Following a dismal season finale, Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown was not shocked by the firing of offensive coordinator Brian Johnson.
According to Brown, “someone has to be the bad guy” in the NFL when a team doesn’t live up to expectations, as stated by Rob Maaddi of the Associated Press.
The players, not the offensive coordinator, will determine the Eagles’ offensive success in the end, according to Brown.
Players must execute and make plays, according to Brown.
An offense that can better capitalize on Brown’s talents would go a long way toward the Eagles looking more like the team from 2022 and the first half of 2023 than like the team that struggled down the stretch and made a quick exit from the playoffs. DeVonta Smith is three years into his NFL career and he’s been everything as advertised. However, he still thinks there’s another level to take his game. Brown had a solid season in 2023, starting all 17 games, catching a career-high 106 passes, and gaining 1,456 receiving yards with seven touchdowns. However, there were rumors in Philadelphia that he wasn’t on the same page as the coaching staff.
Smith responded to NBC Sports Philadelphia on Friday by saying, “Yeah.” You’ve occasionally witnessed it. That really simply boils down to getting the ball in space, though. That is all there is to it.
Smith was chosen by the Eagles with the No. 10 overall pick in 2021, following his Heisman Trophy-winning year. He was the Eagles’ top receiver in his debut season, hauling in 64 catches for 916 yards. However, since A.J. Brown was added, he has improved even further, logging over 1,000 yards in 2022 and 2023.
How does Smith accomplish that?
He replied, “I would say just stay on the same page as the quarterback.” “Having perfected the timing,
However, Smith stated that regardless of how long a quarterback and receiver have been playing together, there is always work to be done.
Smith remarked, “You’re never where you want to be.” “There’s always space for development. There is always room for improvement in that area.
Smith had his greatest season in 2022 with 1,196 yards, but his yards after reception were particularly impressive. In 2022, he gained 5.2 yards after catch per reception on average; however, in 2023, that number dropped to 3.6 YAC/R. That was probably merely the result of an offense that, as Nick Sirianni acknowledged throughout the season, became “stale.”
The Eagles decided to make a big coaching staff change in order to bring some new concepts to the offense for 2024. They After just one season, they sacked offensive coordinator Brian Johnson and hired former Cowboys and Chargers offensive coordinator Kelen Moore in his place.
Although Smith is unfamiliar with Moore, he doesn’t appear overly worried about picking up a new offensive strategy. He said, “Football is football.”
Smith is thrilled to have head coach Nick Sirianni back. He claimed that he gets along well with the head coach of the Eagles.
Smith declared, “I think Nick’s a great coach.” “This squad is doing well because of a lot of situational things he does that people don’t always see or comprehend. He executes a lot of situational things that, in my opinion, put individuals in the correct spots.
Meanwhile, Moore will take over an offense that struggled in 2023, but he will have many weapons at his disposal, including Smith and Brown, two of the top receivers in the game.
I asked Smith, who was promoting the VRST apparel line, available at Dick’s Sporting Goods, what one thing people might not know about Brown, given his public persona and the fact that he has become close to him over the last two seasons, about what people should know about him. “I think one thing that people should consider about everybody is that everybody is not the same,” Smith said. “You’re going to have guys that’s jolly with the media and you’re going to have some guys that kind of step back and be themselves. Everyone assumes that the media will always be happy, but that isn’t the case.
Some individuals are simply who they are. incredibly silent and private. They simply are that way. That describes him somewhat. He is alone with himself. He kind of keeps things to himself, and the media ought to recognize and comprehend that.
Only three receiver duos have amassed more than 1,000 receiving yards over the last two years: Brown and Smith, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle in Miami, and Mike Evans and Chris Godwin in Tampa.
The Eagles should want to hold onto Smith and Brown for as long as feasible. Brown got a four-year, $100 million contract deal before being traded to the Eagles, and he has three seasons left on it.
And Smith is qualified for a contract extension having completed the first three seasons of his rookie deal. He has one more year left on his deal, and it is quite likely that the Eagles will exercise his fifth-year option. However, the Eagles take these matters very seriously as well. They try to negotiate an extension if they are certain they want to keep a player.
Is Smith considering that during the off-season?
He said, “Let the chips fall where they fall.” “The moment arrives when it does. I’m not really thinking about it. I’m simply going to let it go because it will arrive.
