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The DiCecco Daily: Eagles Poised To Break Out In 2026 · Inside the Birds: A Philadelphia Eagles Podcast

• 0:09
  Speaker 1: Welcome in everybody.
• 0:10
  Speaker 2: This is the check Odaly Andrew deiceco here, Eagles beat
• 0:14
  Speaker 2: reporter for insidethebirds dot com, and today we're going to
• 0:17
  Speaker 2: talk a little bit about players who I believe are
• 0:20
  Speaker 2: primed to take a leap forward next season, and a
• 0:22
  Speaker 2: lot of them for different reasons, but we'll get into
• 0:25
  Speaker 2: it right now. Running back Will Shipley is the first
• 0:28
  Speaker 2: player that I'm gonna mention here, and Will, as you
• 0:31
  Speaker 2: probably all know, I've got a chance to talk to
• 0:34
  Speaker 2: quite a bit over the past couple of years and
• 0:37
  Speaker 2: watching him play, at least in training camp, I know
• 0:41
  Speaker 2: that he has ability, but when he's been thrust into
• 0:45
  Speaker 2: opportunities in the games over the past couple of years,
• 0:50
  Speaker 2: to me, it just doesn't seem like that running style.
• 0:53
  Speaker 1: That inside zone type.
• 0:54
  Speaker 2: Of running style where you have to be more of
• 0:56
  Speaker 2: a physical type of runner to withstand contact and things
• 0:59
  Speaker 2: like that really played to his strengths. Whereas I think
• 1:03
  Speaker 2: that he could greatly benefit if he's given the opportunity
• 1:07
  Speaker 2: with the presumed new run designs, the outside zone type
• 1:12
  Speaker 2: of thing, stretch.
• 1:13
  Speaker 1: Plays where you're more.
• 1:18
  Speaker 2: It's more focused in terms of patients, you let blocks develop,
• 1:24
  Speaker 2: and I think a lot of running backs.
• 1:25
  Speaker 1: Of Will's mold have thrived.
• 1:28
  Speaker 2: In that type of run style, and so to me,
• 1:32
  Speaker 2: I think that that might give him the best opportunity
• 1:35
  Speaker 2: to do so. And also with a new offensive coordator
• 1:37
  Speaker 2: and Sean Mannion, he may like what Will brings to
• 1:40
  Speaker 2: the table from a pass receiving standpoint where that's been largely.
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: Absent for the offense.
• 1:45
  Speaker 2: And I've talked about this, Adams talked about this, I
• 1:49
  Speaker 2: think even Jeff has talked about this. In training camp,
• 1:53
  Speaker 2: Shipley last summer caught a plethora of passes from Jalen
• 1:57
  Speaker 2: Hurts in the flat, caught a number of wheel routs
• 2:00
  Speaker 2: and was beating linebacker, safeties, you name it. But then
• 2:04
  Speaker 2: in the regular season that never came to fruition. But
• 2:07
  Speaker 2: maybe under Shawn Manny. And that's an area of Jalen's game,
• 2:10
  Speaker 2: of the offense's identity where you're looking for the checkdown,
• 2:14
  Speaker 2: you're involving the running backs in that area, and quite frankly,
• 2:17
  Speaker 2: the best running back on the roster to do that
• 2:20
  Speaker 2: particular task is Will Shipley. So we'll see if this
• 2:24
  Speaker 2: is the year where he's able to kind of carve
• 2:26
  Speaker 2: out a complimentary role. I think myself, and I'm sure
• 2:30
  Speaker 2: I wasn't alone in that thought that that would be
• 2:32
  Speaker 2: a little bit more prevalent this season, but it didn't
• 2:34
  Speaker 2: come to fruition, so we'll see where things go from there.
