Friday 3 August 2018 11:41, UK
James Simpson provides more insight into what the Philadelphia Eagles' training camp is like for the media and players, and how the team is gearing up to repeat success.
It's day two, and this time, immediately upon entering the complex, there was a line of eager Eagles fans lining up to enter. The sounds of various big plays in the team's history were blaring through the speakers, while "E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES" chants were loud and frequent.
Additionally, we had the Vince Lombardi Trophy and team mascot, Swoop, on show for pictures, while cheerleaders greeted entrants at the gate.
Today, as the team picked up the pace a little from yesterday's practice, it is time to break down what happens in a little more depth...
9.15-9.25: Team stretches.
9.25-9.35: Group drills. The special teams unit - in particular kicker Jake Elliott - work on field goals. Elliott wallops the ball into the camera behind the goal posts, the bushes, and the fans. Elsewhere, each position group works alone.
9.35-9.50: More group drills. The defensive backs practise backpedalling and catching the ball, offensive lineman are working on assignments, receivers are bursting off the ball, tight ends are blocking, quarterbacks are dropping back, running backs avoiding obstacles, and linebackers chasing and hitting big hula hoops. Practice is in full flow.
9.50-10.05: No major change in positions, but everything gets a little more intense. Some groups come together - quarterbacks and wide receivers, for example - and other units simply take on more intense drills.
10.05-10.25: This time the offense is on the main field, playing with 11 men, but against no defense. The play calls are quick and loud, but between plays, the intensity is still low. Coaches talk players through what they've seen, and direct what they want to come next.
10.25-10.45: As the pace of practice picks up, so does the music. Slower songs turn to dance and rock as the first-team offense lines up against the first team defense (with no defensive line - these are '7 on 7s'). Media members have to be wary of balls (and players) flying their way. The play clock is in use, and the players are fired up.
As safety Malcolm Jenkins picks off Nick Foles, hollers and screams come from the defensive sideline. At this point, local reporters are deciphering and tweeting out every play. The formations, personnel, play call, result of the play and who was involved are all scrutinized and shared in seconds.
10.45-11.00: Now, it's 11 on 11, as the defensive linemen go at it with their offensive counterparts. Immediately, Foles is under pressure, and throws a would-be interception. Former Seattle Seahawk Michael Bennett looks to be settling in very well as he dances after another successful defensive play.
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11.00-11.25: The intense part of practice is over. The offense is going over running plays and run-pass options with no opponents. You can see the coaches direct players where to be and what to do with their eyes, hands, hips, and feet. While they aren't pushing anyone to go harder, they are drilling in the finer points.
11.25-11.35: Now comes the team stretch and warm down. Receiver Alshon Jeffery, who isn't practising, takes time to throw the ball with a kid from the crowd.
11.35-12.20: That's it from practice, and it's followed once again by press conferences and the on-field and locker room access. Some players run in away from the action, while some stay for extra work.
Having learned a lesson from yesterday - everyone surrounds player or coach at the podium, it made sense to seek out players individually to ask more questions about the nature of training camp…
Sitting down with a grand total of 13 players, there were differences between answers to what training camp is really like. One thing was clear: it is hard work. More than half of these players called it a "grind".
Backup quarterback Nate Sudfeld said: "It's an important part of our game. It's a grind. That word is thrown around a lot, but it's just you're doing things where your body doesn't feel good necessarily.
"But you're working through it, building mental toughness, physical toughness as well as just sharpening your tools and the plays and everything so that when the season comes, your body has been through a lot but you can revamp it, get it fresh and then get going."
Tight end Zach Ertz, towering above me at 6ft 5in and weighing 250 pounds, described it as "a long, long tedious grind. Not only physically, but mentally. You're in the building - you get in at 7.30, you're not leaving till about 9 at night - long days. The meetings are some of the most long, monotonous meetings."
It's a long, long tedious grind. Not only physically, but mentally. You're in the building - you get in at 7.30, you're not leaving till about 9 at night.
But, he said, "you're always trying to find different ways you can learn something new so I look at it as an opportunity to get better."
Receiver Nelson Agholor broke out last season after struggling the year before, and credited a lot of that to his offseason regime. He offered a positive outlook on camp, saying: "Training camp is a wonderful opportunity for you to develop. Kind of like a catalyst. Something that hardens, something that you're going to use come the season.
"You're out here, you're going through hard times and you're bettering your skills through some difficult things, whether it's cramp and dehydration, fatigue, soreness, things like that. You're working through that so that come game time and fourth quarter, you're prepared and conditioned."
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Finally, offensive lineman Brandon Brooks confessed: "Honestly, the most tiring part isn't really the practice, man. It's sitting in meetings and hearing the same thing over and over and over. Especially the older you get. So for me, it's seven [seasons], for [center Jason Kelce] it's eight.
"For [left tackle] Jason Peters, now it's year 15 so, imagine you are in a math class, right. And for 15 straight years, you learn the same lesson. That's what it's like. But as you get older though, I think you're able to enjoy it a lot more."
That's all for today. More to come tomorrow when the pads go on for the first time...
