Indianapolis. Although I am not personally in Indianapolis
Eagles general manager. Howie Roseman is I think we've done
this with you every year
for like seven, eight, nine, ten years. I've lost track at
some point, but it's great to see you. Great. That's how I'm
Doin. Laughs. Sorry. I'm not there going into it. So well,
we definitely definitely do it last year. But sorry, I'm not
there this year. I feel bad that I'm not there. Actually,
I don't highlight. I do like seeing you in person here and
Sims. Told me that
he was pulled off
from me. Because, you know, because we have such great
chemistry here. Everyone wants to see you and I talk to it.
That's right, and also simply suspense music, star out
language.
That's right. What's that? Simms Simms uses Sims is
suspended for using foul language? And that's why he's
not involved in this.
So let's get right to it.
You guys had a really good season last year, better than
I think anyone outside of the organization expected. How did
last season
an unexpected playoff experience again from
the outside? How did that mesh with your own expectations of what
the team was going to be in Nick surgery on his first year
as coach.
There's two parts of that. I think. The first part is when
we were Playoffs would have rather had a better outcome,
you know, disappointed and kind of have a season ended with
the opportunity that we had down in Tampa. Obviously playing
against a great team and a great quarterback. But then
the second part is just seeing how our coaches respondent
the adversity, you know, we were two and five
didn't start the season the way that we wanted
adjusting to our Personnel.
Really putting our guys in the best possible position is based
on the players that we had and making a run one in seven of
the last nine games. So,
Obviously, we got an opportunity here with free
agency and the draft and the draft picks that we have to get
better and give our coaches,
really the players they need for the systems that they're
trying to bring to the table.
And and that's the fascinating question to me how we because
the coaching staff did pivot to where the team's strengths were
last year. So are you going to try to find more players
to continue that approach more run-heavy than anything else
off offensively or are you trying to get the Personnel in
place?
So, Nick, suriani and Company
can maybe go in a different direction
when the Eagles have the football?
When you talk about run heavy, sometimes, the perception is
First and Ten handoff Second Date, handoff third, and four,
you know, trying to make a first down. And one of
the things that's exciting to me is that we're explosive, offensive
ly with the Run game,
think we led the league in exposed to play certainly
first, an explosive runs. And so when you combine that and
then, you know, Jalen takes a jump to the next level and he
continues to get better and develop chemistry
with some of our younger receivers
and Add to that and continue to add to that. So think of it
like a layer cake and we keep adding on the layers. It
doesn't have to be one dimensional it continued to get
better in the areas that maybe
we weren't as good as we wanted to be last year. Offensive ly
and the same thing from a defensive perspective.
What's the best thing that jail and hurts does in your opinion?
Well, the first part about Jalen hurts is that this guy is
all ball, the time. I mean, he wants to be great. He will make
sure he is emptying, the tank to be great,
and that's in proven, his passing fundamentals, that's
improving his relationships. With teammates, that's
improvements, improving his technique.
And then, as you look at Jalen's career, right? It goes
from being, you know, winning a national championship, being
benched, Alabama, then getting better from Alabama and
Oklahoma getting better from Oklahoma to the combine.
Getting better from the combine to his first year in the NFL
getting better year. 122. And so, when you watch Anna player
and you see a trajectory, that's still going up and you
still see the guys. 23 years old, think that's what excites
you knowing that, it's our job to make sure he's got good
pieces in place
and that he's going to do whatever it takes to continue
to improve as well.
What is his ceiling then? And what's he have to do next?
What's the next step toward getting to, wherever his
maximum capacity is
well, coach talked about it a little today, you know, there
are things that he needs to work on and things that will
happen with repetition with seeing it over and over and
over again, seeing defense in the looks that he's getting
over and over
and going. All right. I got this look. This is where I'm
going to want to do with the football and that comes with
experience. I think sometimes we forget this is still young.
And this may be the only industry in the world where we
expect the people that are the youngest to also perform at
the highest level.