• 2:40
  Speaker 2: Center Drew Kendall, the second year player, started thirty seven
• 2:44
  Speaker 2: games at center at Boston College. I think that he
• 2:47
  Speaker 2: is a sharp minded football player, plays with good technique,
• 2:51
  Speaker 2: moves pretty well. So again I go back to the
• 2:55
  Speaker 2: run designs what we're expected to see this year under
• 2:59
  Speaker 2: Shawn Manny, and that would suggest that Drew Kendall should
• 3:04
  Speaker 2: fit pretty well. And a lot of this is going
• 3:06
  Speaker 2: to be predicated on what style of offensive lineman Eagles
• 3:09
  Speaker 2: are looking for to better execute that, and we have
• 3:12
  Speaker 2: no way of knowing. The draft will obviously give us
• 3:14
  Speaker 2: some ideas for agency, of course, but Kendall's pretty nimble
• 3:18
  Speaker 2: on his feet. I thought he did a really nice
• 3:20
  Speaker 2: job in the regular season finale, starting that game, playing
• 3:24
  Speaker 2: sixty four snaps. That was just his seventh game of
• 3:28
  Speaker 2: the season, first time playing meaningful snaps, and he acquitted
• 3:32
  Speaker 2: himself well.
• 3:33
  Speaker 1: This will be an offseason.
• 3:34
  Speaker 2: Where I think he will have an opportunity to seize
• 3:37
  Speaker 2: a primary backup role behind Cam Jurgens, and I think
• 3:41
  Speaker 2: you'll see a lot more in terms of development and
• 3:44
  Speaker 2: utilization and how he's really taking to that position.
• 3:48
  Speaker 1: That'll really reveal itself. I think in some of.
• 3:51
  Speaker 2: These run designs that I'm expecting to see those Kyle
• 3:54
  Speaker 2: Shanahan Sean McVay type of plays where linemen are getting
• 3:58
  Speaker 2: out in space and you're seeing their athleticism, their ability
• 4:01
  Speaker 2: to climb to the second level. And so I look
• 4:03
  Speaker 2: at Drew Kendall and I think he'll be a beneficiary
• 4:07
  Speaker 2: of the change. Then I look at wide receiver. Darius
• 4:11
  Speaker 2: Cooper is a player that I'm intrigued with. I thought
• 4:15
  Speaker 2: he did a really nice job last summer emerging from
• 4:18
  Speaker 2: relatively nowhere. He went to Tarleton State where he was
• 4:22
  Speaker 2: a star player, and he caught the eye of the
• 4:25
  Speaker 2: coaching staff. Every single day he was making a big play,
• 4:28
  Speaker 2: stacking days on top of days, and that really is
• 4:31
  Speaker 2: the key to surviving as a rookie for agent. Oftentimes
• 4:34
  Speaker 2: you'll see players who flash here or there.
• 4:37
  Speaker 1: But it's not sustainable. With Darius Cooper, it was.
• 4:40
  Speaker 2: Every day and he would whether it was special teams
• 4:44
  Speaker 2: or blocking.
• 4:45
  Speaker 1: He really took to that and say.
• 4:47
  Speaker 2: What you will about Aaron Moorehead, but his most recent
• 4:50
  Speaker 2: example of player development, well, it's Darius Cooper. He's going
• 4:53
  Speaker 2: to get another year of working with Aaron Moorehead. I
• 4:56
  Speaker 2: think he'll be able to evolve from what he was
• 4:59
  Speaker 2: asked to do season, where he was primarily utilized as
• 5:02
  Speaker 2: a blocker. He's going to have at least probably a
• 5:05
  Speaker 2: larger role on offense without Jahan Dotson. Now the Eagles
• 5:08
  Speaker 2: may even add to that group, but I just think
• 5:11
  Speaker 2: that he put enough quality things on tape that it
• 5:15
  Speaker 2: should lend itself to him being able to play a
• 5:17
  Speaker 2: little bit more.
• 5:18
  Speaker 1: They have a.
