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PHILADELPHIA— The Eagles are confident that last year will not be repeated.
At the end of the 2023 season, a promising 10-1 team collapsed, losing six of their last seven games. A year later, the Eagles are one of the best teams in the NFL. They won nine straight games and started with an 11-2 record.
Eagles offseason general manager Howie Roseman made a slew of moves to improve Philadelphia’s roster, including signing running backs Saquon Barkley and linebacker Zack Baun in free agency and drafting two good rookie cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell And Cooper DeJean.
Now the Eagles have top talent on both sides of the ball, but that’s not the only reason things have gotten better.
The players have bonded more with each other off the field, which has helped improve on-field chemistry and could help them unite when times get tough later this season.
“I think the chemistry on this team is very similar to teams I’ve been a part of that have gone very far in the playoffs,” Eagles said. Rick Lovato who has been with the team since 2016, NJ Advance Media told Friday. “This team is really a unit. You can go to anyone in the cafeteria and sit with them and have a conversation.”
The Eagles faced a challenge on Monday when they held up defensively Brandon Graham said that star quarterback during a radio appearance Jalen hurts and star wide receiver AJ Brown “were friends, but things have changed.” Later that evening, Graham told ESPN he wrongly assumed their friendship had changed and said he would apologize to both players.
On Wednesday, Hurts and Brown downplayed speculation about a strained relationship, claiming Graham had misspoken about their friendship.
The last thing Philadelphia needed was a distraction, especially after the end of last year. But the Eagles are a tighter group this season, which means they can handle more adversity.
“I’ve seen those guys in that playroom in the back doing more things together than – maybe last year, we had a little less of that,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said Wednesday. “It feels like the 2022 season again.”
During the Eagles’ 2022 Super Bowl run, the players had a special bond and enjoyed playing together. At the end of last season, the Eagles weren’t playing with as much fun.
Wide receiver DeVonta Smith believes his teammates are now having fun again.
“Yeah, guys are always joking, eating together, having conversations, whether it’s about football or things in life,” Smith said Friday.
After a long day of work, tight end CJ Uzomah goes to the players lounge to play ping pong against offensive tackle Jordan Mailata.
Uzomah usually plays for a short time because he has to go home to raise his seven-month-old daughter Blake. But some Eagles players stay an extra two hours to play table tennis and pool.
“There are some good fights on the table. People are starting to sweat,” Uzomah said.
Eagles backup offensive tackle Fred Johnson said everyone has put a lot of effort into building stronger relationships. He has seen the defensive backs interact with the offensive linemen and the wide receivers spend time with the defensive ends. Johnson also said more guys are talking to the practice squad players.
“It’s almost like a college locker room in that regard,” Baun said. “Everyone is friends with everyone. There aren’t really any cliques or groups on this team.”
Last December, Lovato said things “completely changed in the locker room.” So the Eagles placed a greater emphasis on connecting as a group this offseason.
“It was just a matter of guys really committing to their role on this team and really committing to the jobs,” Lovato said. “And guys who really go a step further. Zack Baun and Nakobe Dean who have never started a full season and are now two of the best (linebackers) in the NFL. Our O-line blocking for Saquon (Barkley) is the most amazing thing I have ever seen. We’ve had all the talent. Now everything is finally coming to fruition this season.”
Many players chill with each other outside the facility to get closer.
Lovato, gambler Braden Mann and kicker Jake Elliott get together once a month for dinner. On Thanksgiving, Lovato invited Mann to dinner at his New Jersey home because he knew Mann couldn’t go back to Texas to see his family.
Eagles cornerback Isaiah Rodgers sometimes Brown texts and wide receiver Parris Campbell on parenting advice (Rodgers, Brown and Campbell all have children).
“You can see everyone trying to mingle,” Johnson said. “When people have events, people show up. That goes much further than the football field. It just shows how connected this team is and how much everyone is trying to invest, not only in football matters, but also in personal relationships.”
The Eagles could make a deep playoff run in January. The 2023 team ran out of gas and couldn’t handle adversity, but it taught them a lesson.
“Chemistry goes a long way,” Johnson said. “Talent is something else. Chemistry and connecting are a good example of better teams.”
Sirianni shows his support by wearing shirts with a player’s name or face on it. On Wednesday, he wore a black sweatshirt with the words “Quintanamo Bay” — the nickname Eagles fans gave to Quinyon Mitchell.
After Friday’s practice, DeJean wore a black sweatshirt with the photo of Barkley’s reverse jump against the Jaguars on the front. Some players wore sweatshirts with the text ‘Tough. Detailed. Together,” was Sirianni’s message during this week’s team meeting.
Philadelphia’s chemistry improved after last year’s collapse.
Now the Eagles are prepared for challenging moments that could arise over the next four weeks or in the playoffs.
“Those tough times prepared us to look at every opportunity as that opportunity alone,” Johnson said. “Everyone is focused on this team winning and everyone is focused on seeing this team thrive every week, week in, week out. That is in our hearts and minds.”
Thank you for relying on us for the journalism you can trust. Then consider supporting us with a subscription. Cayden Steele can be reached at CSteele@njadvancemedia.com
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