HC Kevin Stefanski (8.14.23)
Opening statement:
“Okay. Excited to get some good work in versus a very good opponent. Obviously, great players, great coaches. So, it’s good for us at this point in camp to go up against another team like we’re going to do in a controlled setting. Just with our experience last year with Coach (Nick) Sirianni and his group, it was so valuable for the amount of work that were able to accomplish. So today and tomorrow will be good. We did make some adjustments to the practice schedule. So with them coming off that game Saturday night, it’ll be a little bit shorter and we’ll have a few more reps for our ones and a few less reps for our twos and threes, which really fits in well with what we’re trying to do in terms of our backups will be playing on Thursday night. This is an opportunity over the next couple of days for our ones to get the lion’s share of reps. So anyway, looking forward to it, and I’ll take any questions.”
Kevin, what’s the status of Greg (Newsome II)?
“He will practice today on a limited basis.”
We saw Marquise (Goodwin) also walking out with his helmet. Are you seeing any progress?
“Just normal progression. He’s not practicing yet, but he’s working out off to the side”
Elijah Moore?
“Will not practice today.”
Hopeful for tomorrow?
“Hopeful, but we’ll see.”
Anybody else do you expect to have to kind of sit this one out today?
“Not off the top of my head.”
Kevin, when you think back to last year, what did you kind of learn from practicing with this team? What did you learn about your team?
“Yeah, I thought there were some really good moments on both sides of the ball. We knew it that was a good football team that we’re going against for a couple days. Particularly their offense with the quarterback and skilled players and the tight end – big offensive line. So it was quite a challenge. And then for us, went up against a different scheme, similar to today. We get to go up against a base five in the line defense. Coach (Sean) Desai is a Vic Fangio disciple, so we get to go up against a different scheme. And that was a lot of what last year provided great value for us, for that reason.”
Kevin, you did interview him (Desai) for defensive coordinator. How did that go?
“I’ve known Sean for a while. He was in Chicago all the years I was in Minnesota, so we’ve known each other in this profession. He was at Temple for a long time, so I think the world of him. He’s very, very, very intelligent, good football coach. His teams, his defenses always play really well. They’re sound, can rush the passer and really toughen the back end.”
In a setting like this, obviously, where you still can’t hit the quarterback, what do you kind of learn from Deshaun (Watson), though, going against that pass rush and just another defense?
“Yeah, I think it’s like anything, you feel that rush. It’s going to be a great challenge for our offensive line versus that front group that really attacks off the ball and then prevents all sorts of challenges outside and inside. But for the quarterbacks – for all those guys just getting reps versus good defense, and again, a scheme that’s very different than our own.”
Kevin, it looks like Dawand (Jones) has played two pretty good games at right tackle. Has he? Or will he play any left tackle the next couple weeks?
“No plans for him right now to move from right tackle.”
Has the format deviated from last year at all?
“The practice schedule will be a little bit different. I mentioned to you guys, really as the guests, whatever they want to do, we’re all for it. It’ll be a little bit different, but you may not even notice.”
Kevin, I know so much on this defense starts with the defensive line and knowing how good the Eagles offensive line is. What kind of test is that going to be for those guys up front?
“Great test. I mean, they have great players. We got Coach (Jeff) Stoutland and Coach (Bill) Callahan talking over there, the two best line coaches in the NFL. So you know that you’re going to go up against a very sound, physical unit, but across the board have really good players.”
What is it like being back in the Philly area? Are you going to be able to get together with family?
“It’s a business trip. No, I’m just kidding. Yeah, I’ll see some family out here at practice, but there is a lot of work to get done, so a lot of meetings over at the hotel, walk through, that type of thing. So I’ll be able to say hello after practice.”
Is it pretty cool to be back in Philly?
“Yeah, it’s great. I’m excited to be here with the team. I told them there’s a lot of things about the city, but one undeniable thing is the food is great. So, guys are excited about that.”
Kevin, are there things that you can take from Jalen’s (Hurts) game, or have you taken from Jalen’s game and the things that they do with him that you can apply to Deshaun?
“Yeah, I mean, different football players, Mary Kay (Cabot). But what they do schematically with the quarterback run game and again, credit to Nick and Coach Stoutland for the different things that they do, which make life very hard on the defense. So, there’s certain things that we’ve done over the years that Deshaun has done over the years that match what they do. But those are two different players when you’re talking to Jalen and Deshaun.”
In this setting, are on-one-ones more meaningful?
“I don’t know, more meaningful, but they are important, Tony (Grossi). I think that’s where we’re going to start. First thing we’ll do is one-on-ones. We’ll go your typical wide receivers versus DBs, tight ends versus linebackers, and running backs versus safeties and linebackers.
And obviously that O line, D line, that’s always a great measuring stick for you because you get to see good versus good.”
Shelby (Harris), are you excited to see what you’re getting out of him?
“Yeah, we’ll ramp Shelby up. He will practice today and tomorrow and just trying to get him some reps in our scheme over the next couple of days and throughout really the rest of this preseason. Just ramping him up for the season.”
What’s the biggest adjustment he has to make compared to what he’s played in before?
“Yeah, I mean there’s small things obviously learning the system, learning the terminology. He was getting an extra workout or an extra walkthrough this morning with our coaches. So it’s really just getting comfortable with the terminology I would say is one of the biggest things.”
How important is it for him to get that rush from the interior, Shelby?
“As you know, Mary Kay, when you can put edge rushers that get a lot of attention from an offense and you have tight ends that stay in the chip and those type of things – interior rushers, it can be difficult to double them at times depending on what the offense is doing, how they’re deploying people. So, you get one-on-ones inside. So anytime you can win inside, you get to the quarterback a lot quicker than even from the end.”
What’s the biggest – I know you get asked this a lot, but what’s the biggest difference you’re seeing in Deshaun Watson so far this summer?
“You know, we talked a lot about it, jhe’s one more year in this system, one more year around his teammates. So, I think just the comfort level and everything he’s doing.”
Are field goals on the script in the next two days? Tonight?
“Yes. I think might be tomorrow, but we’ll be kicking a little bit today as well.”
Coach, going back to Shelby Harris, do you feel that he’s just within the offseason plan of adding more veterans to the roster to kind of fill that void?
“Yeah, I mean Shelby’s obviously a veteran. Has been around and has played in different schemes, a couple different cities, but he’s had a unique path to where he didn’t play a lot younger, earlier in his career I should say. So he’s a great example of our guys, just a guy that really stuck with it, has had a ton of success as of late. We’re excited to have him.”
Anthony Walker and Sione (Takitaki). Do they participate?
“They will practice.”
Everything?
“Not everything, but they’ll practice limited.”
Hey Kevin, what memories do you have of being a training camp intern for the Eagles?
“Stocking Gatorade coolers, making runs to airport. You know, the anything and everything job.”
Do you miss being up in Lehigh?
“Lehigh was great. You know obviously they do training camp down here now, but I remember as a kid going out to Westchester to watch those practices. So, I know things are a little bit different now, but that was the fun part for us up in Berea is having all our fans there.”
Just to be clear, did you grow up an Eagles fan?
“Oh yeah.”
Kevin, last year, the practices between these two teams were pretty clean. There really were no fights. What is the message that you have sent to your team about that?
“It’s the same, Mary Kay. I mean, we’re here to get our work done. They’re here to get their work done. We had our two veteran groups meet with each other. They may still be meeting over there now just to talk about how we practice, how we take care of each other. We have such great respect for this organization, for these coaches, for these players. We’ll make sure that we get our work done and get it done safely. ”
Is AJ (Green) going to practice this week?
“He’s not going to go today.”
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