• 5:20
  Speaker 2: New offensive coordinator, obviously, but they also have Ryan Mahaffey
• 5:26
  Speaker 2: who coached wide receivers in Green Bay, so maybe he's
• 5:29
  Speaker 2: able to maybe implement some of those tactics that they
• 5:33
  Speaker 2: used in Green Bay to help with spacing and things
• 5:37
  Speaker 2: like that. That's something that I also believe will be
• 5:39
  Speaker 2: a hallmark of this offense. Better spacing route concepts and
• 5:44
  Speaker 2: things like that, which should allow receivers to not only
• 5:48
  Speaker 2: have a little bit uncover with a little bit more regularity,
• 5:51
  Speaker 2: but also make plays after the catch. And Darius Cooper's
• 5:55
  Speaker 2: compactly built at six foot about two hundred and ten pounds,
• 6:00
  Speaker 2: and so I think that he really should thrive if
• 6:04
  Speaker 2: he's given a more expanded workload. So those are three
• 6:08
  Speaker 2: players off the top of my head on offense. Then
• 6:11
  Speaker 2: you look at the defensive side, Well, it's really hard
• 6:15
  Speaker 2: to see a path for this player being able to
• 6:19
  Speaker 2: play meaningful snaps on defense. But I just wrote about him,
• 6:22
  Speaker 2: Smile Mandon. It wouldn't be hyperbole to say that he
• 6:25
  Speaker 2: was one of the most impressive defensive players that I
• 6:27
  Speaker 2: saw last summer. Whether it was him swarming to the football,
• 6:31
  Speaker 2: he always had a nose for the football and.
• 6:35
  Speaker 1: He was very instinctual.
• 6:36
  Speaker 2: He closed on the ball quickly, played college football at
• 6:39
  Speaker 2: Georgia at the highest level. But then it was also
• 6:42
  Speaker 2: the coverage prowess, and I think back to a morning
• 6:45
  Speaker 2: practice where he carried Sakwon Barkway down the left sideline
• 6:50
  Speaker 2: and broke up a well placed wheel route.
• 6:52
  Speaker 1: Look, the Eagles don't rotate linebackers.
• 6:55
  Speaker 2: They already have Zach Bond, Jehad Campbell, they have Jeremiah
• 6:59
  Speaker 2: Trodter junior who or in front of Smile Mond, and
• 7:01
  Speaker 2: so it's really hard to see a path to playing
• 7:04
  Speaker 2: time there.
• 7:04
  Speaker 1: Fanjio does not rotate at that position.
• 7:07
  Speaker 2: Then you also have na Kobe Dean, who's a pending
• 7:09
  Speaker 2: free agent that also complicated matters last season. Then you
• 7:13
  Speaker 2: get to the preseason games, and that's why I think
• 7:15
  Speaker 2: you saw smile mind and experience some growing pains there
• 7:18
  Speaker 2: and that's okay, and that really should be expected from
• 7:23
  Speaker 2: that position. But he was able to settle in in
• 7:25
  Speaker 2: a special teams role. I think this summer you'll again
• 7:28
  Speaker 2: see him emerge and maybe even in the preseason you
• 7:31
  Speaker 2: see more splash plays. He's able to play fast and
• 7:34
  Speaker 2: free and physical. With his second season in this defense,
• 7:39
  Speaker 2: second year of working with Bobby King and immersing himself
• 7:43
  Speaker 2: in block destruction, you we'll see if he added a
• 7:45
  Speaker 2: little bit more size to his frame. He's not the
• 7:47
  Speaker 2: biggest guy in the world, but he plays with such
• 7:50
  Speaker 2: toughness and tenacity, and so he's a player that I'm
• 7:53
  Speaker 2: looking at to really thrive and take that next step
• 7:58
  Speaker 2: in his progression this summer. Defensive line, well, I'm I mean,
• 8:05
  Speaker 2: I'm looking at Jalox Hunt because regardless of what they
• 8:09
  Speaker 2: do at edge rusher, whether it's retaining Jalen Phillips, which
• 8:12
  Speaker 2: I maintained should be a priority, you.
• 8:16
  Speaker 1: Have Nolan Smith there, but Nolan Smith hasn't really turned
• 8:19
  Speaker 1: the corner.
