NEW ORLEANS -- A top focus of the week's media coverage is, understandably, Saquon Barkley.
Barkley, however, would be the first individual to redirect the attention toward the men tasked with clearing lanes for him. This response isn't misguided, either. While Barkley has compiled a legendary season in 2024, he knows the Eagles' offensive line has made it possible.
It helps that Barkley is the consummate teammate.
"He's such a good guy," offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland said of Barkley on Wednesday. "He's such a humble guy and ... it's never about him. So if I'm blocking for that, I'm going the extra mile -- always."
Between their last Super Bowl appearance and this one, this Eagles unit has undergone a number of changes. Jason Kelce retired, requiring Kelce's preferred replacement for him, Nebraska product Cam Jurgens, to move from guard to his original position of center. That left a void at guard, which general manager Howie Roseman filled by signing former first-round pick Mekhi Becton, who has thrived in his new position.
Swapping two-fifths of a starting five might lead to a decline in performance, but not for these Eagles. Every member of the line (as well as the reserves) will point to one man for credit: Stoutland.
Stoutland's importance to the Eagles has been chronicled plenty over the years. Kelce often quickly pointed to the coach when asked how he grew from a sixth-round pick out of Cincinnati into a six-time All-Pro and future Pro Football Hall of Famer. In the year since Kelce's retirement, Stoutland's impact continues to resonate throughout the group -- perhaps more than ever, given the changes they've experienced.
Coaches like Stoutland -- assistants who consistently guide players toward elite performance, yet remain in their position instead of climbing to more prominent roles -- are one in a million. They also typically come with their own unique flavor.
Jordan Mailata described Stoutland much like he'd describe his own father: a man who operates with tough love.
"The person and the coach that he is, the passion and care that he has for a player -- and not even just for me, just for everyone in that room -- is probably what sets him apart," Mailata said Tuesday. "He cares. His biggest fear is when we're not prepared as players. So I think he uses that as motivation to be the best coach that he can be.
"When a player can see that a coach cares, like he truly cares and he's not afraid to tell you how bad you are, you have to be willing to accept that coaching because it's coming from a place of love. He grew up with tough love and that's how he coaches. I grew up with tough love so that's probably why I was able to transition the way I did because that's just how my dad was. When you see that love being physically portrayed through his actions, through his words, the player will go 1,000 miles for him."
Stoutland's demeanor is old school, but he's not stuck in his ways. Just ask tackle Lane Johnson, who has spent his entire career under Stoutland's direction.
"He's been consistent. He hasn't changed a whole lot," Johnson said Tuesday. "He's very passionate about what he does. He's very educated on the psychology of things. He's big into how people learn. Some people are more visual learners than sitting in the classroom, so sometimes we may accomplish more in a 30-minute walkthrough than we may in a two-hour meeting. So he understands that.
"He understands how to get people motivated. Some people, you have to jab them a lot. Some people you don't have to say much. With that and his football knowledge and how he's able to apply it, I think he gets the best out of people."
This kind of willingness to adapt on a per-player basis is what has allowed the Eagles to adopt a versatile offense that can hit opponents from a number of directions. They don't own a rushing attack that leans into just one style of attack on the ground, and when paired with Barkley, they've presented a nightmare scenario for most defenses.
They've also become a haven for players to develop into their best selves. Just ask Becton, a lauded prospect who flopped with the Jets before finding new life -- and a new role -- in Philadelphia.
"It's a totally different position," Becton explained Wednesday. "It happens a lot faster. You've got to be more technical, even though tackle is more spacious, you gotta be more technical at guard with your hands and your feet."
Becton found the perfect place in Philadelphia to make such a transition largely because the Eagles are built on continuity. Stoutland has manned his role since 2013, the same year Johnson became an Eagle. With two stalwarts surrounding Becton both on the practice field and during live action, he couldn't be in a better spot to learn his new position and hit the ground running.
"This isn't a snapshot; This is a motion picture," Stoutland said. "This goes on and on and on and on. So the more repetitions you get, the better you get at something. I say, 'I fear not the man who practices 10,000 kicks once, but I do fear the man who practices one kick 10,000 times.' That's Bruce Lee. And that is the epitome of an offensive lineman developing. Repetition, repetition, repetition with the same technique.
"Now if I change the coach every year and he's teaching a different technique, how am I going to be able to get to those 10,000 kicks? I think that's helped me, us, the organization."
Becton admitted it took him roughly one week to fully adjust to the new position. Johnson has had a front-row seat for Becton's growth over the 2024 season, and realized after Philadelphia defeated Green Bay in Brazil to open the season it was going to work out, walking away with one message: "OK, let's get rocking."
"It's more challenging in some aspects of the run game because he's going against guys that are anywhere from -- I feel like I've seen some 5-11, 5-10 defensive tackles out there up to 6-7 -- you're naturally outleveraged," Johnson elaborated. "But his length, he's extremely long for a (guard) and putting that in a smaller space, he makes passing off games easier for me. And he's developing in the run game so he's just putting all of that (together). There's a reason why he was drafted where he was, you know?"
Becton expressed gratitude for the opportunity with the Eagles, which came via a one-year contract that amounted to a prove-it deal. He's proven enough to attract new attention entering 2025, but before he contemplates his future, he has one more game to play.
He'll line up next to Johnson and Jurgens, two players at vastly different stages in their careers. Jurgens took over for Kelce in 2024, returning to the position at which he thrived during his time at Nebraska, where he produced enough quality tape to draw the eye of Kelce, who recommended him to the Eagles' front office during their preparation for the 2022 NFL Draft. The leadership group listened, selecting Jurgens with the intent to get him on the field as a guard and follow a long-term path back to center once Kelce walked away.
Those plans were put into motion in 2024, the perfect time for Jurgens to prove himself as an adaptable player within one of the NFL's best blocking units.
"The room, people come and go. That's life in the NFL," Jurgens said Wednesday. "That's what's going to happen. But the standard in the room is never going to change."
It hasn't changed and remains a significant reason why the Eagles are back in the Super Bowl, even after the departure of their leader in Kelce. With Johnson, Becton, Jurgens, Mailata and guard Landon Dickerson -- whom Stoutland described as "a bulldog" -- Philadelphia boasts a tremendous group that has allowed Barkley to realize his full potential.
They'll take the field at Caesars Superdome with one goal: Bring home a Lombardi Trophy. And while the football world will focus on the thrills produced by Barkley, those who understand the Eagles' offensive partnership will know it began -- and could end -- with the men up front and their hard-nosed coach.
