NFC Notes: Brian Gutekunst, Kellen Moore, Nick Sirianni, Eagles, Packers, Saints

Eagles

Eagles HC Nick Sirianni said the team’s late-season collapse in 2023 set them up for a run at the title in 2024.

“I look back on last year and how last year ended and I’m grateful. As crazy as this sounds, I’m grateful for how last year ended because it shaped us to who we are today [with] the adversity of the beginning of the year and the adversity through the season, through injuries, through ups and downs, through everything,’‘ Sirianni said, via ESPN. “I think that when you embrace adversity, it does something to you, right? It does something to you personally, right? Each and every individual on that football team, the adversity does something to you, and it does something to you as a football team as well. So, our guys, I think that could be the biggest attribute. They worked their butts off to connect.’‘

Sirianni added that the team’s motto is “tough, dedicated, together” and they’ve stuck by that plan all season.

“We talked about that all year,” he said. “My job is not to inspire them. It’s just more to just remind them of the things they already know, and I keep it really short. I talk a lot all during the week so before the game, it pretty much is consistent. Week 1, Week 37, whatever, we’re on ‘tough, detailed, together.’ That’s our core value. That’s what we talk about. And the toughest team wins, usually the most detailed team wins, usually, the team the most together wins.”

• Sirianni on Kellen Moore potentially taking staff members with him to New Orleans: “I don’t let that happen, usually. But sometimes you can’t help it. Just like Frank said to me, ‘This is my staff, and you can’t have these guys.’ It’s hard to build the staff and have that continuity in there, but there are sometimes you can’t — like the Nick Rallis situation, he had the opportunity to go and be promoted, and that’s the way the rules are now. Every situation is a little different. But my general thought on that is, this is my and the Philadelphia Eagles’ staff.” (Zach Berman)

Packers

The Packers still believe their window to reach the Super Bowl is open and need to focus on adding players to their offensive and defensive line ahead of next season.

“Everything starts up front, whether it’s the O-line, D-line,” Packers DE Kingsley Enagbare said, via Matt Schneidman of The Athletic. “The trenches (are) pretty much the tone-setters for the team.”

Packers GM Brian Gutekunst may need to end up spending in free agency on a standout player such as Eagles DE Josh Sweat or trade some first-round picks for a superstar like Myles Garrett, Maxx Crosby, or Trey Hendrickson.

“When you trade a high pick for a veteran player, you’re trading a young, really good contract for a player who’s proven but is probably expensive,” Gutekunst mentioned. “I think you’ve got to weigh that. And if it’s the right player, if you feel like he can be a dynamic player who can change your football team, I think you’ve got to consider that because there’s not many of those guys out there. But I think you have to also understand what you’re giving up.”

Gutekunst also assessed the play of the team’s offensive line during the past season. 

“I thought our offensive line, particularly in pass pro, played really, really well all year for the most part, with the exception of a couple of games,” Gutekunst added. “Those big guys are hard to find, so that’s never something we’re not going to address. We’ve been pretty consistent (with) that in our time here. We very much believe that, with the exception of the quarterback, winning in the trenches is how we need to get it done. And so we’ve got some decisions to make as we move forward on the offensive line and as we go through that, there could be some shuffling around.”

Saints

• SI’s Albert Breer predicts that Saints HC Kellen Moore could look to bring Eagles QB coach Doug Nussmeier in as an offensive coordinator on his new staff.
• Mike Garafolo on Saints QB Derek Carr: “If he’s gone, I would expect interest from multiple teams out there. There’s not a lot of great options both in free agency and the draft. He’ll have interest.” (Ross Jackson)