Could Eagles' Nick Sirianni Have Handled Jalen Carter Conditioning Questions Better?

Philadelphia Eagles coach Nick Sirianni spent too much time in the weeds before proclaiming he wasn't concerned with any Jalen Carter conditioning issues.

PHILADELPHIA - When it came to rookie defensive tackle Jalen Carter on Friday, Philadelphia Eagles coach Nick Sirianni finished where he should have started.

“None,” is where Sirianni left it when pressed on his level of concern with Carter’s conditioning.

The uber-talented Carter’s story is well known by now. Arguably the top prospect in the draft, Carter slid to No. 9 overall on a targeted trade-up by the Eagles due to off-the-field concerns.

Legal issues tied to allegations he was racing against another car that would up in a wreck that tragically killed two, including former Georgia teammate Devon Willock, were cleared up with a plea bargain to two misdemeanors.

Carter was ultimately placed on probation for a year, charged a $1,000 fine, a pittance compared to the four-year, $21.8 million fully guaranteed deal he got from the Eagles on the eve of rookie camp Thursday, and given 80 hours of community service.

Perhaps stressed from the legal issues Carter showed up out of shape and 10 pounds heavier than expected at Georgia’s pro day earlier this spring and was unable to finish some of the drills.

To those who asked Georgia coach Kirby Smart was honest about Carter, according to an NFL source, obviously raving about the talent level but noting there were some maturity issues with the 22-year-old that need to be cleaned up.

Ultimately, Sirianni tried to note no one is in football shape on May 5.

“We didn’t do gassers or anything like that,” the coach noted. “I could tell you that I know exactly how somebody's conditioning is after that. I know none of them are in good enough shape to go out there and have a full practice.

“That's why practice was cut down today.”

Olympic track star and fledgling receiver Devon Allen, who was allowed to participate as a first-year player, would probably take exception to that. The former Oregon receiver is fresh off winning the 110m hurdles at the Penn Relays back on April 29 and is essentially never out of shape.

Devon Allen WINS the 110m Hurdles at Penn Relays!@DevonAllen13 pic.twitter.com/vyi0mzmzUK

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) April 29, 2023

Sirianni, though, got in the weeds on seven-on-seven drills, something that would never relate to Carter anyway as a passing drill that only involves the back seven on defense, not DTs like the former Georgia star.

“He didn't do seven-on-seven today, but we did, but I made those guys take a minute in between seven-on-seven reps,” the coach said. “if we would have had a 40-second clock out there, we would have had a penalty every single time because I know none of them are ready to practice the exact intensity that we are used to practicing in.”

When Sirianni was better focused on Carter, he essentially laid out the expectations.

“We obviously went over our rules, our team rules,” Sirianni said. “And one of those team rules is, be on time, and another one of those rules is, be the weight you’re supposed to be and those are non-negotiable for me. [The players] know that and we’ll just keep that standard as we go.”

Ostensibly, Carter carries the listed 314 pounds on his 6-foot-4 frame well but there is a big difference between cosmetic shape and NFL-level conditioning.

For now, Carter and the 43 other players at rookie camp on Friday deserve the benefit of the doubt.

The old adage of trust but verify applies.

“I sense that he wants to be the best pro he can be,” Sirianni said. “... We will get him to what he’s supposed to play at, and I have no doubt in my mind he’ll do whatever he needs to do to be the player he needs to be.”

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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