• 8:19
  Speaker 2: I know injuries have really hindered his assent, if you will,
• 8:23
  Speaker 2: But when he's been out there, he's been someone who
• 8:26
  Speaker 2: has been such a sound run defender, but he hasn't
• 8:29
  Speaker 2: had the impact rushing the passer as I expected. He
• 8:33
  Speaker 2: came on late in twenty twenty four and then last
• 8:36
  Speaker 2: season obviously with the triceps and things like.
• 8:39
  Speaker 1: That, it just didn't come together.
• 8:41
  Speaker 2: But Jalox Hunt is somebody that has thrived five and
• 8:45
  Speaker 2: a half sacks from Week ten on after the Eagles
• 8:48
  Speaker 2: got Jalen Phillips. He is a lot He's added a
• 8:52
  Speaker 2: lot of strength and muscle to his frame. He's playing
• 8:55
  Speaker 2: with more physicality, he's playing faster, he has a deeper
• 8:59
  Speaker 2: bag tricks in terms of his pass rush moves, which
• 9:03
  Speaker 2: I think is always going to grow in time. He's
• 9:05
  Speaker 2: playing with a lot more confidence. And when you start
• 9:08
  Speaker 2: to have those type of those kind of successes and
• 9:12
  Speaker 2: you stack those games, I mean inevitably you're going to
• 9:15
  Speaker 2: become a more confident player. But I think he's also
• 9:18
  Speaker 2: proven that he can handle a larger volume of snaps
• 9:21
  Speaker 2: and when you look at the edge.
• 9:22
  Speaker 1: Rusher group this year.
• 9:24
  Speaker 2: I think you feel a lot more comfortable moving into
• 9:26
  Speaker 2: this year with let's say, you know, Jalen Phillips and
• 9:30
  Speaker 2: Jalox Hunt versus a Nolan Smith and at jay oxs
• 9:33
  Speaker 2: Hunt regardless, I think Jalox Hunt has proven that he
• 9:35
  Speaker 2: should be a starter and he can be a player
• 9:38
  Speaker 2: who can get you seven to nine ten sacks a season.
• 9:42
  Speaker 2: I don't think that's hyperbole because I've seen such a
• 9:45
  Speaker 2: rapid rise in a short period of time. And then
• 9:48
  Speaker 2: you couple that with the continuity of Jeremiah Washburn, who's
• 9:52
  Speaker 2: going to be who's going to remain in place coaching,
• 9:56
  Speaker 2: you know, the defensive end slash outside linebackers. So I
• 9:59
  Speaker 2: really like like what Jayoaks Hunt could potentially provide for
• 10:03
  Speaker 2: the Eagles next season based off of all the information
• 10:05
  Speaker 2: that we have to go off of.
• 10:07
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• 13:27
  Speaker 1: Up next season.
• 13:29
  Speaker 2: I'm also looking at safety Drew mccuba because Drew mccuba, Yes,
• 13:35
  Speaker 2: it was a little bit of a little bit of
• 13:38
  Speaker 2: a of a rough start, I guess you could say,
• 13:40
  Speaker 2: but that shouldn't be considered uncommon, especially for a player
• 13:45
  Speaker 2: playing the safety position in a vic Fangio defense. There's
• 13:48
  Speaker 2: considerable responsibilities that should be taken into account and to
• 13:52
  Speaker 2: expect any young player to just get off to the
• 13:55
  Speaker 2: races without any hiccups.
• 13:57
  Speaker 1: Well, I think that's a little naive.
• 13:58
  Speaker 2: And yes, there was some community vacation and he wasn't
• 14:02
  Speaker 2: always in the right place early in the season, but
• 14:04
  Speaker 2: he really settled into that role.
• 14:06
  Speaker 1: And I credit safety's coach.
• 14:08
  Speaker 2: Joe Casper and Christian Parker for really amplifying and expediting
• 14:14
  Speaker 2: I guess I should say his development because by the
• 14:17
  Speaker 2: end of the season, and he started ten of his
• 14:20
  Speaker 2: eleven games in which he appeared, he was playing faster,
• 14:23
  Speaker 2: he was around the football. He wasn't playing I don't
• 14:27
  Speaker 2: even want to say timid, but he wasn't playing with
• 14:29
  Speaker 2: hesitation or.
