Eagles drop from fourth to 22nd in NFLPA report card, but timing of poll could have affected grading

INDIANAPOLIS — The Eagles placed 22nd — down significantly from fourth just a year ago — in the NFLPA’s third annual player poll that was released Wednesday.

The results were surprising considering the success the team had on the field in winning its second Super Bowl. But the survey was conducted during training camp, before management addressed specific player concerns, and before the Eagles would have one of the best seasons in franchise history.

The organization did continue to fare poorly in three categories, however. It received low grades in team travel, locker room, and treatment of families, worse than it had the year before. The Eagles went from a C to an F in travel, a B- to a D+ in locker room, and a C to a C- in family treatment.

The Eagles did score well in terms of head coach Nick Sirianni (A-), food and dining (A-), training staff (B+), and owner Jeffrey Lurie (B), although grades were almost uniformly down across the board.

In terms of rankings out of 32 teams, the Eagles placed in the back half of the NFL in training room (19th), weight room (21st), strength coaches (28th), nutritionist/dietitian (28th), locker room (25th), treatment of families (27th), and travel (30th).

“There are many seemingly low-cost improvements the team could make that would quickly improve the players’ experience,” the NFLPA said about the Eagles. “Players identify three easy fixes: providing childcare on game days (like most NFL teams do), prioritizing first-class seating for players instead of coaches, and staggering lunch times to avoid overcrowding in the cafeteria.”

While the Eagles still don’t provide child care to players, they did upgrade travel with certain veterans and larger players flying in first class and they did address the long lines in the cafeteria after the poll was administered.

Several players, who requested anonymity, told The Inquirer the improvements still weren’t enough. A few others said the survey wasn’t an accurate reflection because of its timing, which came after last year’s collapse and before the regular season.

(It’s also important to note that last year’s poll was conducted before the Eagles lost six of their final seven games including playoffs.)

“Despite these concerns, players remain optimistic that things will improve,” the NFLPA said. “When asked what the team currently does best, players shared that team leadership listens to their feedback and prioritizes improvements.”

The locker room at the NovaCare Complex remains an issue, though. Built in 2001, the team facility was once state of the art. But expanding rosters have limited space throughout the building, particularly in the locker room, where players spend a lot of their time.

“The other recurring issue is a lack of space, with players noting that nearly every facility category felt too small or lacked enough space,” the NFLPA said.

A closer look at the survey suggests that the locker room grade wasn’t reflective of how the majority felt about space. Seventy-three percent of players felt they had enough room in their individual stalls and 57% thought the locker room size was adequate.

The room could use a renovation with stalls that convert to sleeping spaces and outlets for charging electronics, two players said. The Eagles share some of NovaCare with the Rothman Institute. One player said that Rothman’s contract was supposed to be up in December and that players were told renovations would begin afterward.

“But that has been pushed back,” the player said, “and it’s kind of been the same story over and over.”

The survey was conducted leaguewide from Aug. 26 to Nov. 20. According to the NFLPA, 1,695 players responded for an average of 53 per team. The Eagles had 59 respondents, according to the union.

The team declined to comment on the poll.

The Eagles weren’t the only team to receive a failing grade in travel. The New England Patriots also got an F and the Bills got an F-. According to the survey, 43% of Eagles players believe they have a comfortable amount of personal space on team flights, ranking them 30th.

Their main sticking point: “Players feel they should get first-class seats on team flights instead of the coaching staff.”

As far as treatment of families, the Eagles are one of only three teams that don’t offer day care during home games, according to the NFLPA. They do provide a family room. Players rate the postgame family area an average of 7.67 out of 10, ranking the Eagles 14th.

They feel that the franchise organizes family events a couple of times per year, which ranks 28th.

The Eagles performed better when it came to people. Sirianni, according to 93% of the players, was efficient with their time and was “moderately” receptive to locker room feedback on the team’s needs. But his high mark before the season indicated his standing despite last year’s ending.

The training staff finished ninth with a B+, while the strength staff was given a B, which ranked 28th. The Eagles received average marks in weight room (B), nutritionist/dietitian (B-), and training room (B-).

The Eagles ranked seventh in food/dining area with the cafeteria staff receiving high marks in food taste (an average of 9 out of 10) and freshness (9.22 out of 10). As for the dining area, while players expressed frustration with limited seating because of overlap with the organization’s business staff, staggered meal times were put in place after the poll.

Lurie’s grade dropped from last year’s A to a B, but he still received high marks for his willingness to invest in facilities (an average of 8.53 out of 10), and for being “extremely” committed to building a competitive team, which ranked 11th in the league.