Post by EagleGene on Jul 20, 2006 20:24:59 GMT -5
Reid: The Focus Is On 2006
July 20, 2006
By ZACH BERMAN
It's finished. Over. Past. Pick any related word - and if the questions were unlimited, Andy Reid would have - to sum up the Eagles head coach's message. The 2005 season is in the past. The team is looking forward.
This applies to everything from last year's injuries to the monkey in the press conference tent, former Eagles receiver Terrell Owens' new book. Which, by the way, Reid didn't read.
"I was here," Reid said in a response that sent the media into a laughing uproar when asked whether he read the book.
He lived it, along with the rest of the 2005 season. And he's ready to put it behind him and the team.
"We're ready to move forward," Reid said. "All the players feel that way, coaches feel that way. We're ready to go and get ourselves going again in 2006."
Reporters at Reid's introductory press conference to officially open training camp - and thus the 2006 season - found a way to ask in all types of ways how Reid prepares to put last season's 6-10 finish and the chaos involved behind him.
Reid, true to form, never wavered or skewed off message. He's looking forward. Last season is finished.
"We're going to do what we do. We came up to training camp and work hard to get ourselves better," Reid said. "We don't care necessarily what happened last year. We don't care what's going to happen in the next coming year.
"We care about today, right now, how we're going to prepare ourselves and build that foundation to strengthen this football team for the 2006 season. That's it. The rest of it has been talked about and rehashed."
In the process of looking ahead, Reid faces a unique training camp. The Eagles were the first team in the NFL to report to training camp, and their five preseason games complicates the ordinary routine.
Reid has experience playing in the Hall of Fame Game while an assistant with the Green Bay Packers in 1993. He said he used the experience to adjust the training camp schedule as best he could.
"I tried to tailor it the way I want to tailor it so we don't completely wear the guys out at the beginning of the season," Reid said. "I've gone through and tried to organize it the best way I can."
With the earlier report date for rookies, the Eagles expedited their contract negotiations with their eight rookies. All signed and reported to camp on time except first-round pick Brodrick Bunkley. Reid was stern when asked about Bunkley, acknowledging that history has proven defensive tackle is a position where rookie holdouts are particularly affected.
"It's tough on rookies, and particularly at that position," Reid said. "Their success rate, and this really goes for most positions but we're talking about him, when you miss practice, it's tough to get yourself in the flow. It just happens that position is one that jumps out at you."
The quicker Bunkley signs and reports, the more he'll benefit from the first two and a half days of training camp with the rookies and selected veterans. Reid said these practices won't be physically grueling, but rather an introduction that's more taxing mentally on the newcomers.
It's why Reid couldn't assess with much education his feelings about the Eagles' much-hyped draft class. He did say he was pleased with the draft and the players, but he needs time to watch them during the rugged two-a-days two weeks into camp.
"I want to see them when their minds and bodies are tired and worn out," Reid said. "Let's see how they get off the turf and play at that time."
But talking about the rookies seemed somewhat refreshing to Reid, because they're not questions about last season.
He knows the questions will keep coming though. There's no avoiding it, but he indicated they won't bother him. Reid's answer will be on the practice field that he sat in front of on Thursday afternoon.
"I'll tell the people who ask that to just watch us practice," Reid said. "They can make their decision from that and the players, I've addressed it. I addressed it in the first meeting of mini-camp. We're ready to go. I don't think as a football team we're worried about what happened in 2005."
July 20, 2006
By ZACH BERMAN
It's finished. Over. Past. Pick any related word - and if the questions were unlimited, Andy Reid would have - to sum up the Eagles head coach's message. The 2005 season is in the past. The team is looking forward.
This applies to everything from last year's injuries to the monkey in the press conference tent, former Eagles receiver Terrell Owens' new book. Which, by the way, Reid didn't read.
"I was here," Reid said in a response that sent the media into a laughing uproar when asked whether he read the book.
He lived it, along with the rest of the 2005 season. And he's ready to put it behind him and the team.
"We're ready to move forward," Reid said. "All the players feel that way, coaches feel that way. We're ready to go and get ourselves going again in 2006."
Reporters at Reid's introductory press conference to officially open training camp - and thus the 2006 season - found a way to ask in all types of ways how Reid prepares to put last season's 6-10 finish and the chaos involved behind him.
Reid, true to form, never wavered or skewed off message. He's looking forward. Last season is finished.
"We're going to do what we do. We came up to training camp and work hard to get ourselves better," Reid said. "We don't care necessarily what happened last year. We don't care what's going to happen in the next coming year.
"We care about today, right now, how we're going to prepare ourselves and build that foundation to strengthen this football team for the 2006 season. That's it. The rest of it has been talked about and rehashed."
In the process of looking ahead, Reid faces a unique training camp. The Eagles were the first team in the NFL to report to training camp, and their five preseason games complicates the ordinary routine.
Reid has experience playing in the Hall of Fame Game while an assistant with the Green Bay Packers in 1993. He said he used the experience to adjust the training camp schedule as best he could.
"I tried to tailor it the way I want to tailor it so we don't completely wear the guys out at the beginning of the season," Reid said. "I've gone through and tried to organize it the best way I can."
With the earlier report date for rookies, the Eagles expedited their contract negotiations with their eight rookies. All signed and reported to camp on time except first-round pick Brodrick Bunkley. Reid was stern when asked about Bunkley, acknowledging that history has proven defensive tackle is a position where rookie holdouts are particularly affected.
"It's tough on rookies, and particularly at that position," Reid said. "Their success rate, and this really goes for most positions but we're talking about him, when you miss practice, it's tough to get yourself in the flow. It just happens that position is one that jumps out at you."
The quicker Bunkley signs and reports, the more he'll benefit from the first two and a half days of training camp with the rookies and selected veterans. Reid said these practices won't be physically grueling, but rather an introduction that's more taxing mentally on the newcomers.
It's why Reid couldn't assess with much education his feelings about the Eagles' much-hyped draft class. He did say he was pleased with the draft and the players, but he needs time to watch them during the rugged two-a-days two weeks into camp.
"I want to see them when their minds and bodies are tired and worn out," Reid said. "Let's see how they get off the turf and play at that time."
But talking about the rookies seemed somewhat refreshing to Reid, because they're not questions about last season.
He knows the questions will keep coming though. There's no avoiding it, but he indicated they won't bother him. Reid's answer will be on the practice field that he sat in front of on Thursday afternoon.
"I'll tell the people who ask that to just watch us practice," Reid said. "They can make their decision from that and the players, I've addressed it. I addressed it in the first meeting of mini-camp. We're ready to go. I don't think as a football team we're worried about what happened in 2005."