NFC Notes: Ryan Kerrigan, Eagles, Washington

Eagles

Eagles C Jason Kelce spoke about last season’s 4-11-1 finish and mentioned that everybody shares some of the blame for their poor performance including Carson Wentz. 

“I don’t want to speak for Carson, obviously, (but) first of all, the year was terrible and I think that when you have that bad of a season, unfortunately, there’s going to be people that start to point the finger and that’s something you deal with in any losing season,” Kelce said. “‘I think that the reality is if you go (4-11-1) everybody shares some of this blame, everybody screwed up.”

Kelce reiterated that Wentz’s tenure in Philadelphia finished less than ideal.

“You learn a lot about guys when seasons start going down,” Kelce said. “You learn a lot about guys in tough times. I still love Carson, I’ve got a lot of respect for him. Obviously, the way this thing ended (was) not ideal, but I think he’s actually going to do pretty well in Indianapolis.”

Kelce gave a vote of confidence in Eagles QB Jalen Hurts now that the team parted ways with Wentz earlier this offseason. 

“I think most of the guys still really appreciate him, and love Carson Wentz as a teammate and as a quarterback,” Kelce said. “But we also love Jalen Hurts.”

Kelce mentioned that the Eagles could easily win the NFC East. However, they can also be in a “transition period” next season. 

“The bottom line is we can be competitive, win games, we can win this division. …And we can also be in a transition period,” said Kelce, via Zach Berman. 

Ryan Kerrigan

Eagles’ new LB Ryan Kerrigan said he wanted to sign with Philadelphia based on their defensive scheme under new DC Jonathan Gannon. 

“I just felt like this was the scheme defensively that I fit in the best of the teams that I was looking at,” Kerrigan said, via Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia. “And Coach (Jonathan) Gannon I think is a really bright young mind as a defensive coordinator and he’s a guy that I feel like I’m going to be able to learn a lot of ball from. I know he’s going to put myself and all the other guys in positions that we can be successful.”

Kerrigan mentioned that Eagles’ veterans like DT Fletcher Cox and DE Brandon Graham reached out to him quickly after signing. 

“I’m fired up,” Kerrigan said. “I’ve been talking to Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham a good amount. They were really gracious and reached out to me, even when I was just visiting the team and were encouraging me to come on board. That really meant a lot. That was honestly one of the big factors in coming to Philly, along with the defensive scheme, was just guys reaching out. The coaches were reaching out constantly and that really felt good. I really feel wanted there and I’m happy to be a part of it.”

Kerrigan, 32, feels like he has time left in his career and has something to prove this season. 

“I definitely feel like I still have something to bring,” Kerrigan said. “I’m excited to be able to prove that this fall. I’m really looking forward to getting to Philadelphia, getting to work with the guys and hopefully making a lot of fans happy this fall.”

Washington

• Ben Standig says that Washington explored trade options for T Geron Christian prior to him being waived but the team was unable to find a deal that worked out.
• Standig adds that Christian could end up with several options in free agency if he goes unclaimed on waivers.