Eagles Prepare For Off-Season Full Of Change
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- As the Eagles cleaned out their lockers on Monday, the players seemed ready to get away.
A disappointing season capped off by a coaching change has left many of the players mentally and physically exhausted. While no one was happy with the results of the 2015 campaign, many Eagles were ready to look towards the future. A new head coach will be arriving in the Eagles' nest, and Linebacker Connor Barwin was one of many players who expressed excitement about 2016.
"It's like the first day of school for everybody," said Barwin. "Everybody's got a clean slate. They'll be new coaches that are going to make opinions on you from day one, and everybody should be ready to put their best foot forward."
While there will be plenty of time to adjust to the new head coach, many Eagles are still expressing regret over what happened this year. One of those players was Linebacker DeMeco Ryans, who understands the high expectations for the linebackers weren't met during an injury-plagued season.
"We expected the group to be the strength of the defense," Ryans said. "It was definitely disappointing we didn't play up to our capabilities. Guys where injured and in and out, but for whatever reason, we never were the dominant group that we should have been."
The Eagles know the changes will be coming long before they kickoff the 2016 season. Change is is a part of every off-season, but more change is likely when a new coach takes over a team. Safety Malcolm Jenkins admitted not knowing what lies ahead could lead to a stressful off-season.
"I think that's everybody's concern when you lose your head coach," said Jenkins. "Change is inevitable. That's from the coaching staff. That's from the players. It's the great unknown."
Also unknown is what the team's playbook will look like next season. Players know there will be adjustments which need to be made on both sides of the ball. Defensive Lineman Bennie Logan says he's not worried about what the system will look like in 2016.
"You just embrace the unknown," Logan said. "You can't really stress or worry about that. Whatever happens, happens. It's a new beginning and a new start. You just enjoy every moment, learn as much as you can, and work hard."
First, players such as Wide Receiver Jordan Matthews need some time to put 2015 in the rear-view mirror.
"It'll be good to just finally get away," said Matthews. "You can reflect on it and have a fresh start."
