Eagles Press Conference: Reed Blankenship, James Bradberry, and More | July 27, 2024

Reed Blankenship [Music] how y'all [Music] doing how are you how's the acclamation been process getting working with CJ again back there it's great um everybody knows his character by now um like I said he's a character but you know I love being back there with them um our communication's been really good uh it's it's getting to the point where we just know what each other's doing and just end up in the right spot at the right time you know that's what Duo safeties are really good at now in the league just knowing what our job description is and that goes back to our coaches and what the scheme is like right now and just knowing the defense you know and uh I I believe that me and CJ make a pretty good couple you guys were around each other a lot obviously aou years ago but now that you're in an everyday playing next to each other how different is that honestly it's not too different um you know like I said I had a lot of playing time with him when he was here in 22 and um I feel like his playing style and and his communication hasn't changed um I feel like I said I feel like we go good together I'm in the back end and you know sometimes he'll tell me stuff give me tips before the uh play snaps and I'll give him tips you know like I said we just play off each other and at the end of the day we're just trying to make plays you know know any improvements in CJ's game yeah absolutely you know he's one of those guys that he he's a well-known safety in the league um he he's proven himself especially when he was here in 22 you know he was a leading interception leader in I guess the whole year you know and he's a ball player you know that's what that's what we need and you know I'm glad we have him what are you noticing about James bradberry's transition to safety and did it surprise you when you found out he was doing it it it did and it surprised me a little bit but at the end of the day he's an athlete and um I believe he fits well at safety or Corner wherever they put him you know he's he's a smart athletic guy and like I said when I came here in 22 he was one of those dudes that took me under his wing and he he taught me the way and um now he's back there with me and now we're kind of working off each other you know and he'll ask me questions now I'm like oh wow you know it's like it's flipped but uh you know at the end of the day I love J and I love what he brings to the table and have you seen that so far like just like his instincts as far as playing the position absolutely you know you don't lose those instincts and uh for him to be I guess this will be his eighth year ninth year in the league if I'm if I'm thinking that right uh you know you don't lose that and especially if you just move positions you know there's a lot more stuff you got to learn you got to be more vocal at safety but but he he does a really good job at it angio said that's a tough transition to make on corner to safety absolutely why is that you probably played Corner the last time I played Corner was I guess my freshman year in high school oh wow yeah but uh no it is it is a transition because well obviously I haven't played in the league at corner but uh like I said you got to know you got to know a lot more stuff um you know there's different route Concepts you can get inside and you got to be able to tackle you got to be able to hit guys you got to be able to fit gaps and you know it's different you know playing from the outside you just get you know the Run spill to you sometimes but then today you got to be that that leader that captain in the back end and that's who everybody listens to listens to you know um when we make checks and adjustments you the first thing they they do their Corners are listening the safety what what's the check what we going to do right here so being spot on with that you know that's that's a change up but JB he's smart um he has everything so not really worried about it in this team you know you guys can play like quarter a half or be all way up to the line how much does football IQ play into that role and how do you guys balance that and try to check each other make sure like hey yeah you know you got to you got to be smart to play in this league especially in this scheme um you got to know what everybody jobs is um especially linebackers sometimes we like you said we sometimes we drop down and we're in the we're in the middle of the field but at the end of the day you just got to know what you're doing um that that goes by being very clear with our job description I think our coaches have done a great job so far doing like telling us exactly what to do and if we have any sort of questions any sort of what if this happens what what's the most extreme you know route concept or formation what do we check and they have answers they're spot on and we're I'm so thankful for that you know I'm I'm one of those guys that that is very vocal when it comes to like meetings and if I have a question I'm going to ask it you know I want I want to know the answer right now even though it might be a one hit play but I still want to know you know like cuz you know you can always learn it's you're it's always about learning in this league what stck out to you about how big teaches a defense he's all football um that's what I love uh it don't matter matter who you are what you do um it's football at the end of the day and that's what I love you know it's that old school everybody says it's that old school mindset and if anybody's have had coaches in the past that are have that personality they know what I'm talking