Gone are the Gatorade bottles after practice, replaced by custom-blended smoothies for each player, Greek yogurt and granola-protein bars.
Under former head coach Andy Reid, the only sounds that rose above the sounds of South Philadelphia traffic was the air horn signifying a drill change, or a coach barking commands at the players. Now, blaring hip-hop music envelops the practice field and players wear heart monitors under their uniforms to measure their output.
It's safe to say that head coach Chip Kelly has orchestrated a sea change when it comes to the culture of this team and the way it conducts business.
"Love it," Brent Celek said of the music, after practice. "Makes it fun. When you're not out on the field doing actual plays, it just keeps you going, keeps you interested in what's going on out there. You've got some background music. It's like sitting in a nice restaurant, and you have background music when you're not talking to the person sitting next to you."
"From a communications standpoint, it's going to change the league. I'm not going to tell you guys how, but it will," He said. "It's something that I never even thought was possible in the NFL. Seeing the stuff he's doing, he has a reason why he does everything that he does and a reason why each play is called what it is. And it all makes sense."
The Eagles wrap up their pre-draft minicamp Thursday, and it's safe to say that as the offseason program continues towards training camp and eventually the regular season, there is a new business as usual for this team.
"It's great to have a new start, a fresh start," defensive end Trent Cole said. "I feel like I'm in my rookie year being here right now. And it's fun. I'm having a good time here. It's change in Philly, that's what it is. It's the new Eagles here. It's a new era here. I think some of the guys, we're not scared of change. I think a lot of people want change and we've got it and we're having a great time right now."
Matt Lombardo is also an on-air personality on 97.5 FM The Fanatic in Philadelphia. Join the conversation and follow Matt on Twitter.
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