Nick Sirianni

Q. I think after yesterday’s practice, DT Jordan Davis mentioned he had some doubts about himself during his rookie season. He feels more confident coming into this season. Off the field, what have you seen from him? (Shamus Clancy)

NICK SIRIANNI: Just his hard work and dedication to playing at the weight he needs to play at and how much it means to him to do that. He knows that his teammates are counting on him. Again, the best motivation is not wanting to let your teammates down. That’s the connection you have with people.

Yeah, he definitely looks more comfortable heading into the second year. That’s natural. I’ve seen the hard work he’s put in to make sure he’s doing the things he can control to play well.

Q. What was your review of yesterday’s practice after watching tape? (Bo Wulf)

NICK SIRIANNI: I thought there was some good back and forth. Obviously with our offense, they did a good job. Credit to the Browns. They did a really good job yesterday. Wasn’t up to our offensive standard, but some of it is that they did some good things, too.

So that was my take on offense, we’re working through all the corrections.

Defensively, I think there was some good back and forth that we’ll continue to work on and looking at some stuff today and hopefully get some good work today.

Q. When you have your second group of receivers, like WR Joseph Ngata, WR Tyrie Cleveland, WR Deon Cain before he got hurt, and with WR Johnny King coming in, how much does it help that whole group to have — and the quarterback — to have talent like that in the secondary? (Reuben Frank)

NICK SIRIANNI: Yeah, very much so. Shoot, sometimes you go to a second or third group of receivers and you don’t feel like you can make a play. I’ve definitely been on pre-season teams where you feel that way; don’t feel that way here.

Really excited about this group of guys. [Wide Receivers Coach] Aaron Moorehead is doing a great job working with them, and [WR] DeVonta [Smith] and [WR] A.J. [Brown] are doing a great job mentoring them. So, it takes everybody. That’s a good room. Guys care about each other and are looking to help each other out.

Q. When you don’t play your starters in a preseason game, do you have specific rules for those guys on game day? (Dave Zangaro)

NICK SIRIANNI: What do you mean?

Q. Like rules on how you want them to go through warmups or be on the sidelines. (Dave Zangaro)

NICK SIRIANNI: That last game, yeah, we wanted to go through warmups. So that’s the main thing. Just obviously be there. The main thing is just — I wouldn’t say, rules it’s just like, ‘hey, be a good teammate here and support your teammates.’

That’s really the main thing. Support your teammates. I think when you have a bunch of rules you can get bogged down, but a lot of things come down golden rule a lot of times, and then just be on time, all those different things.

Treat everybody in the building with respect, which is a golden rule. So, I don’t have a ton of rules. Wear Eagles gear at practice. That’s about it. Just be a good teammate to the guys that are out there.

Q. You said it wasn’t up to your standard offensively yesterday. What part of it was uncharacteristic? (Zach Berman)

NICK SIRIANNI: I just don’t think we ever got into a groove. We didn’t make plays, so that’s the whole thing as a whole.

Again, we corrected it this morning and we’re looking to get better from it today.

Q. We saw S Sydney Brown take some reps with the first team. What’s the significance behind that? (Tim McManus)

NICK SIRIANNI: Obviously they’re battling there at safety. [Executive Vice President/ General Manager] Howie [Roseman] and his staff did a great job getting a lot of pieces in there. We lost a couple of really good players. Obviously wish them the best, but lost a couple really good players and replaced them with some really good players. So that’s just competition. I’m looking forward to how that continues to play out at that position, at safety.

We got some good position battles going on. I think everybody would note linebacker has a good position battle going on. I think everyone would note running back has good position battle going on.

Just working different guys in there, different communication with different guys. Sometimes they look — guys will look different in ones than they do in twos. So just want to give everybody the opportunity, of the guys that are deserving, to work up there.

Q. What’s S Sydney Brown showing? (Tim McManus)

NICK SIRIANNI: I think you can see his athleticism is very — you can see it, right? You see it and he has the ability to get to the ball, he has the ability to make plays. That’s what we saw in college and that is what we’re seeing early on in camp.

Q. Speaking of the running backs, how do you assess your running backs after the first preseason game? (Chris Murray)

NICK SIRIANNI: I really like the way they’re competing. Everyone is stepping up to the plate to compete, everyone is stepping up to the challenge of, ‘hey, I got to work for my carries.’

Also, while everybody is still trying to help each other and get them used to — the new guys used to the standard of practice, and also helping them with the playbook.

So, I just feel like, again, we have guys that can make plays in that room, and they care about each other and are trying to help each other out.

Q. Has anybody stood out so far? (Chris Murray)

NICK SIRIANNI: I think they all look good. I’m really excited about all those guys in there.

Q. How much could whether or not you’re up to your standard today or performance today factor into whether or not starters play? (Dave Uram)

NICK SIRIANNI: Everything goes into the decision. We’ll rediscuss after this what it looks like. I don’t like to — there are some things you have to plan way far in advance. That’s our job as coaches. And there are some bridges you don’t cross until you get to them, I think that’s just one of them. Haven’t really thought of it in that sense.

