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Inside Eagles Coach Nick Sirianni's Attempt to Prop Up WR Quez Watkins

Philadelphia Eagles coach Nick Sirianni seems to be trying to rebuild his speedy receiver's confidence.
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PHILADELPHIA – The stage was set for receiver Quez Watkins on Thursday before the Philadelphia Eagles’ final OTA practice of the spring.

Watkins' fiercely loyal coach Nick Sirianni went out of the way to jump on the sword for the speedy fourth-year receiver before practice and the Eagles' star quarterback Jalen Hurts lofted a beautiful timing pass for Watkins, who had shaken loose on a wheel route, in an effort to put the punctuation on the sentiment.

First, the precursor.

Although he often no-sells criticism in perhaps the most passional football market in America, Sirianni is very cognizant of any barbs thrown at his Eagles.

The latest example of that also came Thursday when SI.com’s Eagles Today asked the coach about the team’s well-documented obsession with situational football.

About midway through his answer, Sirianni turned to Eagles’ P.R. chief Bob Lange with a bit of a rhetorical question: “What did I say in my opening press conference that everybody would make fun of? I want a smart team.

“That was really funny, everyone was making fun of it, but we’re a smart football team. I guess I was on to something there.”

Nearly 30 months after being hired and long after putting a failed first impression behind him with two consecutive postseason appearances and a Super Bowl berth, Sirianni still uses it as fuel and a motivational tool for his players and staff.

Enter Watkins, who quickly went from overachiever as a sixth-round pick in 2020 when the Eagles carpet-bombed the receiver position in the form of Jalen Reagor, John Hightower, and Watkins to pariah after taking “a step back” last season while trying to keep pace with two stars in his own room in A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith.

Asked about players standing out this spring, Sirianni turned pit bull against those attacking one of his own.

“I have no problem singling one guy out that I think has just done a phenomenal job this off-season is Quez Watkins,” the coach said. “I love his attitude, and I've said this to him, and I have no problem saying it here, some people around here, and it's not in this building, we have a ton of confidence in Quez Watkins, but I kind of sense from him -- he's never said this, but oh, some people think I stink?

“Wait. Wait. That's how he's attacked every day. That's how he's attacked practices, and I think that he looks really good.”

Pointing out Watkins needs to tighten things up after a fumble against Washington last season or that he didn’t fight for 50/50 balls hard enough against Dallas and there was a play to be made in the Super Bowl that was left on the field by the Southern Miss. product is hardly a long-winded synonym for “stink.”

That said, there is a method to Sirianni’s madness.

No one knows that Watkins took a step back better than the coach who once played the position himself but Sirianni also knows if he can rebuild the confidence of Watkins he might really have something because of all the attention Brown and Smith receive on a play-to-play basis.

“We know he has a lot of talent, and I'm excited about that,” Sirianni said of Watkins. “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.”

Back to practice as Hurts, brimming with the confidence only $255 million could provide, lofted a beautiful ball in a position only Watkins could catch it.

Watkins had done an admirable job creating separation but was late getting his head turned around and had trouble tracking the football inside the NovaCare Complex bubble before it glanced off his two hands.

It would have been a difficult catch but one usually made by top-tier receivers.

Hurts, who arrived in the same draft class with Watkins, remains a fan, however.

"Quez is a guy that I came in with. I worked out with him before we both got drafted here,” Hurts said. “We tore it up on the scout team our rookie year. I have all the trust in him, and he's hungry. He's hungry, and he's used everything as fuel, and I'm glad he's taken that approach. I'm excited to see the show he puts on this year."

Instead of the period Sirianni and the Eagles were hoping for, the spring was an ellipsis for Watkins.

… To be continued.


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-John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's Eagles Today and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Media. You can listen to John, alongside legendary sports-talk host Jody McDonald every morning from 8-10 on ‘Birds 365,” streaming live on YouTube. John is also the host of his own show "Football 24/7 and a daily contributor to ESPN South Jersey. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen