Q. Hey, Nick, you have a new defensive back field coach, coaching staff; what attracted you and maybe Vic to these defensive back coaches that you hired, and how do you think they've helped you reshape your reconstructed cornerback and safety...
NICK SIRIANNI: Good question, Marcus. I obviously have worked with Joe Kasper before and had just so much respect for him and everything that he brought to the table in 2021, 2022.
So when we got Vic back and had a chance to do the same thing, or got Vic here and had a chance to get Joe back, obviously that was a no-brainer. We were able to jump on that.
Christian Parker is just highly respected around the league. I think to myself -- I don't know exactly how old Christian Parker is, exact age, but I don't know if like you would have asked around the league a bunch of people when I was 25 or 26 -- I know he's not 25 -- 30 years old, people would've been like, who is that, right?
So to understand that he has this type of respect and this type of name, you know, because of this product that he's put on the field and the coaching that he's done is pretty impressive. Obviously Vic had worked with him and he's been as-advertised. I'm really excited about Christian, and I know our defensive backs are really excited about him as well.
And then Roy, having Roy Anderson, he was in Seattle with Clint Hurtt last year and everybody talked so highly on him. Saw John Harbaugh before the game when we played the Ravens and he just raved about him as well.
Again, the guys get their foot in the door potentially because someone worked with them and heard good things about them, and you do the research on the people and just a lot of good reports coming back on all those guys.
You don't know completely until they get in the building, and they've just done a phenomenal job.
Q. When you're going up against a team with a new defensive coordinator for week one, what goes into the preparation? How do you to figure out what they're going to run? What are you looking at?
NICK SIRIANNI: Yeah, you have to try to dig as much as you possibly can, also knowing that week one there is a lot of unknowns that will happen throughout the league, even with people with defensive coordinators that have been there for the year.
Obviously everybody has been doing different things throughout the year and studying different things and new wrinkles to their defenses and offenses, so we'll have to be ready to adjust to anything we get.
You know, you try to go back to when he was a head coach when he was at Boston College. I got a lot of respect for the coach himself. He has obviously done an unbelievable job and earned the opportunity to be the defensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers. Obviously a huge honor, too.
We'll have to be ready for anything.
But without giving up secrets of what we've done, we've looked at a bunch of stuff as well, also knowing everything is live, right? There are other guys on the staff that probably have influence as well of what they talk about.
Then obviously Coach LeFleur, have so much respect for him and the coach he is and what he's done in this league. He's going to have an influence on it as well. Got to be ready for everything.
Q. How eager are you to put Saquon Barkley out there in your offense? How eager are you for that?
NICK SIRIANNI: Yeah, I mean, he made a run at practice yesterday. And I just remember I was wearing sunglasses; it was sunny out. Just taking my sunglasses off and looking at a couple coaches like, this is awesome that we got him here. Not only for the play he brings to the field and the cut he made yesterday at practice, but also his leadership and the person that we have.
And so, yeah, just I think you're so excited as a coach for everything. You asked me about Saquon. Super excited for him. We are up here in the team meeting today and the words that came out of my mouth, hey, we got to go ready Friday night. Wow, what an unbelievable -- to say we got a name Friday night, like that gives my goosebumps to think about that. Friday Night Football is what we all first -- those were the like my favorite players growing up, because my dad was a coach. It was the high school players that played on Friday night. Was John Briggs, was my brother Jay Sirianni, Mike Sirianni, Pete Connelly. Those were my favorite players growing up. Friday Night Football. I was able to say that to these guys.
The excitement should be so high on every level, not just Saquon, just for all of us. This is what we -- this is why we fell in love with this game.
And I'm so excited to be able to go to Brazil to play in front of very passionate fans. Obviously super bummed we don't get to play in front of our passionate fans. I love our fans, the home field advantage we have.
But excited. This is my first international trip and excited and know how much they care about sports in Brazil, so I'm excited about that. It's Friday Night Football against the Green Bay Packers.
You take me back to when those guys were my favorite players and if you said to me, hey, Friday night, September whatever, 2024, you're going to be the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles - and I'm ten years old - and you're playing the Green Bay Packers, I mean, I would've been pretty pumped about that and I'm still pumped about that.
Man, there are so many things to be excited for, and Saquon a obviously a big one of those.
Q. What's your plan for what you will do? The personal plan for the...
NICK SIRIANNI: My personal plan?
Q. For nine hours. Is it a day in the office?
NICK SIRIANNI: I remember I fall asleep on trips like that, and that's been since I've been -- any time Mount Union played when I was growing up, my brother was playing there, wherever we went, if it was a five-hour trip I slept from the moment we left Jamestown, New York, to wherever we got to.
My natural reaction is when there is movement -- I don't get to do that anymore because every time we do a family trip, my wife doesn't drive, I have to drive everywhere. Which I would gladly do because the kids are nuts during that time and she has to handle them and get the snacks and fix the Ipads and the television.
I will probably fall sleep, but obviously can't do that the whole time. Kellen and I and Kevin Patullo are going to watch something together on the way up. Not like the Price is Right. I don't know, first thing that popped in my mind.
Watch some film together on the way up, so that's a chunk. There are a couple things I'm thinking, hey, I'm going to watch this with these guys, watch this with these guys. Any good suggestions on any movies that are out or anything like that? Nothing? Anybody?
Okay, maybe you guys can tell me on the side.
So a little bit of work, a little bit of -- I'll definitely fall asleep a little bit, and then a little bit of just relaxing there as well.
Because today is our Friday, right? That's why we're meeting with you today. Tomorrow is like our Saturday, but then we get another Saturday, so obviously we're way ahead in all those different things.
There is still last-minute, and a lot of unknowns as we talked about, but still some things obviously that we're saving for that trip to be able to go over.
Q. At the beginning of this process of Jalen Hurts learning Kellen's offense, he spoke about wanting it to become his own. What have you seen with the collaboration of them and Kellen feeling out what's comfortable for Jalen and the collaboration with those two?
NICK SIRIANNI: Jalen has done such a phenomenal job. Had a phenomenal camp and phenomenal week of practice. Looking forward to going out there and seeing practice again today.
Like I said, he's dove into everything that he needs to do to be a great quarterback and continue to be a great quarterback in this league. He's worked his butt off not only on the offense, but also with his strength and conditioning, with his leadership, with his accuracy, with his decision making.
And I've just seen him attack the off-season and the training camp like I'm so used to seeing Jalen attack everything. And I'm excited for him to be able to go out there and show everybody what he's been working on, because he's put so much time into it.
I'm excited for his season that he's going to have and who he is as a player.
Q. What do you know about your exact setup down there? Is it different than a typical road game?
NICK SIRIANNI: As far as just like...
Q. Hotel setup, practice setup.
NICK SIRIANNI: I know that we just have so many good people in this building that everything is going to be -- I'm not going to say where we're staying yet -- everything is going to be just the way it is as we are here. If we were, you know, at an away game.
And so I have so much faith and trust in the people that are in this building that do the things that they do. When we talk about the greatest team game there is in football, that is true, and you tend to think about only the people on the field and the coaches.
But, gosh, there are so many people that go into making this whole thing go. And so it'll be as similar as we possibly can make it with everything, without giving away too much. Even there I don't want to say too much there.
It couldn't be done without the great people of that organization, led by Mr. Lurie and everything he does for us. There is no stone unturned everything we need to win, he provides for us.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports