Eagles Wake-Up Call: What They’ve Learned About Chip

Jeremy Maclin held his third annual football camp Tuesday in West Deptford, N.J.

He was joined by former Missouri teammates and current NFL players Sean Weatherspoon, Danario Alexander and others.

Maclin also had a couple of his current Eagles teammates Jason Avant and Michael Vick stop by.

I asked all three players one simple question: What do you know about Chip Kelly now that you didn’t know when he was first hired as the Eagles’ head coach?

Here are their answers.

Vick: “I know Coach won’t take this the wrong way, but I just didn’t know Coach was as educated about the game of football, about the sport in general, about what it takes to get the most out of each and every player in that locker room, regardless of the talent. The things that I’ve been able to learn and obtain mentally over the last three months is uncanny, so I just appreciate that, and we all as players appreciate him being there for us right now.”

Maclin: “One thing you learn to do is you learn to trust him. And the way you do that is the guy is about everything he preaches. Everything he’s told us to date, he’s been about that. So I can’t really look down on that. I respect that. I’m looking forward to working with him in the future.”

Avant: “You knew he ran the offense and did all those types of things, but the thing that I love about him that I didn’t know is that he’s a coach that wants his players to know as much as he knows. So with that, you’re going to ask the question why sometimes, and he’s not offended by why. When it comes to authority and your superiors, when it comes to the job/arena, that’s a great thing when you go in your boss’ office and ask, ‘Why’d you do that?’ So I like that aspect that I can go and ask him, ‘Why do we do this?’

‘You know, the reason we do this is because of this…’ and he’ll explain it to you just like that without being offended.”

WHAT YOU MISSED

Vick said his intention was not to pressure Kelly when he made comments about the coach naming a starter.

A  Q&A with the author of a new book titled, The Tao of Chip Kelly.

Jason Kelce says the center, not the QB, will set the protection in the Eagles’ offense.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING

Matt Barkley says he’s not feeling much pressure. From the Inquirer’s Zach Berman:

“I think right now is the least amount of pressure, to tell you the truth, the least amount of attention,” Barkley said. “I don’t mind it either way; you just get used to it. But now, with how the whole draft turned it, it allows me to not worry about anything but just put my head down and work, be focused.”

Ravens running back and Temple product Bernard Pierce was held up over the weekend in Philadelphia. From the Daily News:

Pierce, 23, a Temple University alum, was standing with a cousin outside Stacey’s Pizza on Drexel Road near Haverford Avenue about 5:30 p.m. when a blue car with tinted windows pulled up. A man in dark clothing emerged and pulled a handgun on Pierce, the sources said. The gunman took Pierce’s wallet, cell phone and car keys, and peeled off in the NFL star’s black BMW SUV, the sources said.

COMING UP

We’ll take a look at what players are expecting out of Kelly’s first NFL training camp.

Follow Sheil Kapadia on Twitter and e-mail him at skapadia@phillymag.com.
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