Eagles

Eagles Coordinators Meet the Digitally-Assembled Scribes

By Kevin Kinkead

Published: May 21st, 2021 · 9:41 AM EDT

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Isn’t it strange to see a completely new coaching staff in front of the cameras?

After five years of Doug Pederson media sessions, it’s Nick Sirianni instead. And Jonathan Gannon. And Shane Steichen. And Michael Clay, a former Chip Kelly assistant who replaced Dave Fipp after Fipp spent the last 45 years coaching the Birds’ Special Teams unit.

All three of the coordinators spoke on Thursday. We got Gannon’s availability posted on the site earlier, but here are some takeaways from what Steichen and Clay had to say:

Steichen

On emphasizing the screen game and play action:

“I think they’re important, they’re definitely important. Anytime you can get the ball to the quarterback’s hands quickly and create explosive plays in the screen game, that’s big. And obviously the play action game is big too. When you go into games, things are going to be different week in and week out. It’s your opponent. Who are you playing? What do they do on defense? What are the coverage techniques? What’s the fronts they are playing? So your scheme each week can be multiple by who you’re playing.”

Offensive philosophy – what are some similarities and differences with Nick Sirianni? – 

“We were in the same system, terminology-wise, obviously, for a while, and then he went to Indy and the terminology has been very similar. There are tweaks here and there because it’s been a few years, but philosophy-wise, we see the game very similar. We have little tidbits here that I’ve learned the last couple years and that he’s done the last couple years, and right now we’re just meshing all that together, and we’re going to make it the best possible to put our players in position, like I said.”

On his days at UNLV, and when he knew he was going to be a coach and not a player:

“I always kind of wanted to coach. I was around a lot of good coaches growing up. My high school coach was awesome, understood football, scheming it, all that stuff. Then when I got into college, again, I had a couple different coordinators, but all of them loved football, and learned a ton from those guys. It was probably more about my freshman year, sophomore year, I wasn’t very good at the time, so I figured I’m probably not going to the NFL, so let’s get the coaching hat on and start rolling.

So I really enjoyed the scheme part of it, being in meetings and doing all that. That was terrific. Then right from there when I graduated, I went into a graduate assistant role there at UNLV and then went on to Louisville and then got in the NFL.”

On Jalen Reagor and DeVonta Smith:

“Jalen Reagor is an explosive football player. He showed up on film, had some big punt returns and big catches. His explosiveness and his ability to catch and get YAC, it’s awesome. Super excited to work with him. He’s going to be a good player.

And I think DeVonta, when you watch DeVonta coming out, this guy, his first step off the line of scrimmage and his smoothness coming in and out of breaks, it’s unbelievable. The guy had three games, I want to say, over 200 yards receiving. The touchdowns, I want to say, was over the 20s. He won the Heisman for a reason. This guy is a talented football player that we look forward to working with.”

Here’s is Steichen’s presser:

Watch live as Offensive Coordinator Shane Steichen speaks to the media during OTAs. https://t.co/WI0X5mTdBp

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) May 20, 2021

 

Michael Clay

What does he want his unit to be known for? – 

“I want something that is not a forced energy. It’s an energetic group that they love doing what they have to do. Everyone gets under the notion, oh, you play special teams, you must not be good. That’s completely false. I think all you guys would say, hey, if you hear Matt Slater, you’re like that’s a damn good special teams player, he’s going to change the game. Special teams can change the game regardless. It could be a 0-0, bad weather, and it could be a blocked punt, a return where it’s going to change the game.

So I think having that true energy and that true confidence like, hey, this play could change it, I think is what this group really wants.”

Most of the new staff knew each other previously, but you did not. How’s that working out?

“It’s been awesome. I think in the coaching world you’re not going to know everyone, but you get to build these relationships with new guys. I’ve been fortunate enough to be around different staffs, and everyone I’ve been around here in this building has been fantastic. [Eagles run game coordinator/offensive line coach] Jeff Stoutland, I worked with a couple years in the first time, so I have a familiar face with him. [Eagles offensive quality control coach] T.J. Paganetti, who coached me at Oregon, and [Eagles assistant special teams coordinator] Joe Pannunzio who I worked with for a year, I think the familiarity really helped settle any of the nerves, but everyone has been fantastic, from Coach Sirianni down to JG [Jonathan Gannon] to Shane [Steichen].

Like once you get in the building, we all know we’re all going to ride or die together. Once we get that sense of confidence, like conversations turn up easily right now. You get all these connections. Like A-Mo [Eagles wide receivers coach Aaron Moorehead], he was at Stanford when I was at a player at Oregon. We can connect through that way. They beat us on an alleged catch by Zach Ertz. You get to talk about that, and it just builds camaraderie within the staff.”

RE: using Jalen Reagor and/or DeVonta Smith in the return game – 

“I think it’s a full-on communication between myself, Coach Sirianni, and everybody else in terms of what the game plan is going into that week or anything like that. In terms of the first round, we had Brandon Aiyuk last year, and we were able to use him in different situations. I think it’s also one of those things where, if we’re on the same page — it’s like a basketball player. You want to get to the free-throw line to see one go in. If we want to get him a touch to get him going, that’s a conversation we could have more than anything else.

I think having those guys at your disposal is one of the greater things because it makes everyone have to really game plan, like all right, what are we going to do if those two guys or one of those guys is really back there?”

Here is Clay’s presser:

Watch live as Special Teams Coordinator Michael Clay speaks to the media during OTAs. https://t.co/2HUpGizikw

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) May 20, 2021