about it's that nitty greedy like who cares let's go let's go hit somebody do your job and we're going to win you know you rece that personally in a meeting room say again how's that have you received that personally in a meeting room or anything it's just you just know you know it doesn't have to be one-on-one it's just like okay this guy has a different aura about him you know it's like okay we're here to play ball at the end of the day so that's what I love can you believe it's training camp you have to do a lot of studying just to keep familiarizing yourself with thee absolutely um what our safeties coach did a great job was would he would always send us quizzes at the end of the week each week and when we were away and he always Tes hey don't don't think you got to go over this don't think you got to send it back just I wanted this to be on your mind and was you know you think at the time oh I'm on vacation I'm doing this but you look at him like okay now it's getting time it's getting closer to time of football getting fresh on my mind so you want to come in training camp being spot on you know because we want to hit the ground running because we don't have that many practices you know and a lot of this stuff gets mental and you know that's what he did a great job of doing you know just keeping our minds fresh and just keeping our minds you know on football at the end of the day so was Parker Christian Parker seen any of those or is that a former uh no Joe Casper he was he was the one send yeah so it's Cooper deene I mean I know he's out now but you got to look at him in Spring you're probably talking to him he's taking his mental reps I mean what what can we expect to see from Cooper man he's the athlete um you know he was quiet at first in OTA or whenever he came in and uh you know he once he got out of his shell he's a pretty cool dude you know and uh he's going to be a great addition once he's uh once he's healthy um just very very excited to to see him move around again what's been impression of quinon especially as he kind of works in at the great player I mean you you see when rookies come in you know you have this this mindset okay they they need to adjust to the league and this and that but dude's ready you know like he he's ready to go um he's very smart he know like he has that football smart you know and that's what that's what you ask as a player especially as a corner man just just hold down just hold down your end and just play ball you know so I'm very excited to see him go what were those quizzes like very I say simple but sometimes tricky um they're they're more of Route matches just just simple stuff just like I said nothing nothing extreme just the simple basic okay route match I got this guy this guy got you know so to send it back didn't have to um he said you don't have to send it back just like I said fresh on your mind if you have any questions I'm always here so CLE more you were a undrafted guy and had to go through that thing now there's another group of guys coming in there what advice do you have they Ro you in terms of what to expect I'll tell you I'll tell you this as undrafted guy especially like whether regardless rookies um they're they're hesitant to come up to guys you know they they don't want they don't know what to say but what I have figured out and I put myself in their shoes like what how did I feel you know so I make sure I go up to them first like do you have any questions like anything like if it's outside like places to live or eat or just football like just being that guy they can come to and just knowing that we're all in this together regardless if you're undrafted or drafted you know everybody makes it here one way or another you know sometimes undrafted guys are the ones that ball out you know and uh shoot that's what we like the most how you embrace the leadership role safety I mean you're the longest thing you're got just take it you know um I I like I like having that role uh I've always wanted to work my way up to to a captain one day um that's what I've always wanted to do um I feel like I have that ability and I haven't lost it just waiting on the right time you know I always tell myself sometimes you got to be a follower before you before you be a leader like a a great leader and I was fortunate enough to have all these greats in my room like Fletch and just sitting by him just hearing what he says and what he does and you know it it can relate to me cuz once you know slay's gone James's gone BG's gone that you still have guys in the room that have played with these dudes that know what to do you know know how to lead so that's that's what I do you believe it's your third year already I mean it's crazy yeah it's crazy um never never thought it would be this fast come this fast you know uh my summer went by I'm like gez this time it's football time you know get that feeling in your stomach going to your last week of workouts like oh it's time to go but yeah third year I mean time has flown you know I'm ready for many more years to come hopefully got God willing so JB how's the transition going to James Bradberry safety it's going smooth so far I think it's uh mainly just learning the communication you definitely got to talk more when you're out there make sure you get the call and get the communication out to the linebackers in the corners is that their idea that they come to you and ask you if you would do that no honestly it was my my thought you know after the season I went to them we had a meeting and um I just wanted to try it out why why not deal with all the offseason stuff you know the uncertainty I how did you