After today’s practice we’ll figure out what the plan is.

Q. How valuable is it for guys like DT Jalen Carter, LB Nolan Smith – S Sydney Brown you mentioned earlier – they’re getting a lot of work against the Browns first team, how valuable is that for those guys? (Martin Frank)

NICK SIRIANNI: Very much so. Obviously, I think that the practices we get against each other — not even just in inner squad, pardon me, not even in joint practices, but Eagles versus Eagles they’re getting a lot of good work. Any time you’re going against that one O-line, whether it’s the Browns, the Eagles, it’s good to get that work in.

Obviously, what I think about joint practices, it’s a game day routine. Obviously, that’s the way we’re going about it, and that’s the way we try to go about practice as well. You have to practice like you’re going to play.

So again, every time they get these opportunities it’s really good.

Q. First time talking to you since the game. What stood out about QB Tanner McKee’s performance that you couldn’t see on the sideline? (Zach Berman)

NICK SIRIANNI: I just thought composed. Knew where he [QB Tanner McKee] wanted to go with the football. Made some really nice throws. Very similar to my initial reaction of what I thought, but you don’t know completely until you put the tape on, and you evaluate it.

And so really excited. I think the very first play he showed so much poise of going out there, seeing what the defense was giving him, taking it, and making a really good throw. You can do all the things with your mind and then not make the throw. You can do all the things with the throw and not do the right things with your mind.

It was just good to see how he was unfazed by the — I don’t want to say magnitude, yeah, the magnitude of the game for him, right, for his first NFL action.

Q. Considering the magnitude of the Jordan Brand and its presence, what are your thoughts on QB Jalen Hurts partnering with them? (Josh Tolentino)

NICK SIRIANNI: I think that’s really cool. [Jokingly/laughter] Hopefully I can get some free shoes out of it. Happy for him [QB Jalen Hurts]. Any time I see those guys, if I can be sitting at home and watching the television with my kids and see a commercial with them on it, we’ll rewind it a couple times, watch it a couple times.

So excited for him. But you don’t get that without performing, so he’s performed to earn that.

Just looking forward to continuing watching him perform.

Q. You mentioned watching the tape. What was it like to watch the first play DT Jalen Carter made and what do you see as the possibilities for him as the season goes on? (Rob Kuestner)

NICK SIRIANNI: Obviously, we feel like he’s [DT Jalen Carter] had a good camp. We’ve seen that and we’ve seen him do that in camp as well. So just excited for him to put his head down and work. He knows what it takes to be on a team that has a high standard. He’s been on that for the past three years at Georgia.

When you have a team that the captains and coaches hold the team to that high standard, that you make the play, but you move on and you continue to work, and that’s where we are now.

Looking forward to getting better today in this joint practice.

Q. When you put the joint practices together with another coach and you are talking about what works for you guys, does it ever happen where they mention an idea that hasn’t occurred to you and you pick up on idea that you use? (Bo Wulf)

NICK SIRIANNI: Of course, yeah, of course. Especially I get along great with [Browns Head Coach] Kevin [Stefanski]. You always take the opportunity to get better from that. Doesn’t matter if it’s from high school coach, Pee Wee coach, opposing coach. Now the difference is you get to pick their mind. You get to talk with them through some things.

When you share your notes of what you’re going to say to the team, he [Browns Head Coach Kevin Stefanski] shared with me his notes, I shared with him my notes, and you can see after the last two years our notes look similar, so hopefully he’s taking some stuff from our conversations, and I know I’m taking some stuff from him.

Then just being able to discuss some plays. We don’t play them this year. Discuss some thoughts. It’s always good. It’s like a free coaches’ clinic. I’ll go to those all day.

Q. Losing LB Shaun Bradley at linebacker, you replaced him with a defensive tackle. How do you feel about the depth at linebacker right now? (Zach Berman)

NICK SIRIANNI: Those guys need reps right now, so I’m good. I’m good. What happened with the defensive line, we felt like some guys that played a lot of plays at the end of the game that aren’t quite there — it’s a buildup, a progression. So, we felt like we needed another body there.

Look forward to working with him [DT Olive Sagapolu].

Q. Anything from the game stand out that you didn’t notice live? (Dave Zangaro)

NICK SIRIANNI: Shoot, yeah, I mean, I don’t know because we’re a couple days off from there. I don’t remember what I said to you Saturday, what I thought about on the bus. Not that comes to my mind right now.

Q. From a personality standpoint, what stands out about LB Nolan Smith? (Rob Kuestner)

NICK SIRIANNI: He [LB Nolan Smith] loves football. I think that’s the best way to say it. I think you can say he gets up here with you guys and I think he’s very energetic and very personable. You guys can tell me more of what you guys think when he comes up here.

But what I think is those attributes shine because he’s so happy to be here because he loves the game of football, he loves the physicality of football, the grind of football. That’s what I’ve noticed in the time I’ve gotten to know him so far.