He has experienced change, as is the nature of the National Football League, and in the context of how it impacts performance, Dallas Goedert understands that being taken out of a comfort zone can often be a winning challenge.
New offensive coordinators bring new passing games and within that new concepts to master and new ways to attack coverages. That is what Goedert looks to master when Training Camp begins in late July.
"You can't do the same thing and expect different results," Goedert said. "We've had success in many different systems with the Eagles and anytime you can get a fresh set of eyes on what we've run in the past, what we did well, what we want to do different moving forward, I think you can just blend it all together and keep evolving."
Think about it: Goedert has been an Eagle since 2018 – the team's first NFL Draft pick, second round – after winning Super Bowl LII – and he's pretty much seen it all. New coaches. Players who have come and gone. Different quarterbacks. A bunch of different ways to win.
In his ninth season – nine!?! Amazing!!! – Goedert is embracing change, both in the Eagles' offense and at his position in the league. Tight ends are what many offenses are built around. The running game needs them to provide strong in-line blocking. The versatility tight ends bring to the table help create great matchups in the passing game. And the speed, size, and explosiveness tight ends offer the offense is key in the middle of the field and red zone.
Goedert recognizes all of those aspects of the position.
"I came when it started to change," Goedert said. "You saw tight ends hit the 1,000-yard marks in receiving a little bit more. Tight ends have always been red zone threats and that hasn't changed but being more involved in the pass game is something everybody always wants, and it's been fun to be part of that.
"The transition started 10-15 years ago throughout the league and you have to pay your respects to those guys and to others who have helped define the position. To be part of this generation and to help the position continue to evolve, I'm proud of them."
Goedert figures to be integral to this offense and it remains to be seen how he will be used within the concepts and where in the progressions for Jalen Hurts he will appear. Goedert talks about the offense as "new flavors" being added to the mix and says "it will be a different offense to the fans," and the challenge for him and the talented tight end room is to learn the terminology and to "be in the right spots at the right time. Sometimes, you're getting there in different ways."
There is also an evolving look in the tight end room around Goedert and Grant Calcaterra and E.J. Jenkins, all of whom were on the team last season. The Eagles used a second-round draft pick on Eli Stowers and signed Johnny Mundt and Stone Smartt in free agency. Ryan Mahaffey is the new run game coordinator and tight ends coach.
Change is new and change is good and Goedert gets it. The NFL doesn't stand still for long.
"Dig into the playbook, have it done with the terminology and all of that and play my best ball when Training Camp begins," said Goedert, who set career highs with 60 receptions and 11 touchdowns (franchise best for a tight end) last season. "Keep building, keep growing and evolving. That's how you stay ahead in this game."
