’s been more popular since.
He seems to be handling it all.
“I don’t think whether I become more popular in the city or whatever, I don’t think that’s changed who I am as a person,” DeJean said. “I’m still continuing to work and to try and be the best that I can be in my job. There’s a lot of things I can get better as coming off last season, that I can be ready for this season. Those are the things that I’ve been working on this offseason. Just becoming stronger, faster, being more comfortable out on the field and working my techniques. I don’t think it’s changed me as a person at all.”