‘Very Confident’

PHILADELPHIA – As the days furiously tick past and the season opener draws closer, the Eagles last week put a proverbial bow on what had been a busy stretch of days, fueled by a flurry of transactions.

For now, the 53-man roster and 16-man practice squad is set, though subject to change at a moment’s notice.

On Wednesday and Thursday, we were afforded the opportunity to speak to a handful of players who either recently joined – or held on –  to make the team, including quarterback Sam Howell, defensive tackles Gabe Hall and Byron Young, wide receiver Darius Cooper and offensive tackle Fred Johnson. Right guard Tyler Steen, a newly minted starter, also spoke.

From those conversations, here’s more background on Steen’s summer and the inclusion of veteran pass-rusher Ogbo Okoronkwo on the 53-man roster.

ITB PHOTO/ANDREW DICECCO: Eagles RG Tyler Steen, a first-year starter, is confident the team’s OL can maintain its high standard.

Changing of the Guard

From the first day of training camp, the right guard vacancy – created by the free-agent departure of Mekhi Becton –  appeared to be earmarked for third-year pro Tyler Steen.

For perspective, Steen was uncontested throughout the summer, beginning each practice aligning between center Cam Jurgens and right tackle Lane Johnson when the Eagles deployed their first-team offensive line. Not even veteran Matt Pryor, who last season with the Bears wore multiple hats, logging over 1,000 snaps, proved to be a viable contender.

Instead, Steen ran with the opportunity, showcasing steady improvement over the course of camp, the increased confidence pronounced in his play. And with the starting job officially secured and season opener days away, the Alabama product plans on continuing his summer surge.

“Very confident,” he said. “I’m really confident in the guys we have in that room. Plan on leaning on those guys, just making sure we communicate well and we’re on the same page.”

An ankle injury last summer ultimately impeded Steen’s ascent to a starting role, impacting a bit more than just his immediate future and depth chart seating. His locker that was stationed among the starting five in the back right pocket of the Eagles’ locker room was assigned to Becton. Steen bumped down a spot, his locker positioned beside the entrance to the players’ lounge.

The 25-year-old played in all 17 regular season contests (two starts), totaling 316 snaps. He also appeared in all four postseason games.

For Steen, his third training camp in South Philadelphia began with a relatively dubious start. He often found himself grappling with fellow third-year upstart Moro Ojomo, who proved to be disruptive. It’s also worth mentioning that Steen was hardly the only offensive lineman Ojomo was finding success against.

Then, about a week or so into camp, offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland spoke during post-practice media scrum, at one point offering, “Today was a big day for Tyler Steen, in my opinion.”

When asked last week if he had any recollection of what Stoutland might have been referring to, Steen offered that it wasn’t anything intricate, alluding to him being more consistent in some of the nuances required to play guard at a “high level.”

“I think I’d come off not my best day of camp,” he recalled. “I think it was a little earlier in camp. And then I remember in meetings, the day before, just kind of telling me what needs to be worked on. And then the next day, in meetings, we kind of talked about it and tried to continue on what those things were.”

But even entering camp as a frontrunner for the starting job that last season eluded him, Steen refused to become complacent. He knew all too well how fickle life in the NFL can be for the inconsistent and injured. Instead, he remained present in the moment, abiding by a primary objective.

“I was really just focused on putting my best foot forward each and every day,” he said. “I wasn’t really concerned on, I guess I had won the job, or whatever the case is. I was just focused on the next day and trying to get better.”

Veteran pass-rusher overcomes late start

The Eagles added Ogbo Okoronkwo a day before the Eagles opened camp, with the veteran pass-rusher at the time generating minimal attention. Understandably so, I suppose, as the team already had a pair of intriguing and dynamic headliners at the position in Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt.

They’d also added household names to the group in Josh Uche and Azeez Ojulari.

But after just a few days of practice, Okoronkwo was hardly an afterthought. The 6-foot-2, 253-pound edge rusher flashed throughout camp, showcasing physicality and an explosive first-step. And in the end, it would be enough to surprisingly unseat Patrick Johnson, a special teams stalwart and 2021 Eagles draftee, for the final slot at his position.

When asked about the messaging he received from head coach Nick Sirianni and executive vice president and general manager Howie Roseman at the onset, Okoronkwo spoke of a familiar directive that echoes throughout the NovaCare Complex.

“They just told me to come to work every day and let the result be the result,” he said. “And that’s what I did; I didn’t look too far ahead, I didn’t look back, I just came to work every day and tried to get better.”

A 2018 fifth-round pick of the Los Angeles Rams, Okoronkwo’s winding football career also included stops in Houston and Cleveland before landing in Philadelphia. In 80 games (13 starts), the Oklahoma product registered 17 sacks, 38 quarterback hits and 31 tackles for loss.

The well-traveled vet is now ensconced in Vic Fangio’s defense, a scheme that he believes accentuates what he does well, including dropping into coverage, rushing quarterbacks and playing the run physically. The four-week sample size was enough for Okoronkwo to demonstrate his tools.

“I think I’m learning more every day, playing freer every day in this defense,” he said. “It’s never a finished product, I’m just trying to go to work every day and get better.”

As a late arrival, even as an established player exposed to various schemes and philosophies, Okoronkwo was at a disadvantage. His crash course introduction included cramming to learn the playbook, getting out to the practice field early and staying after for additional work.

As he approaches his eighth NFL season, Okoronkwo is still learning, still striving to evolve as a pass-rusher with a focus in mind.

“Right now, just learning the guys that I’m rushing with,” he explained. “Because pass rushing, a lot of people think it’s a one-man game, but it’s a whole front game. When you learn the people you’re rushing with, it allows you to rush freer, better and just react faster to things.”

Okoronkwo joins a room that also includes the aforementioned Uche and Ojulari, arming the Eagles with experience behind the youthful bookends. All three have familiarity with one another, and have been a sounding board of sorts for the betterment of the room.

“We’ve all watched each other around the league for a couple of years,” he said. “We’re all from Nigerian descent, so we all just have that connection, I would say. We all enjoy watching each other rush, we all have different styles. So, it’s just bouncing things off of each other, learning from each other and being the best we can be in our role.”

– Andrew DiCecco (@AndrewDiCecco) is a Staff Reporter/Content Producer for InsideTheBirds.com