“It’s A Different Energy There:” Q&A With Quintin Mikell, Jason Avant

Former Eagles wide receiver Jason Avant was invited back to the Novacare Complex last weekend to speak to the team’s rookie class during rookie camp.

While there, Avant met first-round pick DeVonta Smith and new head coach Nick Sirianni for the first time, and came away with positive impressions.

His chat with Sirianni even made Avant second-guess his first impression from afar. Avant also sensed a different vibe inside the NovaCare Complex after the Eagles were torn apart last year by feuds and dysfunction.

“I’ve been on the fence and I’ve been kind of critical of Nick Sirianni as well,” Avant said during the most recent “Q&A on Inside The Birds.”

“Nick was one of the first people to come up to me. You can feel his energy you can feel, it’s sincere. It’s a different energy there. I was there last year and … you were like in the middle of turmoil. Now there is a, like, free flow there. A fresh sense of renewal for a lot of people around the building.”

Avant and Mikell combined some Football 101 with stories of their playing days in their latest show, which was also devoted to answering listener questions.

They broke down free-agent addition Ryan Kerrigan’s expected role on the defense, and Mikell broke down the 4-3 under and 4-3 stunt defenses that new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon is expected to bring to the Eagles.

Also covered: Jalen Hurts’ development, the infamous T.O.-Hugh Douglas brawl, and a strange run-in between Avant and Panthers receiver Steve Smith.

– Geoff Mosher (@geoffmoshernfl) is co-host of the “Inside the Birds” podcast and staff writer for InsideTheBirds.com.

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