Inside the Eagles: Eagles coach Reid seems more accommodating with media

Andy Reid laid the board on the fulcrum and told the reporter to hop on.

The inside of Reid's office looks more like a personal gym than the workplace of an NFL head coach these days. He's as thin as he's been in many years.

There's the ever-present elliptical machine, but this one is new and looks like it could lift Reid through the NovaCare Complex ceiling. There's a large fitness ball, a simulated dumbbell machine and a small pad that the Eagles coach stands on with one foot - Karate Kid-style - to balance himself.

And there's a thin plank of wood that Reid has situated against the windows that overlook the Eagles practice fields. Reid, typically amiable and insightful in this setting but even more so this day, invited two reporters to balance on his fitness board.

Meet the new boss, gentler and kinder than the old boss. And Reid is the boss. Eight hours later, he was sitting in a NovaCare conference room with the rest of the Eagles front office to discuss the end of Joe Banner's 18-year reign as team president.

Whether Reid muscled Banner out or not, there is no longer any murkiness over who wields more power. But what is less clear is whether the front-office shake-up has pushed the clock forward on Reid's tenure here or given him even more time.

If he wins the Eagles their first Super Bowl this season it won't matter. But odds are he won't - and what happens then?

One thing is certain: Reid has been different this offseason. His answers still aren't illuminating, but you can see an increased effort being made with the local media. He's been available, accommodating, and ubiquitous.

It's almost as if owner Jeffrey Lurie, more image conscious than ever, went to Reid in January and said, "If I'm going to keep you long-term, you have to improve your relationship with the fans and the media."

"That might have been one of the areas that I needed to improve," Reid said Wednesday. "Right? We all have things to work on."

Reid has two years left on his contract. The prevailing opinion coming off last season's 8-8 record was that he needed to at least return to the playoffs in 2012 if he were to see 2013. But what if the Eagles hit the bye week 5-1? Could Lurie extend Reid yet again?

It's not as crazy as it sounds. Don't underestimate Reid's leverage. If Jeff Fisher could have multiple teams bidding for his services as he did this offseason, couldn't Bob LaMonte, Reid's agent and possibly the most powerful agent in the NFL, manufacture twice as much interest in his client?

LaMonte, who also represents general manager Howie Roseman, obviously holds some sway over Lurie, as does the great unknown of hiring Reid's potential successor. Reid has kept the Eagles competitive for most of his 13 seasons, but Lurie also likes the way he conducts business.

"He's one of the more humble coaches in the league. He's one of the more humble people in the league," Lurie said of Reid on Wednesday. "There's never been one use of the word power. It's why he's been here successfully a long time."

Lurie also prefers Reid's player-friendly approach. Reid wants happy players. And he believes they'll give maximum effort for him if they're content. Salaries aren't guaranteed in the NFL, so many players are motivated by that alone.

Reid has taken some risk in extending so many Eagles this offseason, especially wide receiver DeSean Jackson. But he still believes, even at 54, that he can relate to and inspire the modern-day athlete.

"You don't want to be that old guy: 'Ah, the younger generation. They don't know what they're doing,' " Reid said.

More important, players relate to him because he fosters a familial environment in which any discord is kept in-house. Reid has rarely called out a player publicly. Instead, he protects them. But in doing so, he can alienate fans when he stonewalls.

"It's not a control thing. It's keeping a team together, a family together," Reid said. "Can I do better with the media and the fans? Yeah, I can do that. Over time I'm working through that. But I will never bastardize that part with the team."

Many fans couldn't care less about Reid's gruff manner. If it helps the players perform at a high level and keeps information away from opposing teams, it is justifiable in their eyes. There are others, however, who want answers, especially after the losses.

It will be interesting to see if the gentler, kinder Reid disappears once a reporter presses the coach on why he wasted a timeout or why a player made a mistake. He will have to balance appeasing Lurie with protecting his players and himself.

Ultimately, it won't decide his fate. Wins and losses will.

But after last week's front office shake-up, it might not take as many victories to stick around.