JONATHAN GANNON: Let's roll.
Q. JG, Zech McPhearson has really kind of showed up, at least to us, getting his hands on the football. What have you seen from him early in camp?
JONATHAN GANNON: Yeah, Zech is doing a good job. He's taking the coaching points and applying them on the field day-to-day. A lot of times that's hard for rookies, especially out there. There is a lot going on with those guys.
But he's improving every day just like the entire group is. We're excited about all those guys.
Q. (Regarding offensive minded conference.) When you're scouting guys like that coming out of college, is it tough?
JONATHAN GANNON: No, because I think we look for -- first of all, character is the first thing. He had the character that we're looking for; then he had the skillset that we're looking for.
So everybody plays a different brand of ball in college it seems. Our scouts do a really good job identifying, Hey, talking with the coaches is a collaborative effort. What does this guy have to have in his makeup and in his skillset that will allow him to be successful coming on the to the Philadelphia Eagles?
I think our personnel side has done a really good job with that.
Q. What's the challenge for Davion now, kid who hasn't played a ton of football? Until he gets back, what's the challenge for him?
JONATHAN GANNON: Yeah, just staying mentally engaged, which he's 100% mentally engaged. Meets with Coach Rallis every morning on his own. That's good to see, because we know that he loves ball.
But the challenge is -- the best learning we feel is reps out there and in pre-season games. I truly feel like you can walk it, talk it, you can show it in the meeting room, but until they get on the grass and perform and honestly make mistakes, that's the best form of learning.
When they make a mistake, all right, coaches get with them. Here is why you made that mistake. Tell me about your thought process, and they self-correct.
That's what we like to see. All of our guys have done a really good job in my opinion of when we make a mistake we're correcting so we're getting better. If the guy in front of you makes a mistake and the coach corrects it, when you go out there you really don't want to make that same mistake.
Coaches are doing a really good job with that.
Q. We've seen Milton now inside and outside now quite a bit. What are the advantages at each spot for him?
JONATHAN GANNON: I would think, Dave, to answer that -- I said it I think in the spring -- was motor and mean. The advantages is we get it accentuate his skillset a little bit, and it's a little bit matchup driven. We want to see him play on center, play on guards, play on tackles, and we are still kind of figuring out of all our guys, but especially Milton.
We're figuring out what best suits him so he can be successful.
Q. When you're going through the process of evaluating the depth chart, maybe changes you want to make going into practice, is there a time when you're trying to get out of the day-to-day and take a step back and look at the big picture?
JONATHAN GANNON: Yeah, as a coaching staff we have a pretty tight plan of when we do those things. As far as myself, I'll wait four days and take a look at all four days on our day off, and then talk with the position coaches about, hey, this was our plan. Let's stick with the plan or let's change the plan.
So it's not just acute day-to-day; it's chronic over the long-term. We know however many days we got to get ready to actually play a game. Eight days to play a pre-season game, then and ultimately week one. But they do have some time before that needs to happen.
Q. What's it like to have someone like Brandon Graham, who after 12 years still has all the energy for every single practice?
JONATHAN GANNON: He's been a joy to be around. He's one of those guys as an vet that's played at a high level that you want on your defense. His energy is infectious. It bleeds into the whole room. That whole room does a really good job with their energy, as you guys see that.
But we know that -- our defense knows that we want to play a certain way, and day one I think I talked to him. I'm in the a big sign guy, a big saying guy. I don't give motivational speeches.
The one thing we put up is sustained positive enthusiasm. Anybody can go do it for a day, but can you do over four days, eight days, six weeks, eight weeks. They respond to do that challenge very well.
Q. (Regarding safeties; K'Von.)
JONATHAN GANNON: Yeah, he's done a really good job. His skillset, even though he played that in college, he's proven he can play in the deep part of the field. He's doing a really good job. All our safeties are doing a really good job understanding how they fit within the call, and then understanding how they can play free and make some plays.
So, K'von is doing a really good job of what we're asking him executing.
Q. As far as figuring out what guys can do, it looked like yesterday you had general in that regard, Joe Ostman and Genard Avery playing in, backing off the linebacker, covering guys. How do you see their skill sets fitting in here?
JONATHAN GANNON: Yeah, like I said a week ago or whatever, we're still defining that role, and a lot of times you guys will see we put those guys on purpose in tough spots.
So okay, this guy does in this and this really well. Okay. We need to improve this and this, so let's make sure we put him in these spots.
So I think those guys are doing a really good job with what we're asking them to do, and you see they're functioning at a high level right now.
Q. Linebackers as a whole, especially Mike and Will, it seems like they're rotating a lot there, getting people bursting reps. What have you learned about that group?
JONATHAN GANNON: That they can all play together. One of the reasons why we do is that is there is a comfort zone with certain guys that when they look next to them they know who is going to be next to them, and right now we do not want them in that comfort zone.
Two reasons is everybody has to be able to think and communicate. Second reason is in a game when somebody gets hurt you're not have a comfort zone all the time. So that's why we do that, is to see the different combinations. Hey, this guy is playing Mike this period, then he goes and plays Will, but he's playing Will with this Mike, and the next period he's playing Will with this other Mike.
So that's planned out and we do that on purpose.
Q. Do you want to have a three-down linebacker, a top 2, top 3, or do you expect that to change throughout a game?
JONATHAN GANNON: That will be dependant on game plan honestly, and what we have to defend and what our players can do.
So, you know, right now in camp we're throwing it all at them, and we'll start to pare down as we get closer to Game Day.
Q. This week this training camp, what are you learned about your defense?
JONATHAN GANNON: That we have a bunch of good guys and they care. They really care. It's a good thing.
Q. How is that rotation between Barnett and Sweat making them better? Whether it's an open competition or not, it seems like they're both at their peek right now; they're performing very well.
JONATHAN GANNON: Yeah, they're both playing real well. It's just like the linebackers. We want those guys playing certain spots with different people. Just like everybody, they're maximizing their reps, and we're still figuring out what each of those guys can do.
It's good to see both of those guys out there playing.
Q. JG, these practices have been shorter than what we're used to seeing in other training camps. What's the philosophy of that and how do you make sure you get work done that you need to get done in the short period of time?
JONATHAN GANNON: Yes, I would say we're in constant communication with the entire staff. I mean, not just the coaching staff, with the strength staff and with the medical.
Coach Sirianni really takes the lead and he's preached to those guys everything we do is to one percent better every day and keep them healthy.
So that plan is put in place, and not to say that it doesn't adjust day by day, week by week, but we feel good that we're getting the work we need to figure our guys out and also keeping them healthy.
Q. Who among the young guys would you say has stood out the most?
JONATHAN GANNON: You know, out of the rookies, they're all doing a good job. They really are. I mean, I wouldn't single a guy out one way or another. They're all doing a good job improving daily, maximizing reps, putting their head down and working and learning from the vets.
Again, the vets are -- I tell those guys they're an open book as far as go pick that guy's brain because he knows. He knows.
So I think they're all doing a really good job.
Q. Zach said he studies Darius Slay when he is on the sideline. If there is something that Zach could take away from Darius' scheme, what would you want that to be?
JONATHAN GANNON: I would say his confidence. You know, that position out there, it's a lonely world. We use the analogy they're on the freeway. I think that one of the best attributes that Slay has is he plays very confident and has a next-play mentality. I tell our guys all the time you're going to get beat at times, but how do you respond and what is your mental self-talk when you get back in the huddle and then lineup again?
That's where Slay, as he's performed at a very high level, he has that.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports