Being Where His Feet Are

PHILADELPHIA – It was supposed to be a summer that symbolized the passing of the torch, with Cam Jurgens shifting over to center and clearing a path for second-year offensive lineman Tyler Steen to fill the void at right guard.

Circumstances have a tendency of complicating matters, however, and with Steen – who opened spring practices and training camp as the Eagles’ starting right guard – sidelined with an ankle injury, the plans in place for the 24-year-old were temporarily put on hold.

Steen would ultimately be leap-frogged by veteran Mekhi Becton, a tackle by trade, though an enticing Jeff Stoutland reclamation project with pedigree.

Beyond the obvious size discrepancy – Becton is listed at 6-7, 363 and Steen 6-6, 321 – Becton proved to be more than an experiment, responding favorably enough that the team marched on with him as the starter, even after Steen returned to practice.

Becton has started all six games for the Eagles to this point, appearing far from out of place and showcasing his lateral movement and power.

But Becton sustained a concussion last week against the Giants and has been ruled out Sunday for the Eagles’ road game against Bengals, thrusting Steen back into the spotlight.

Steen, a converted collegiate tackle, has come on in relief for Becton twice this season, against the Saints and Giants.

On both occasions, the offense hasn’t missed a beat. It’s also worth noting that with Steen inserted, in both instances, running lanes widened and Saquon Barkley served as the beneficiary, ripping off long runs.

It’s also plausible, despite a limited sample size – Steen has played just 117 snaps compared to Becton’s 295 – to conclude that the former has looked like the better player, flashing power at the point of attack, fluidity when moving laterally and climbing to the second level with urgency and athleticism.

It appears Steen is playing with significantly greater confidence compared to his rookie season, and his year at Stoutland University has served him well.

Steen, preparing to make his second NFL start, has handled his demotion and relegation to a reserve role with class and perspective, acknowledging that he still has much to learn.

Never once did he appear to sulk or shut anyone out. Rather, attacking the adversity as he normally does, he embraced the challenge.

Steen epitomizes the power of patience and a positive outlook, and on Sunday, he has an opportunity to demonstrate his value and progression.

On Friday, I caught up with Steen to discuss a wide range of topics ahead of the Eagles’ Week 8 matchup in Cincinnati:

GETTY IMAGES: Eagles reserve OG Tyler Steen will make his second career start on Sunday vs. the Bengals.

Andrew: One thing that’s really stood out is how you’ve seamlessly adjusted coming on in relief mid-game on multiple occasions. To what do you attribute your ability to step right in, as it’s not an easy task?

Tyler: “I think it’s really preparing like you’re a starter, preparing like you are gonna play in the game. That has a lot to do with it. I think everybody in the room does that, just ’cause that’s kind of what [OL coach Jeff Stoutland] Stout preaches. And yeah, I think once you have that mindset, and then knowing that your teammates around you have the confidence in you to go out and execute, I think it makes it a little easier.”

Andrew: You were on an offensive line that cleared major creases for Saquon [Barkley] against the Giants. What allowed you to be so effective?

Tyler: “I guess it’s really just the game plan, I think. We worked a lot on just kind of how we were gonna surface those blocks throughout the week and how they were gonna play. And I think just kind of knowing that, and knowing the stuff we worked on pretty much every day, all the way back in OTAs. And yeah, just going out and executing.”

Andrew: How about your communication with Lane [Johnson], Tyler? What’s that process been like?

Tyler: “Yeah, it’s been a good process because Lane does a great job of communicating. I think just the amount of experience he has — and he’s been playing at such a high level for so long – he kind of sees things before a play even happens. So, I think, just having that one-up against other people, just the people we’re playing against, I think it makes it that much easier.”

Andrew: What do you feel is clicking for you this season compared to Year 1?

Tyler: “I think the game has really slowed down. Just going from a different position, I think there’s a lot of other things that you have to think about when you’re playing. I think the less you think about, because you know what’s going on, you kind of know what your job is – and the less you gotta worry about other stuff that doesn’t really matter. Then it just allows you to play faster and instinctively.”

Andrew: What’s the biggest lesson learned from Coach Stoutland?

