Nick Sirianni talks spreading the ball around to the Eagles’ playmakers

The Eagles had their public practice at The Linc on Sunday and head coach Nick Sirianni spoke to reporters before the team took the field. He talked about their plan for their first preseason game next week, why it’s so nice to have Lane Johnson on the right side, and a bit about spreading the ball around to their offensive playmakers.

Here’s what the head coach had to say:

On the preseason plan

Sirianni said that they are still working out what they’ll do for their first preseason game next weekend, and don’t have to make a decision regarding whether starters will play until Friday. Last year, they had the starters on the field for two series, and while they thought that worked out pretty well, they aren’t committed to anything just yet.

He also said that whatever happens in Sunday’s practice at The Linc won’t really affect what happens next weekend because how someone feels today or looks today could change over the next three days.

On Lane Johnson

“Lane, to me, is like — he’s the best, one of the best tackles in the world. He’s the best right tackle in the world. I mean, to be able to say that about guys on your roster, that’s a cool thing to have.”

Sirianni went on to say that everyone on the team and in the building feels the same way about Johnson. Having that caliber tackle is a huge advantage for their offense, and knowing that Johnson has everything covered on the right side is a huge thing.

On spreading the ball around

Dallas Goedert mentioned the increased chemistry between himself and Jalen Hurts this year, and Sirianni said that he can see that their rapport has evolved. He noted that one of the team’s core values is connection and they’re seeing that throughout camp.

Goedert is one of their top targets, as well as DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown. The head coach said that Quez Watkins is still an important part of the offense as well, and they’ve been working to get him some more targets the past couple of days. They want to get him going and see him with the ball in his hands.

He also talked about spreading the ball around, and pointed out that while they might have certain plans or goals, the coverage can take the ball different ways. Sirianni gave credit to Jalen Hurts, who he said has been doing a great job of getting the ball where it needs to be depending on the defense.

Sirianni later talked about utilizing Brown and how they. obviously, want to incorporate what he does best, but that he’s talented over the middle and on the outside. They don’t want to give away too much of how he’ll be used, but they plan to mix it up.

Other notables

• Sirianni was asked about Jordan Davis and he said that the rookie’s size is what stands out the most and he’s still figuring out how to use that at the NFL level. He noted that whenever they’ve faced a defense with a big guy in the middle, it’s always posed a problem, and they anticipate him doing that for opposing offenses.
• The head coach also talked about UDFA Britain Covey, and said that the wide receiver out of Utah is super quick, he’s smart, and knows all the positions.
• He mentioned that Isaac Seumalo broke down the team the other day at practice, and they all realize how hard he’s worked to be in a position to play football again. In the year and a half Sirianni has been in Philly, he’s seen the type of football IQ Seumalo has, and said he has a center mentality and can see things that haven’t happened yet. Seumalo’s intelligence mixed with his talent is something great to have.