The Method Behind The Madness Of Eagles' Rookie Camp Tryouts

PHILADELPHIA — There were 48 players participating in the Eagles’ annual rookie camp on Friday and only 18 of them have a spot on the team’s 90-man offseason roster.

The other 30 were at the Jefferson Health Training Complex on a tryout basis.

The goal is layered, according to head coach Nick Sirianni.

“We really want to make sure that we're getting work in here and getting them, again, these [successful] habits started and getting them running plays to start that process,” the Eagles coach said of his core group of rookies which included eight draft picks and eight undrafted rookies. “How many times can they get an opportunity to call a certain play and run a certain play both offensively and defensively? We think it's important. I know that some of the league doesn't do rookie minicamp quite as much. We still think that's an important part of the process for many different reasons.”

Part of the goal is to start the process of getting the players back into football shape as well. Meanwhile, to practice properly you need bodies and veterans aren’t allowed to participate in this particular camp.

“We think it's really important to be able to bring guys in because they're not in football shape right now,” said Sirianni. “ We think it's important to bring a wide variety of guys in so you're able to practice because if you just had one deep in this camp, we'd wear these guys out pretty darn quick."

Then comes the most obvious reason, one that Sirianni once explained as “don’t miss Adam Thielen,” the former Minnesota Vikings Pro Bowl receiver who retired this offseason after amassing 704 receptions for 8,497 yards and 64 touchdowns over 13 seasons.

“It is important, and it's important to also be able to cast a wide net and have different types of players in here that you've had your eye on or that have popped on tape for different things,” the coach said. 

Thielen began his journey as a rookie camp tryout player with the Vikings, and caught the eye of the coaching staff there before slowly moving up from special teams demon to legitimate star receiver.

“[You want] to be able to get a look at them and see if you can steal a guy that way,” Sirianni explained.” I think that's always exciting to bring those guys in, one, so you can practice, but two, to see if you can get a steal out there in some way, some shape, some form.”