deal with process hold on you ask that again that joke machine I can't you know there's been a lot of reports about your future here and everything else how would you deal with that through the offseason where do you see yourself so come the regular season um a lot of that is out my out of my control you know um as far as right now I'm still under contract uh for two years I got one one year guaranteed um so I try not to put too much thought into it you know just try to enjoy my time with my family of course I was up here for OTAs for a little bit a little minute um try to do my part as far as whatever the coaches asked me to do um and that was it I try not to put too much thought into it honestly Vic was talking about that transition from Corners to safety he says it's rare for people to do it successfully what is what is the difficulty of making that transition I think the uh difficulty for a corner cuz as a corner on the outside you're not required to talk a whole lot and really you're not required to learn every other position um at safety you have to learn everyone you have to learn mainly the inside guys pieces as far as the blitzes and stuff cuz you got to make sure the the the safety rolls um you just got to make sure you you always got to have somebody in the post whenever like you blitzing somebody so you got to know who's blitzing cuz then you have to cover for them and roll down and replace them um so usually the the information part learning the communication part and of course um it's more tackling you're going to be in the Box a lot a lot more were the uh what were the different factors that went into your decision to approach them about play and safety I you obviously you've been well established corner all pro the whole thing for sure that's it's pretty much the same question you yes uh but um so after the season of course I didn't have the best best season um going into my ninth year um I know they signed Isaiah Rogers as well uh of course he wasn't he wasn't able to like participate at the time when I when I when I requested that uh but I knew eventually he was probably going to end up being on the team uh we had a lot of young guys in the room at corner anyways feel like we was a little lighter at safety um and I can still play corner it's not that I'm not going to play corner right now uh my thought process was to um just try to be a valueable piece to the team um and I feel like picking up safety learning new roles and also at the end of the season last year I was playing a little bit dime so I was already playing inside a little bit um which is safeties do that they play they play down from time to time I was also playing nickel so I was like why not you know um I know then then the draft came so I kind of figured they was going to draft Corners anyways cuz I didn't play too well um so that was kind of my thought process um and then now I'm learning safety those guys are getting a lot more reps um and if the time comes to where I'm still on the team and they want me to play corner I'm going be ready this Le you want to be at a place where you don't have the opportunity to start a corner or or I guess where you're not getting those opportunities to start a that corner or would you rather be somewhere where you have that opportunity I try to be um adaptive you know um I'm on the team right now so as far as like while I'm on the team I want to find a role on this team and I feel like if I'm a versatile player then I'm going to be a role and of course I want to start um now where I'm going to start I don't know but I'm working right now at safety to see if I can learn it and play that and be a valuable asset to the team right there and of course we already have two starters um and we also drafted a guy in the first round and Isaiah Rogers is really good so I'm just trying to find my role right now why you that you can play the safety position I got recruited out of high school to play safety um I played Safety my junior in high school of course High School is not NFL um but I have a bigger body you know so I have the I have the the size of a safety um I feel like I can cover tight ends I I covered tight ends last year I've covered tight ends when I was at the Giants um I feel like I'm smart enough to learn the role um and of course I didn't always show that I was physical last year but I think I feel like I can be physical that about playing cornerback as well still Vic said that earlier this week he said you're still going to play some corner so what have those discussions been like is it just like I know I can play Corners so let me try to figure that out how's that work with you J I mean Vic was open-minded when I came to him um and really Vic doesn't talk a whole lot so really he took he took my we had a conversation he took what I said he took into an account and he said sure you can go out there and um give it a try you know and right now um I think things are going pretty smooth going on my second day at safety so they're still allowing me to play safety right now so that's where I'm at you had an offse to your body to to get prepared safety ver cor no I've always been a big guy so I mean typically I've always been the big biggest guy in the defensive room so I mean defensive back room so they ain't really I a't have to change anything another situation another similar situation some other players might find a way to continue their position with another team and some discussions with the team is that on your mind was that something that you thought of no I was going to let Howe handle that you know um I told him well we had a conversation or whatnot and uh right