Another Eagles fan favorite is taking a rookie under his wing

If we didn't learn anything else from last season, we were again reminded that more is needed than a solid roster to get your team over the hump. Culture is a huge part of things. Seriously, just think back to the final leg of the race. It was the off-field stuff that really hurt the Philadelphia Eagles.

It had gotten to a point where, seemingly every week, we asked questions about the team's culture and chemistry. You remember most of them, right?

Is A.J. Brown happy? Is he a good teammate? Does this team still respect Nick Sirianni? What happened with the defensive play-caller switch? Most of those questions never came from the team and coaches. As is often the case, fans caused much of the controversy and stirred the pot.

Time heals wounds, most of them anyway. An exciting offseason has reinvigorated everyone, but again, it doesn't matter who the players are if there's no locker-room chemistry.

Rest easy friends? It appears that things might be all good on that front.

Another Eagles veteran is taking another rookie under his wing.

Part of what made the 2017 Eagles so special was the knowledge that they genuinely cared about one another. That seemed to be lacking last season. Heck, guys were giving Sean Desai the silent treatment, and we heard rumors of everything from dysfunction to jealousy. Most of what we hear in Eagles-centered circles these days seems to be positive though.

Darius Slay has already accepted the role of mentor to Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. Dylan McMahon informed us that Jason Kelce offered the rookie his phone number. Now C.J. Gardner-Johnson has gotten in on the act.

He and undrafted rookie Andre Sam have developed a bond. They were also recently seen working out together.

We're starting to feel good about what we're seeing. After watching last season end with a thud, we needed some positivity. The vibe seems to be great around this current team, and that has placed a smile on most of our faces.

Sam is talented. He spent his final NCAA season at LSU with the Tigers. He stacked 85 tackles, three pass breakups, and three interceptions. In 2022, as a member of the Sun Belt's Marshall Thundering Herd, he collected 53 tackles, seven pass breakups, and another pick.

Sure, it takes more than strong inner bonds to win football games, but as mentioned, teams can't simply win only because of talent. This team is stocked with great players. We're far from seeing how things play out, but we're off to a good start this offseason. We're continuing to fall deeper in love with this Eagles team.

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