And when you talk to veteran, quarterbacks, who
performing at a high level,
in their 30s, they're saying they're able to see it so much
quicker because they've seen it before. And so their muscle
memory is just like that. And that comes with experience.
I think that even just getting jail and more experience. I'll
naturally get better
at the things that he's looking to improve on this offseason.
You moved around
the board. A little bit last year and ended up getting
Devonte Smith. The 2020 Heisman winner with your first round
pick. Give me your assessment of him so far and what you want
to see him do next in his second year.
Well, Devonte is not an easy Scout. You know, it's pleasure
scouting, when you watch him and you see him and every big
game separating ball skills, you know, body control
toughness as a block or run after the catch and
leak character. So,
you know, I think
When you go through this process here in your back in
Indy, you're reminded about how hard it is on rookies, where
they're doing things. That isn't all football, you know,
they're going through
the process of interviewing with teams and working on
things for their pro day, or the 40s things that aren't just
like, how can I improve in this specific area? How can I get
bigger and stronger? And so
that jump from year one to year two is real.
He's got all the tools in his body to be
a difference big NFL player and I think
you saw just a glimpse of what he's going to be.
Of course, he set the Eagles
sees a single size season NFL rookie record. So
it's not like he had a bad rookie year, but I think it's
just the tip of the iceberg for him
back to jail and hurts because there's kind of a loose sense
around him, especially entering last year that he's got to
prove himself and that, you know, maybe he will, maybe he
won't. How close is he now to becoming
the kind of guy where there should be? No question
internally or externally about him being the quarterback now
and into the first The future.
I don't know that. That's the way the world works anymore.
Mike. I don't know that anyone's on scholarship and any
profession anymore. I think it's there's so much external
factors
that everyone's always looking at things.
You know, I think you just saw what the world Champs, you
know, they had a quarterback
who brought them to the Super Bowl and they looked upgrade.
So, I think you're constantly whether you're in my job,
whether you're a quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles, you
know, I can't really speak to your job, though. I'd love to
make a joke about your job. I can't really think of
one right now, but your Yeah, that's the thing. It wouldn't
stop. You.
The the only thing stopping you is, you don't have one. That's
it.
When what you bothers me? It's really bothering me as I think
about this answer, but I think that you're constantly having
to prove yourself. And I think that's what we're looking for.
We're looking for players that are constantly trying to
improve.
You know, I feel like
it took us a long time in Philadelphia
to win a world championship, and I always felt I remember
telling Joe, Douglas it, when we win a world championship.
You're not going to find me for three weeks. You know, I'm
going to be on Some version of a bender, whether it's warm
weather Bender or something. And
we come back from a Super Bowl on Monday night. And on
Tuesday. I'm calling him like Hey, we gotta get going. We're
six weeks ahead and he goes, what happened to lay back? How
he what happened to like, you know, Bender Howie
and I'm like, yeah. I just want to win another one, you know,
and I think that's really what like we're looking for.
Not that I'm definitely not the role model for we're looking
for but I think that that's what you're looking for and
players and coaches like guys who are constantly
trying to prove themselves
and take it to the next level.
It's funny that you put it that way though. Because one thing
I've sensed from your fan base winning one Super Bowl has made
them even more over-the-top, it rational about getting another
one. Like they want this second one
way worse than they wanted. The first one.
Well, it's funny because
as you know, I have four kids and I have three boys and
a girl and
I remember after we won the Super Bowl, you know, I was
pretty proud of the accomplishments of our staff,
of our players, of our coaches of our front office, you know,
of ownership. And I remember kind of having a smile on my
face, and my daughter saying
that how long have you been the gym and it's like, you know,
ten years? And she goes,
I mean, I've we're learning percentages and math. That's
like 10%, That's not really a great percentage. I'm not sure
on the back for that. I don't like I think we've lived in
Philly long enough.
We are one of them. That's great.
Oh, that is awesome. All right, how long on that note.
I will say thank you, and we hope to talk to you again, real
soon.
And congratulations on having a great year and
all the best for 2022. We'll see you soon. Mike in person
next time.