Gardner-Johnson seems to have no problem fitting in
PHILADELPHIA >> Newly acquired safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson needed one pass breakup at his first practice and a bunch of hellos Wednesday to win over his new Eagles teammates.
All that was left was for CJ, as he’s called, to describe how he’d fit in with the city where he’s played before.
“Philly cheesesteaks, is that here?” Gardner-Johnson said. “OK, what I know is the city is passionate and they got a passionate guy. I’m going to back this team up as much as they back me up and I’m going to go 110 percent.”
The Saints sent CJ, who intercepted three passes last year, including two by Tom Brady, and a seventh-round draft pick to the Eagles for fifth- and sixth-round selections. The Eagles also get CJ’s unhappiness over his contract status. He’s in the last year of his rookie deal.
“Me and Howie talk,” Gardner-Johnson said of Eagles general manager Howie Roseman. “I know where we stand. Just go out there, have fun, play football and everything will take care of itself. I’m not worried about that. Just knowing that I don’t have to worry about the business, I’m here to play football. Coaches and teammates know that’s on the back of our mind. We’re here to win.”
Gardner-Johnson made no secret of his “in” with Roseman, a University of Florida alum like himself. He called Roseman one of his “biggest fans, biggest friends.”
But it’s CJ’s football side that got the attention of teammates. One pass breakup was all it took to validate the skills-set and football IQ that players rave about. Those qualities will shorten the break in time for the vet who has arrived just two weeks before the opener.
“It’s never easy this close to the game,” safety Marcus Epps said of the adjustment period. “But he’s a smart dude. You can see it already. He has a high football IQ. He understands route concepts and what the offense is trying to do so. His first day here he already made a play. Just a PB on the sideline. A really good play. Showed some range. So, we’re really excited about him and what he can do.”
The Eagles figure to use CJ at any number of positions. His tackling and energy has impressed Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay. To hear CJ, a fourth-round pick, it doesn’t matter where he lines up.
“I’m a football player,” GardnerJohnson said. “Just throw me out there. You can put me at corner, safety, nickel, linebacker. Wherever coach puts me I’m out there, 110 percent. I’m just ready to play football, help the team win, and win the division.”
The trash talking, Gardner-Johnson said, is just something that happens in the flow of the game. It’s a sign of passion, not bad taste.
“It’s football,” CJ said. “You talk trash, it’s the nature of the game. You go back and forth but at the end of the day it’s not harmful, because you still have to see each other, you still have to meet each other, greet each other. … Everybody knows it’s a sport. Everybody knows you don’t mean no harm when you talk on the field. It’s all within the competitive nature.”
Gardner-Johnson’s early impressions of the secondary? Make that very early impressions.
“Everybody has a chip on their shoulder,” CJ said. “You feel like when you come here, the energy is ready to go and everybody knows what’s expected. Coach is straightforward. He knows what to expect from you. He demands excellence and we all do from each other. So, we’re a very tight-knit group and they brought me in with open arms.”