NFL Insider Notes: The Eagles think Jalen Hurts is the answer, plus Bruce Arians out on his terms

One must be careful and diligent when putting too much of what is being said in press conference settings at this time of year, in particular. But spend some time the Eagles Coach Nick Siriani during his briefing session at the just-completed NFL owners meetings came out convinced that he’s involved in finding out if Galen Hurts It could be the long-term solution for the team at quarterback.

It was already a very cool thing for the Eagles. Loaded with three first-round picks, the uber-Force front desk, led by general manager Howie Roseman, hasn’t really been involved in any of the myriad QB competitions that have dominated this season in the league. Deshaun Watson He was never turned on by massive allegations of sexual assault or misconduct against him, and many others were not seen as a significant upgrade. Overall, the atmosphere around the team – which rode an intimidating defensive line and dominant running game to a surprising breakout point in Sirianni’s junior season as head coach – was that 2022 would be spent building around Hurts, giving them as much as possible to succeed, then weighing their options later if necessary.

“I couldn’t be more excited about Galen Hurts,” Siriani said, gushing but coming out very honestly, “The kind of player he is and the kind of person he is. … He knows he’s our man and we show him that with our day in and day out actions.” .

Very powerful stuff.

The best I can always say, investigating all over, is that they were very inclined to lean on the young midfielder, add talent, and be better able to assess him long-term by the end of this season. This sounds as good as it is. He’s not the most traditional midfielder, but he’s passionate, dedicated, loved by his teammates and his drive and love for the game shine through. If, for whatever reason, it doesn’t work out, the 2023 Middle Quarterly Draft category is already attracting great reviews. But I certainly wouldn’t rule out Hurts showing enough promise for survival, as this coaching staff continues to recognize him and put him in the best position to shine.

Ariosion is out on his terms

Congratulations to ex-Bucs coach Bruce Aryan, who transitioned to taking on a less stressful and demanding front office role this week. Ariane overcame major health challenges to return to the sidelines and punctuated his unique and distinguished coaching career with the Lombardy Cup in Tom BradyFirst year with the team.

Even heading into this Super Bowl, after the 2020 season, there have been strong whispers among those in the coaching fraternity who know Arians well that he could choose to step aside sometime before 2021, with defense coordinator Todd Bowles set to take over. Few would have been surprised if British Airways had chosen to move to a new position at the time. He ended up trying to win back-to-back titles, before announcing his decision to his players and the world on Wednesday night.

The Bucs are in big hands with the Bulls at the helm – it’s a shame he hasn’t been named elsewhere as head coach in the past few years, frankly – with Byron Liftwich and Brady still in the attacking position. Aryan’s indelible fingerprints remain throughout the menu, coaching staff and playing style. I don’t expect a big change, as Arians are free to fully enjoy their afternoon now, but it’s still a staple of the team’s facility. A coach who fully enjoys life, and knows how to have a good time, will have more time to do it now.

The Glazer family had hoped for nothing more than his tenure. Bucs remains one of the main teams in NFC. It is very likely that Brady will compete for the best player in the world. The Aryans might end up with another episode, anyway.

Arthur Smith expects Brady to return

at least one of pirateNFC South foes never thought there was a chance of facing this team without Tom Brady on the roster. hawks Coach Arthur Smith was adamant that the goats weren’t going anywhere — no matter how many statements about retirement were made on social media, etc.

Smith adopted this approach to going to the NFL Scouting Combine — when Brady was traveling with his family and the Bucs were evaluating potential quarterbacks on this draft and free-agent and trade options to replace him — and says he never wavered. Did not pass the sniff test. He knew Brady would be back (to the dismay of the rest of the NFC).

“I didn’t think he retired,” Smith said. “He was playing at a high level… Tom plays like everyone else in the league. I think I said that in the plural.”

So the Falcons, at least, haven’t considered a project for the 2022 season without Brady in it. As someone who values ​​playing midfield at the highest level, Smith said he believes that in order to improve everything, Brady hasn’t strayed from the game while still producing at an elite level.

“You want to compete with the best,” Smith said. “You want the best players out there. That’s good for the game.”

Agreed, but be careful what you wish for. Tampa will have that first seed in her sights, and she will be able to stack the winnings against much of the rest of that division. maybe not with Kyle Trask; Definitely with Brady.

see McVeigh dolphins Crime takes off under McDaniel

The Sean McVay/Kyle Shanahan coaching family tree continues to make new roots, with former assistants joining the coaching ranks at a rapid rate. I was very impressed with every meeting I had with the new one Vikings Head coach Kevin O’Connell, who has a chance to win straight away in the watered-down NFC, and while Mike McDaniel has a tougher challenge in the loaded AFC, I really like the additions that Dolphins have made and think they can improve quickly.

McDaniel spent most of his career under Shanahan but worked with McVeigh and Shanahan in Washington early on in his tenure, and the Super Bowl-winning coach had been keeping an eye on what Miami had done so far (particularly the moves that should immediately activate from a long period of idleness. game) closely.

“There’s a real clear view out there,” McVeigh said of the moves Miami has made to upgrade their offensive line and add top speed across skill-position groups. Consider him optimistic about the turn of the dolphin attack in 2022.

“It would be fun to watch the dolphin attack in action,” McVeigh said.

More internal notes

• Kirk Cousins He’s going to be a fantasy football beast this season. The Vikings have plenty of key pieces in offense, a well-developed offensive line, and what could be a fearsome duo rushing into defense. This is more than a good enough starting point for that conference. Former coach Mike Zimmer has become the object of scorn within that building, and Kevin O’Connell’s energetic and highly positive mindset will be a huge influence there. And again, unlike a lot of NFC, they have players. “There’s no doubt there are some really good pieces,” O’Connell said. Seems like a comma team to me.
• It was another turbulent offseason for Washington leaders, with off-field cases and ugly allegations against owner Daniel Snyder continuing to withhold the franchise. Convincing the best talent on the open market to come to this long-dysfunctional team isn’t easy – even under the new management – and Snyder’s days were canceling other shows to convince free agents to come there long ago. “We’re trying to get people to understand, why don’t they come to us?” Coach Ron Rivera said. “We have a strong offensive line, 1,000 yard running back, 1,000 yard wide receiver. We’re trying to get people to understand that there’s a chance of success here.” We’ll have to re-recruit the controlling receiver Terry McLaurin To stay around to eventually lure others out there, and with recipients’ paychecks increasing this month, that challenge has only intensified. These negotiations are huge for the organization.
• The Steelers He clearly doesn’t have a midfielder equipped to compete with the glut of transformational QBs now piled high in the AFC. But, in terms of looks, coach Mike Tomlin doesn’t blink. “I love a challenge, to be honest with you,” Tomlin said. “It makes this game great.”
• I really liked listening to the new giants Coach Brian Daboll spoke about the human element to his game, about making sure to put himself in the shoes of the young players in this game and his development as a leader from spending time training in Alabama. For all X and O elements, Daboll believes that “empathy” is as important as any training trait. Perhaps the giants had finally found the man to pull them out of their doldrums.