Eagles’ Nick Sirianni Happy with ‘Deep’ RB Room, Quez Watkins’ Improvement
PHILADELPHIA – The odds aren’t in their favor for landing a pair of useful parts that would only make a Philadelphia Eagles roster stronger than it already projects to be, and that’s rare, because the Eagles are usually in play for anybody and everybody, or so it seems.
In the case of running back Dalvin Cook, who reportedly will be released by the Minnesota Vikings, and receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who the Arizona Cardinals cut on May 26, Philly is way down the list of teams who could sign either one.
Per www.BetOnline.ag, Cook is an 18-1 choice to join the Eagles. Hopkins is 25-1.
In other words, both players are long shots.
Head coach Nick Sirianni addressed his running back room on Thursday, as well as Hopkins specifically, during his final press conference before the team reconvenes on July 25.
Ironically, it’s probably Hopkins who makes more sense than Cook.
Sirianni begged to differ. He threw a big bouquet of praise at Quez Watkins when talking about the player who impressed him most this spring.
“We know he has a lot of talent, and I'm excited about that,” Sirianni said. “I really like the way he's gone about his business because he can't control anything but what he can control, and he can't control what other people think about him. He can't control anything like that.
“Can't control things that may have happened to him last year, the opportunities that he got last year or did not get. All he can control is how he works, and I've really been excited about how he's gone about his business.”
Quarterback Jalen Hurts piled on with his own praise.
“Quez has been doing a really good job,” he said. “He’s been playing a number of different positions and he’s been doing a really good job at them. Quez is a guy that I came in with, I worked out with before we both got drafted here.
“We tore it up on the scout team our rookie year and I have all the trust in him. He’s hungry and he’s used everything as fuel and I’m glad he’s taken that approach and I’m excited to see the show he puts on this year.”
As for Cook, the Eagles have already added two heavy hitters to the running back group in Rashaad Penny and D’Andre Swift. They join holdovers Boston Scott, Kenny Gainwell, Trey Sermon, and Kennedy Brooks.
It’s a room that Sirianni is extremely happy with.
“Man, we have a really deep room there,” he said. “You're excited about the competition that we're going to have there. Backs get a little bit more chance to shine when the pads come on.
"Now, they're still out there doing some things, and Kenny and D'Andre have done a really nice job in the receiving area, and so has Boston. They all have. But really Kenny and D'Andre have really done a nice job there.
“Some of those competitions sort itself out when they get the pads on, especially at that position. But man, we're deep there. It's a good problem to have as a coach. It's just a really good problem.
"We're really deep at that spot. It's going to be great battles to who makes this football team, and they're all going to be able to contribute in some sort of way.”
Ed Kracz covers the Philadelphia Eagles for SI's EaglesToday.
Please follow him and our Eagles coverage on Twitter at @kracze.
Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Philadelphia Eagles? Click Here.
Want even more Philadelphia Eagles news? Check out the SI.com team page here
