DeMeco Ryans: 'I Should Be Full Go During Training Camp'
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) --- The guy Chip Kelly called "Mufasa" is healing like a lion.
Eagles insider linebacker DeMeco Ryans suffered a torn Achilles halfway through last season, his second career Achilles tear. However, Ryans says he'll be ready for Training Camp.
"Everything is right on schedule, haven't had any setbacks or anything," Ryans told Michael Barkann and Ike Reese on the 94WIP Mike & Ike Show Friday. "So, I'm really encouraged by the progress I've made and I'm looking forward to getting back out there with the guys. I should be, I think I should be full go during Training Camp. We'll see how it goes over the Summer to try to ease into some drills and things over the summer, but definitely during Training Camp I should be full go."
Listen: DeMeco Ryans on the 94WIP Mike & Ike Show
As for his team, they're heading into year three under Chip Kelly the coach. Kelly has 20 wins in two seasons, but zero where it counts---the postseason.
Ryans, who recently signed a one-year extension, thinks his team is poised to take that next step.
"Yeah I think we do have the talent," Ryans said, when asked if the Eagles have the talent to win a playoff game. "I think it all starts on the defensive side of the ball with us upgrading on the defense. If we can get out there and stop some people and stop giving up the big plays, then we will have a chance to be in every game that we play. I feel like our offense, with the scheme that we run and the play-makers that we have, we should be able to put points up."
This winter, during his first offseason as GM, Kelly went bananas. He controversially traded LeSean McCoy and Nick Foles. He tried, but failed, to sign Jeremy Maclin. And he released aging fan-favorites Trent Cole and Todd Herremans.
However, he signed the NFL's reigning rushing champion DeMarco Murray and former first-round pick Ryan Mathews to replace McCoy. He acquired promising young linebacker Kiko Alonso in the McCoy trade and injury-riddled former No. 1 overall pick Sam Bradford in the Foles deal. And he upgraded the secondary by bringing in the consensus top corner in the market, Byron Maxwell.
"So, all those things were definitely surprising to me just like they were to everyone else out there," Ryans admitted. "Even though, I understand as a player that change and turnover is gonna happen and it happens every year. I haven't been around a place where we had this much turnover from so many starters or key players on our team and I think that was the biggest shocker of it. But, you understand, I feel like we got some good players.
"We've got good players around us, so I don't see there being much of a drop off. I feel like we added a bunch of key players, a bunch of depth."
