Eagles Begin To Take Advantage Of New Helmet Cam
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Blake Countess had a new toy on his helmet. The rookie defensive back is hoping it will bring a new meaning to what a bird's eye view is all about.
The Eagles unveiled a new "helmet cam" on Wednesday as rookies and selected veterans went through another morning workout. The new device will give the player a different perspective when reviewing video to correct mistakes. For Countess, the helmet video give him a chance to literally have a new look at how he performs on the practice field.
"Eye progressions," said Countess. "Just seeing where I'm looking at and being more disciplined with my eyes. Throughout the play if your eyes are bad, you're probably going to get beat, especially as a defensive back."
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Head Coach Doug Pederson has seen the helmet cam in action before as an assistant in Kansas City. He talked about the advantages of the helmet view and believes it will help the players that use it to progress in training camp.
"Those are great devices to have," said Pederson. "We used them in the Kansas City with the quarterbacks. We've had them on their helmets before. It gives you an opportunity to kind of see from the players' vantage point where they're looking, where their eyes are. Are they in the right direction? Are they on the right reads? Defensively, are in the right spots? You can evaluate and help correct the player."
Countess is a sixth-round pick who is hoping to become a versatile performer for the Eagles. As Countess continues to battle for time in both the secondary and on special teams, he was happy become the first Eagle to test the helmet cam during practice.
"It was just me," said Countess. "But they said there were going to start doing it with receivers and quarterbacks. Mostly for the skills positions. They told me yesterday. I think it was just coaches' choice. They wanted to start with a defensive back."
The NFL continues to enhance technology for its players and coaches. The helmet cam could become a staple in non-contact workouts across the league. Pederson is more than happy to add the new view to his film session if it will help his team when the season gets underway.
"We just had two angles," Pederson said. "Now, you can get all the way down to eye level. With all the 3D and the high definition and the cameras for 7-on-7s, you can put right over the football and you can see a panoramic view has really changed how you can study defenses and study tape. The thing is, too, with technology, if it helps you win football games, I'm all for it."