Nick Sirianni has been the Head Coach of the Philadelphia Eagles now for over a year. Replacing the only HC to win a Super Bowl in Philadelphia who also had a great relationship with the players was never going to be easy. But his humility, love for the game, and the players he coaches have all expedited that process.
You don’t need to look much further than the team’s OTA schedule for evidence of this.
Gone seem to be the days of mandatory minicamp causing an injury to one of their top players. No more putting a heavy burden on the practice schedule that could wear down a team. Nick Sirianni understands that personal accountability is key with a younger roster. With Jalen Hurts possessing an infectious work ethic, and a roster full of players loyal to him, it’s clear the need for mandatory workouts is shrinking.
The results also showed that the system worked last year too. After years of cluster injuries, the Eagles were one of the best at keeping their team as healthy as possible for a surprise playoff berth.
That’s in large part due to the practice schedule set by Sirianni for his club. It’s also changed the direction of the team from a roster construction standpoint as well. The Eagles can feel comfortable taking fliers on more injury-prone players knowing that their conditioning staff is strong enough to work through obstacles and that a rigorous training schedule won’t alter things. The drafting of players like Nakobe Dean and Landon Dickerson reflect that.
The Eagles aren’t the only team to have their OTA’s at a later time and minicamp no longer mandatory. The defending AFC Champion, Cincinnati Bengals, also have fit a light practice schedule to their team as well.
Sirianni’s practice schedule has been a stark contrast to what we’ve seen from prior Eagles coaches. It’s been clear that it’s also worked out to this point.
Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire
