Eagles Wrap Up Off-Season Workouts

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - The Eagles got their first taste of Doug Pederson's coaching methods during the spring. It appears to be a far different approach than the one by the previous coach.

The Eagles concluded a three-day mini-camp on Thursday, and now have six weeks to rest up before training camp. The players spent much of their time during their spring workouts learning a new system, but players such as Offensive Lineman Lane Johnson noticed a clear difference from the workouts run by Chip Kelly over the past few off-seasons.

"OTAs were a lot easier than last year," said Johnson. "We still got a lot of good work in, but our bodies feel a lot fresher than they did last year."

While Pederson may have set a slower tempo in the spring, practice is expected to intensify in the summer. Pederson has promised more practices in pads during training camp, which is a contrast from Kelly's workouts during his tenure as head coach. Linebacker Connor Barwin has no objections to putting on the pads more during camp.

"I'm fine with it," Barwin said. "We obviously didn't hit that much in practice with Chip, but I hit every Sunday. It's no big deal. It'll be fun to hit a little bit during training camp."

Many players have been impressed with Pederson's direct approach since his arrival. There were rumors of communication issues with Kelly a year ago, but several Eagles singled out Pederson's ability to get his point across to his team. Wide Receiver Jordan Matthews also believes Pederson's time as a player and an assistant coach in Philadelphia will also benefit the organization.

"I think the biggest strength is the fact that he's played," said Matthews. "Not only has he played, but he's been a Philadelphia Eagle. He not only understands what it means to go through this, but also in this city. It's totally different. Anywhere else in the league is nowhere close to Philadelphia."

Meanwhile, Pederson is happy with what his players accomplished during the off-season workouts. Training camp begins on July 25th when rookies, quarterbacks, and selected veterans take the field. The first full-squad workout will be on July 27th. Between now and the end of July, Pederson wants his players to enjoy the physical and emotional break from football.

"I won't divulge everything I said to them," Pederson said. "But really just kind of in a nutshell, it's just to get away, enjoy their families, enjoy the time off, kind of rejuvenate the batteries a little bit, recharge and come ready for a tough, physical training camp."