Bryan Braman, former Eagles and Texans linebacker, dies after cancer battle
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NBC Sports
4 minutes ago
- NBC Sports
Bill Belichick: North Carolina is a pro program, we have an NFL approach in college
North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick says he's coaching his college football team like he coached in the NFL. Asked at the ACC media day if he's trying to introduce NFL-level schemes and concepts to college football, Belichick answered, 'That's exactly what we're trying to do. That's my philosophy.' Belichick said he views the Tar Heels like a pro team that just needs some minor adjustments for younger players. 'It's a pro program,' Belichick said. 'Practice, training, food, schemes, terminology, it's all a pro program. Not to the extent that we did it in the NFL — there will be fewer plays, fewer adjustments — but it will be along those lines.' Belichick said to the extent that he'll coach differently, it's largely about the differences between NCAA rules, such as college football's wider hashmarks and the overtime format that takes place mostly in the red zone. 'There's some things I don't think we'll need at this level and other things that we are,' Belichick said. 'Based on hashmarks and things like that that are difference, the overtime system — the red area could potentially come up a lot more than in the NFL on a percentage basis. Things like that that you just have to take into consideration. But fundamentally, we're going to do as much as we can as a pro system.'
Yahoo
8 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Eagles' 12 most intriguing players: Why No. 5 is Birds' version of 'Ted Lasso' character
PHILADELPHIA − The biggest mystery in the Eagles' secondary isn't necessarily who will replace Darius Slay as one starting cornerback and C.J. Gardner-Johnson as one starting safety. Yes, the Eagles need to replace both players, and that will certainly be a main story line during training camp, which begins with the first practice on July 23. Rather, it is possible that Cooper DeJean could end up replacing both Slay, who was named to the Pro Bowl in three of his five seasons with the Eagles, and Gardner-Johnson, who was third in the NFL last season with six interceptions. 'THAT'S BULL...: Eagles coach rips Jalen Hurts narrative regarding Saquon Barkley, others WHAT EAGLES WON'T SAY: The 'r' word Eagles, Nick Sirianni won't use about the Super Bowl. They use this instead And all the while, DeJean could also play his usual nickel corner spot. That could make DeJean like the Roy Kent character on the show "Ted Lasso," when fans chant his name as being "here, there, and every(expletive)where!" That's why DeJean is No. 5 on our list of 12 most intriguing Eagles heading into the start of training camp on July 22. We're counting them down each weekday from No. 12 to No. 1. The series began July 7 and will culminate with the start of camp. So it's not a question of whether DeJean will play as much as where DeJean will play. The Eagles already saw DeJean's value when he returned an interception return for a touchdown in the Eagles' 40-22 demolition of the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl on Feb. 9. So it was long expected that DeJean could end up as the outside corner in place of Slay when the Eagles are in base defense. Yet in June, Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio revealed that DeJean could also be the safety next to Reed Blankenship, also when the Eagles are in base defense. Last season, the Eagles were in base about 12% of the time. Perhaps that percentage increases because of DeJean's ability to play both cornerback and safety, in addition to his role as a nickel. It should be noted that DeJean played all three spots in college at the University of Iowa. For the record, DeJean expressed a willingness to do whatever is asked of him, and that he is comfortable playing all across the secondary. "I'll play wherever, to be honest," DeJean said. "Wherever they put me on the football field, I'll play there. As long as I'm out there, I'll be ready to play no matter what position − whether it's corner, nickel or safety." The difference is that this season, DeJean's position could vary not only from game to game, but from play to play. For example, the Eagles are facing the Cowboys in their season opener on Sept. 4. The Cowboys have two top wide receivers in CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. It's easy to see DeJean lined up on the outside opposite Quinyon Mitchell to take one of those players in base defense. Celebrate the Eagles' Super Bowl win with our new book Then if the Cowboys are in a favorable running situation, DeJean might move to safety to stop the run. Or if the Cowboys are in a 3rd-and-long, DeJean might move to nickel. If DeJean is lined up at safety, then Kelee Ringo is on the outside at corner. If he's outside at corner, perhaps Sydney Brown is at safety next to Blankenship. Or it's conceivable that rookie Drew Mukuba, drafted as a safety but with a background at nickel, could be at nickel while DeJean mans either outside corner or safety. All of this, of course, is to maximize having the Eagles' best four or five defensive backs on the field. DeJean is the one who makes that possible. The Eagles didn't have to worry about that as much because they had established players in Slay and Gardner-Johnson at outside corner and safety, respectively. "Last year it was a good fit for where we were personnel-wise," Fangio said about DeJean playing nickel. "This year that could change." Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@ Follow on X @Mfranknfl. Read his coverage of the Eagles' championship season in 'Flying High,' a new hardcover coffee-table book from Delaware Online/The News Journal. Details at This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Cooper DeJean: Philadelphia Eagles' 12 most intriguing players for 2025
Yahoo
8 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Eagles 12 most intriguing players: No. 6, how A.J. Brown keeps from getting 'exposed'
PHILADELPHIA − A.J. Brown remembers feeling surprised at his emotions. There he was, the pinnacle of stardom, having helped the Eagles win the Super Bowl. This is what he had always dreamed about. And yet, Brown remembered feeling ... "just like, it wasn't fulfilling," as he said shortly after the Eagles' beat the Kansas City Chiefs on Feb. 9, while on the "Kickin' It with Dee" podcast. "Coming into the league, we were taught we were playing for this reason, and we were playing for this trophy," Brown said. "And once we got the trophy, I thought everything would be fulfilled, like the hard work and everything. "But no, it's the journey that matters the most. And for me, it's the most because those are the moments that you look back at your teammates, spending that time and you're going to war. You're suffering together, and you're winning together, and that's the beautiful moments in it. "I mean ... it's cool that's it's forever in the history books. But we're gonna remember the moments more than the ring." So Brown celebrated with his teammates in the locker room after the game, took part in the parade. Then he went back to work. That's why Brown is No. 6 on our list of 12 most intriguing Eagles heading into the start of training camp on July 22. We're counting them down each weekday from No. 12 to No. 1. The series began July 7 and will culminate with the start of camp. After all, the Eagles won the Super Bowl in large part because Brown was his usual unstoppable self at wide receiver. Sure, Brown's production was down somewhat from his first two seasons with the Eagles, when he had 1,496 and 1,456 yards receiving in 2022 and 2023, respectively. Last season, Brown had 1,079 yards receiving. But he missed three games due to injury, plus the meaningless regular-season finale. In addition, the Eagles made running back Saquon Barkley the focal point of the offense as he became just the ninth player in NFL history to surpass 2,000 yards, finishing with 2,005. Brown, of course, is an elite receiver because of his work ethic. And even with surpassing 1,000 yards receiving in five of his six seasons, Brown is nowhere near satisfied. That hasn't changed after winning the Super Bowl. "The process is always the same, honestly, regardless of if we won or not," Brown said. "It's always watching film, trying to rediscover yourself and to get better and find new ways to get better. You have to grow in this league. And if you don't, you'll get exposed." That process began shortly after the Super Bowl. "You just take notes of what you didn't do really well last year, and what may have snuck through the cracks that nobody never realized," Brown said. "But you know deep down that everybody knows what that weakness is and your strengths, and you're just trying to find new ways to pick up a few things." Brown would not divulge what he discovered. But he has said in the past that he tries to add something new to his game every offseason, whether that's winning 50-50 balls, or showing "late hands" to fool a defender before catching the ball. Celebrate the Eagles' Super Bowl win with our new book There's always something for Brown to work on. And there's a good chance with teams keying in on Barkley even more this season, that Brown and fellow receivers DeVonta Smith and tight end Dallas Goedert will have a bigger role." "Whatever it looks like, that's what it's going to look like," Barkley said. "The most important thing is winning football games. If we gotta adapt and (it's) gotta look a different way, then we're all willing to do that." For Brown, that work began shortly after the Super Bowl. That's the feeling Brown wants to experience again. Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@ Follow on X @Mfranknfl. Read his coverage of the Eagles' championship season in 'Flying High,' a new hardcover coffee-table book from Delaware Online/The News Journal. Details at This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: A.J. Brown: Philadelphia Eagles most intriguing players for 2025 season