• 14:30
  Speaker 1: Anything like that.
• 14:31
  Speaker 2: He was playing like a player who had a pretty
• 14:35
  Speaker 2: firm grasp on what he was being asked to do
• 14:38
  Speaker 2: within the confines of that scheme. And he has good
• 14:41
  Speaker 2: ball skills. Two interceptions, forty six tackles, three passes defended.
• 14:46
  Speaker 2: He fractured his ankle against the Cowboys in late November
• 14:51
  Speaker 2: and he still had a boot on his right foot.
• 14:53
  Speaker 2: I believe it was his right foot during locker cleanout,
• 14:56
  Speaker 2: and he expected to have that removed shortly. And then
• 15:00
  Speaker 2: he also said that he was he expressed his optimism
• 15:04
  Speaker 2: for being available for spring practices. But if you've been
• 15:07
  Speaker 2: paying attention to social media all this week and he
• 15:09
  Speaker 2: saw the bell ringers for the seventy six ers, I
• 15:12
  Speaker 2: forget which game it was, Well, it was Drew mccuba
• 15:15
  Speaker 2: and Jehad Campbell, the second year linebacker, the first and
• 15:19
  Speaker 2: second round picks of last season, and Drew mccuba it appeared,
• 15:23
  Speaker 2: wasn't wearing a boot. So that tracks with what he
• 15:26
  Speaker 2: was saying at locker clean out.
• 15:28
  Speaker 1: And yeah, I mean, I think he has immense upside.
• 15:31
  Speaker 2: Another year working with Joe Casper, who got the most
• 15:34
  Speaker 2: out of him, He's going to continue to master the
• 15:38
  Speaker 2: intricacies of that defense. And I think you're going to
• 15:40
  Speaker 2: see a player who takes the football away with more regularity.
• 15:44
  Speaker 2: Earlier in the season he had two interceptions. He probably
• 15:48
  Speaker 2: could have had some more. But now you're going to
• 15:50
  Speaker 2: be able to see things faster, You're going to play
• 15:52
  Speaker 2: with more anticipation and all those things that come naturally
• 15:56
  Speaker 2: the more you play within a system. So I'm curious
• 15:59
  Speaker 2: to I'm intrigued to see what he's going to do
• 16:02
  Speaker 2: next season. And then you look at other players who
• 16:04
  Speaker 2: are younger may have to battle to make the roster
• 16:07
  Speaker 2: that I find to be really intriguing. Like Brandon Johnson,
• 16:11
  Speaker 2: who was on the Eagles practice squad all of last
• 16:13
  Speaker 2: season and then the last three games of the season,
• 16:16
  Speaker 2: he was elevated, started the game at safety again in
• 16:18
  Speaker 2: the finale, injured his ankle I think it was, and
• 16:22
  Speaker 2: then he was put on practice squad ir. But he's
• 16:26
  Speaker 2: someone that the Eagles have invested in, They've worked on
• 16:29
  Speaker 2: his development. They seem to be pleased with his development
• 16:32
  Speaker 2: behind the scenes, as evidence by him getting opportunities late
• 16:35
  Speaker 2: in the year. And that's a player that I think
• 16:38
  Speaker 2: is going to make a little bit of noise. He
• 16:39
  Speaker 2: can play safety and he mostly played nickel last summer
• 16:44
  Speaker 2: in training camp, so he gives you that position versatility again,
• 16:47
  Speaker 2: much like Macouba, he's having a second year in the
• 16:51
  Speaker 2: same system, familiarity with the coaching staff.
• 16:54
  Speaker 1: They know him, he knows them. That should lend itself
• 16:58
  Speaker 1: to him being able to get off to a faster
• 17:00
  Speaker 1: start and maybe not be so buried on the depth
• 17:03
  Speaker 1: chart like he kind of had to emerge from last summer.
• 17:08
  Speaker 1: That's going to do it for this edition of the
• 17:09
  Speaker 1: Czech Odally I'm Andrew Decheco and I'll catch you all
• 17:12
  Speaker 1: on the next one.