Eagles Michael Clay Tries To Keep Rookie's Confidence High

The Eagles high draft choice has yet to play much on defense, but is getting baptism under fire in his new role.

Eagles DB Cooper DeJean / Ed Kracz/Eagles on SI

Cooper DeJean has played eight snaps on defense in four games.

Vic Fangio keeps saying the rookie pick, who the Eagles traded up 10 spots to select the defensive back 40th overall in the draft, but when that will be is not known. Maybe coming out of the bye week when the Eagles host the Cleveland Browns on Oct. 13 will DeJean be ready to play defense after missing three weeks of training camp.

His introduction to the NFL has come on special teams, where he has played 77 percent of his snaps and has already made an impact, but not in a good way. He muffed a critical punt in the Eagles’ loss to the Buccaneers, though it didn’t appear to be his fault. Teammate Isaiah Rodgers blocked the Tampa gunner into him.

Still, the turnover set Tampa up at the Eagles’ 22 and they cashed the mistake into a touchdown and a 21-0 lead early in the second quarter. DeJean took accountability for it.

“I gotta be more decisive in that situation,” he said. “Wave for the fair catch earlier, just to let those guys know. That way, something like that doesn’t happen, and we’re not turning the ball over in that situation.”

DeJean will still be the punt returner coming out of the bye because Britain Covey is out for another month or so. Covey is one of the best in the league at doing it, but one has to wonder if he wouldn’t have muffed that punt, too, after Rodgers’ foul.

“It’s a little frustrating,” said DeJean. “I’m more frustrated at myself more than anything. Just making those decisions earlier, calling for fair catch earlier. Just so those guys know I’m gonna fair catch and not return it, so they can stop blocking and get out of the way, so something like that doesn’t happen.”

That wasn’t the only mistake caused by the punt return team. Kelee Ringo plowed into DeJean on another punt later in the game. The ball didn’t hit either player, though, and the Eagles were able to keep possession.

After that one, special teams coach Michael Clay was spotted on the sideline talking to his young returner. Clay revealed the details of the conversation.

Eagles special team coach Michael Clay / Ed Kracz/Eagles on SI

“You always wanna discuss the player's health out there,” he said. “You take a shot - Kelee is no small cat. To take a shot, head up, one, you want to make sure he's okay, more than anything else, then you just to give him the sense of confidence. We need you back out there. That's on me with the communication towards him and to Kelee. That's on me. Don't think about that. Wash it. Go into the half and come back and clean it up.”

Clay liked the way DeJean responded.

“He never batted an eye,” said the ST coach. “He was ready to go back out there. He didn't have the opportunity. He had the fair catch because the ball went 37 yards, but it is one of the things I learned as a coach throughout the years is there is no point in snowballing by yelling or something like that.

“You got to get these guys controlled, get their confidence back up, know we got faith in them, so they're able to go and put a positive foot forward.”

Clay reiterated his in-game message after the 33-16 loss was in the books when the two met up in the postgame locker room.

“You are just trying to give him the comfort and the support,” he said. “Going out there first game, rookie, like I said, there will be some growing pains, but we can't have that happen regardless. Just to keep his confidence up.

“You never want a guy back that second-guessing himself or second-guessing what we're trying to do. Just confidence building. Going into the bye week, get his body right, come back kind of a new season, one-game season, go after it, and try to have another opportunity to build upon what happened in Tampa Bay in a positive light.”

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