Ryan Day a Chip QB coach unlike others

RYAN DAY is the third quarterbacks coach in three Eagles offseasons for Chip Kelly, but Day offers something neither Bill Lazor nor Bill Musgrave brought to the table.

"I've played for coach Kelly. I've played quarterback for coach Kelly, and I've played in this offense before," said Day, a starter at QB for three seasons at New Hampshire when Kelly was the offensive coordinator there. "I'm able to share a little bit of some of my experiences with [Eagles QBs]."

The Eagles gave reporters a rare (NFL-mandated) chance to talk to position coaches yesterday, and Day, who will supervise Sam Bradford's return to the NFL after back-to-back ACL tears, was among the primary attractions.

Lazor runs the Dolphins' offense now and Musgrave coordinates the Raiders' attack. In Day, 35, Kelly might have found a guy who will stick around; unlike Lazor and Musgrave, Day has a deep Kelly connection.

When Day quarterbacked for Kelly, graduating in 2002, the Eagles' coach was in the midst of a 13-year stretch as an offensive assistant at his alma mater. Did Day foresee Kelly becoming a top college head coach at Oregon, then jumping to the NFL four years later?

"I thought anything was possible with coach, I always did," Day said. "What he did, the minute he became an offensive coordinator, started running his offense, was amazing. From the beginning, there was just electricity about what he was doing."

Thirteen years in a row at New Hampshire, though, in what was Kelly's second stint there? Coaching genius tends to be more restless than that.

"Coach Kelly is a loyal person. He's been really loyal to me. If you're loyal to him, he is super loyal to you," Day said. "He's helped me in my career more than anyone else in football."

Day said 2015 Kelly isn't different from 2001 Kelly "at all," though the offense has been buffed and tweaked.

Day downplayed the difficulties Bradford might face, getting a late start in learning a new offense. Bradford did a little seven-on-seven throwing Tuesday, but doesn't seem close to being able to take a full complement of practice reps. Day said Bradford positions himself behind the QBs and watches intently.

"He's doing a lot of work in the building, watching film, he's doing a great job in the meeting room," Day said. "And he's a guy who's been in the fire before, so he's got some experience to draw upon."

Offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland said he hasn't spoken with left guard Evan Mathis, who is sitting out optional OTAs over dissatisfaction with his contract. Stoutland said different players are working at the two guard positions. Allen Barbre is expected to replace Todd Herremans on the right side, assuming Mathis returns.

Stoutland said he wasn't dismayed when the Eagles came out of the draft without an o-lineman, for the second year in a row.

"There were other needs. We all understand that. That's the greatest part about being here as a staff together, and Chip putting [the coaches and scouts] together the way he did, there's none of that," Stoutland said. "We're all in it together. Whatever the decisions are that are being made, they're for the right reasons."

The Eagles will start training camp at NovaCare on Aug. 2. There will be two public practices at Lincoln Financial Field, Aug. 4 and Aug. 9 . . . The team finalized its scouting staff, announcing Marty Barrett, formerly of the Bears, as a senior scout, moving assistant director of college scouting Mike Bradway to Southwest area scout, giving Bradway's former position to ex-West Coast scout Trey Brown, and making pro scout Louis Clark the senior director of pro personnel . . . Outside linebackers coach Bill McGovern praised 2014 first-round pick Marcus Smith for adding muscle in the offseason, but McGovern acknowledged that he has not been able to work with Smith yet because of a groin pull.

Blog: ph.ly/Eagletarian