now I'm still on the team and while I'm still on the team I'm going try to find my role and if they want to get rid of me they going to get rid of me that's the fourth time you said right now um that's the fourth time you said right now I'm on the team right now our are are you operating under the assumption or the expectation that you'll be on the team this season well I'm on the team right now so I'm taking it day by day cuz in the NFL you never know so I mean I could be traded I could not be traded so I'm I'm preparing for anything to be traded I'm letting hoe handle that um I just approach my my job dayto day and right now I'm on a team on a personal level has this offseason been difficult for you no not really um I'm just glad to be on the team I got more space than the Mekhi Becton inside I like this one better what's up y'all how's the transition to it's going great having fun you know I don't know what I don't know what I'm going to be when I come in here so I just got to know I got to once I step on the field I got to be ready for whatever you an adjustment is that you know being not really knowing what position you're oh I mean it's I mean it's it's it's a adjust M but it's not it's not a hard adjustment you know I I can do it I mean it's it's fun actually because I can look at Lane see what he doing then I go over to land and see what he doing then I look at Jordan to see what he doing so I just I just learn from everybody all day every day so it's it's a fun thing to do is it hard to flip back and forth between possession POS n it's not it's not you just you just got to know where you at and remember and remember that you you got certain things to do with a certain position so you just got to foul light in your brain somewhere and just whenever that time come when you get to that position you got to pull that out what's the hardest part of transition from guard to tackle uh I I would say just the the speed of everything I feel like guard guard it happens way faster like you don't you don't have time to you know set what you got to set up well they don't have time to set what they got to set up so it's real faster it's it's right away like your hands got to be ready it's a hand fight right away and then tackle you got a little bit of time to you know see what they doing and figure out where you're at and figure out if you're in your figure out and if you're in your right spot and stuff like that K there was the first day you got sick I guess a bunch of times so what was going on there just the heat nothing nothing I mean I if you look at my history I throw up every first practice and I still go back out there and practice I don't even know what I why was why was that a story available online somewhere huh is that history available somewhere I don't know you can go do your Googles I guess I mean I mean I I went back out there I I don't even know that why that's a story I mean it ain't like I threw up and said no I'm done like I I went back out so like why was that even a story but you know it is what it is up everybody throw up you mentioned back in the spring maybe moving sides was more difficult than left side to right yeah than left tackle than to say left guard yeah is that still the case or is that getting easier n it's getting easier for me because I feel like coach Stout is such a great coach he he he knows what I'm thinking and like I me and him like talk to each other back and forth talk ball back and forth so like he he helps me out with that transition for sure how much has Landon help you through this process he's helped me out a lot like these first the first two days he wasn't you know he wasn't doing anything he was definitely in my ear the whole time telling me what I was doing right telling me what I was doing wrong so he's definitely a great great helper for sure the common thing that I guess is said about guards you don't see guards that are as tall as you yeah um is that actually a thing that matters and if so like what is what is the disadvantage of being your side uh I feel like I mean I feel like the I don't really know the disadvantages yet but I know the advantages would be my arm length compared to like DET tackles and stuff like that than I used to be with my arm length uh I mean that's that's pretty much what I can think of right now once I start to play it more then I can you know I get back to you on that answer how important is is it for you to win a starting job it's very important but you know I know I didn't you know I know I'm not like that wasn't the the the thing when they signed me here so I mean I know I'm just I know I'm just staying ready so I I don't have to get ready so I just know whenever my number is called I'm always going to be ready so if I can start I'll start if I don't I'll be ready how do you split your time up and with your study when you're not on the field position wise I just write everything you know I just write when we do the plays I write guard and tackle and I just read both at the same time so that's the way I study it does it help knowing the other one yeah for sure it definitely helps knowing the other one for sure how's the acclamation process been getting to the city you've been here for a while now how you gotten used to the city and uh I mean I still ain't been to the city yet I mean I I stay out in Jersey so I stay about 30 minutes away so I stay out the way I don't know unless y'all can give me some suggestions I don't know where to go so if y'all want to help me out I'll take ITP cheese steak food of course absolutely food Pizza whatever okay Pizza all right I bet Lorenzo good spot okay it appreciate y'all