Tyler: “I would say, one, definitely be where your feet are. There’s a lot of other stuff that’s going on, so when you’re in the classroom or on the field and you’re just focused on that thing, you know, just concentrating on one play at a time, one task at a time, I think that’s definitely one big thing I’ve learned, for sure.”

Andrew: Would you consider yourself to be more vocal or more of a listener in terms of how you go about your business?

Tyler: “Definitely a listener. I still feel like I got a lot to learn, so I feel if I’m not knowledgeable in a lot of things, I shouldn’t be talking about it. So, I’d rather just listen to the knowledge and take it in, and once I feel like it’s at a point that I do have that knowledge, then I’ll probably be able to talk about it.”

Andrew: You mention that you still have a lot to learn. What’s your process been behind the scenes?

Tyler: “I think everybody does extra work at home, just as far as watching the film and kind of going over notes. I like looking more at players, more than scheme when I go home, and just kind of knowing what the matchup is gonna be. And I think the coaches and stuff do a great job of just kind of going over the scheme and stuff like that. So, they kind of give you an understanding of what the scheme is and how we wanna attack it. And then I think us as players do a good job of understanding what our matchups are how we want to set that matchup.”

Andrew: Now I understand you’re really strong at solving Sudokus?

Tyler: “I think it was like during COVID or something like that. I just got really into it. I like solving puzzles and stuff like that, just in general. So, Sudoku is like a puzzle to me. I just like figuring that out.”

Andrew: Do you work on them in your down time?

Tyler: “Oh, yeah.”

Andrew: I understand that your grandfather, and what he’s done for this country, really means a lot to you. Are you able to expand on that?

Tyler: “He fought in Vietnam. He was a Marine. So, there was a bunker with a whole bunch of wounded Marines in there. They were in the battle. And an enemy threw a grenade in that bunker. There was like 20 Marines in there, and once he saw that, he decided to really just jump on top of it – really just absorb that blow – and save the lives of everybody else in that bunker. Yeah, obviously super selfless and a hero. Pretty much. So, that’s pretty cool.”

Andrew: Wow. And how has that military background impact you?

Tyler: “I think it gave me the chance to compartmentalize everything. When you think something is really hard or challenging – or your situation is really bad – it can’t get no worse than that situation he was in. And just kind of knowing that, and sometimes looking back and thinking about that, it just kind of gives me the motivation to keep going.”

Andrew: I know that an off-field interest, if you weren’t playing football, would be that of a record producer. What influences that drive?

Tyler: “I don’t know. I’ve always been a fan of music, and different beats in particular, and so I feel like, even in my off-time, I feel like just kind of going into that world a little bit. And I think it’d fun and lucrative at the same time.”

Andrew: Do you make your own beats?

Tyler: “No, I don’t. But I wanna learn how to do it.”

Andrew: What kind of music sparks your interest?

Tyler: “Really, like hip-hop, R&B – a lot of R&B. I’ve been listening to a little bit of country, just a little bit. But yeah, those kind of genres.”

Andrew: What’s on your pre-game playlist?

Tyler: “I like old Lil’ Wayne. I like [Lil] Boosie. I listen to a little bit of Rick Ross. Just kind of old school stuff that kind of gets me going a little bit.”

Andrew: Now when you say old school Lil’ Wayne, you talking about ‘Tha Carter II?’

Tyler: “Yeah, yeah.”

Andrew: I love that album … “Money on My Mind”!

Tyler: [Laughs] “Yeah, for sure.”

Andrew: I saw you and Cam [Jurgens] working in tandem a lot in practice this week. How have you both gone about establishing that continuity?

Tyler: “I think Cam does a really good job, ’cause he played right guard last year, so he understands a lot of just kind of how you wanna fit things up and stuff like that. And I feel like each guy likes it a little differently, as far as just kind of how you’re working together. So, I think that communication goes a long way in executing your assignment.”

Andrew: What’s one thing you were striving to improve on this week?

Tyler: “Just really consistency. Trying to execute each and every play to the best of my ability. And really just executing at a higher level, more consistent level.”

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