Exciting Mics Ep. 11 — Cooper & Reed on Eagles Season Opener, Micah Parsons Trade, & More!

Release Date: September 3, 2025
Hosts: Reed Blankenship & Cooper DeJean

Overview

In this lively Season 2 premiere, Eagles defensive backs and Super Bowl champs Reed Blankenship and Cooper DeJean dive into the energy building for Week 1 in Philadelphia, break down the team's offseason, rookie moments, and the buzzworthy Micah Parsons trade to the Packers. With their honest, playful banter, they offer fans a look behind the scenes: snack-room politics, rookie pranks, the training camp grind, preseason transitions, and even friendly college football rivalry predictions. This episode also features a hilarious fan Q&A where Reed and Cooper rank fantasy football team owners’ names by "most exciting."

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Locker Room Snacks & Rookie Duties

Timestamps: 00:00, 08:49

• Recurring Joke: Reed’s daily reminders to rookies about keeping the DBs’ snack tubs stocked, and Cooper’s tales of the snack situation devolving until the rookies finally “figured it out.”
• The snack room is a community hub: “Dudes are going to eat snacks. Our room is the community room pretty much, and everybody comes through there...” —Reed (01:19)
• Tradition: Former rookies (Reed & Q) kept it fully stocked; impatience with current rookies who took too long to refill.
• Lighthearted threat: “If they don’t keep these snacks filled up, we might have to... do a little something.” —Cooper (11:15)

“Y’all did it right. You overloaded on the front end, and then we just slowly picked away at it.” —Reed (10:20)

2. Reed Named Team Captain

Timestamps: 01:39–03:32

• Cooper congratulates Reed, calling his captaincy “well-deserved, well-earned.”
• Reed reflects on being undrafted and now being voted captain by his teammates:

“The team—my teammates—believe in me. They voted for me to be a captain and it’s a huge accomplishment... I'm gonna wear it with pride.” —Reed (02:19)

• The moment Reed found out: Nick Sirianni pulled him aside mid-practice, but Reed had to keep it quiet until after. Immediate calls to his wife and parents followed.

3. The Excitement for Week 1 & End of Training Camp

Timestamps: 03:47–05:52

• Both express anticipation for playing a real opponent for the first time since the Super Bowl.
• Reflections on the grind and monotony of camp: “After 12 weeks, you’re about tired of going against the same dudes... Luckily we had those two joint practices which helped.” —Cooper (04:41)
• Jokes about Philly humidity catching both off guard—even for Reed, who’s from the South.

4. Preseason, Rookies, & Joint Practices

Timestamps: 06:06–08:49

• Joint practice with the Browns was a welcome chance to compete and adapt on the fly with no real game-planning.
• Breakout preseason performances:
  • Darius Cooper (WR) and Johnny Wilson (WR, since injured) impressed early.
  • Jihad (rookie LB) described as a “freak” and “vocal,” learning quickly how to practice like a pro.
  • Defensive rookies like Drew (pick-six in preseason) and Sydney also praised for growth and intensity.

5. The “Citizens Play That Matters Most” Segment

Timestamps: 11:39–12:19

• Play highlighted: Darius Cooper’s slick slant — “Caught the slant, stopped on a dime, got back outside, got some extra yards... the first play you’re really like, wow.” —Cooper (12:00)

6. Adapting to New Positions (Cooper’s Versatility)

Timestamps: 12:35–14:24

• Cooper details his experience bouncing between corner, nickel, and safety during camp.
• Challenges: Safety requires covering more space and making all the calls; Nickel more man-to-man and up “in the fray.”
• Reed offers support whenever Cooper’s adjusting.

“I feel more used to playing outside corner than I did safety because I haven’t played safety in a long time.” —Cooper (14:11)

7. The Undrafted Rookie Experience

Timestamps: 16:51–20:03

• Reed reflects on entering camp as the “bottom of the totem pole” with no guarantee of tomorrow.
  • “Each day, you’re not knowing if it’s going to be your last. That’s... the business we’re in.” —Reed (17:18)
• Emphasis on effort:
  • “Preseason is your interview — for 31 other teams too. You want to have a good name for yourself.” —Reed (19:36)

8. Watching Preseason from the Sidelines as Veterans

Timestamps: 20:13–21:26

• Cooper and Reed aim to be fully present, coaching and supporting younger players instead of “disrespecting their time.”

9. Eagles Autism Open Practice

Timestamps: 21:26–22:49

• Both marvel at the “sold out” open practice — “Even the upper deck,” with 50,000+ fans, a testament to Philly’s unmatched intensity.
  • “You go to any other football city — it won’t be half of what that is.” —Cooper (22:17)
  • Philly fans: “They don’t care if it’s a practice... or a flag football game. They’re gonna show up and sell it out.” —Reed (22:36)

10. NFC East Hard Knocks & Inside the Locker Room

Timestamps: 23:00–26:17

• Both curious (and a bit wary) about the new “NFC East Hard Knocks.”
• Debating which teammates could be TV stars: Jordan Davis (“He’s hilarious”), Saquon, the “tight ends,” and especially some of the offensive linemen.
  • “Who’s going to be the star of the show?”
  • “Hot mics everywhere, bro. That’s going to be crazy.” —Reed (24:22)
• Vow not to change for the cameras: “It’s still gonna be the same old.” —Cooper (24:14)

11. Friendly Rivalry: College Football Schedules

Timestamps: 27:33–47:13

• Reed (Middle Tennessee) and Cooper (Iowa) alternate roasting, debating, and predicting their alma maters’ seasons game-by-game.
  • Cooper, ever the optimist, predicts a 12-0 Iowa season.
  • Reed, more critical, projects “five and three going into the bye.”
  • Detailed predictions, nostalgia about big plays (Cooper’s first pick-6), and some playful jabs.
• They also review Middle Tennessee’s schedule, giving each other a hard time along the way.

12. Eagles Season Opener and Parsons Trade Reaction

Timestamps: 47:13–49:13

• Reed and Cooper look ahead to the Week 1 showdown with Dallas, including the Super Bowl banner reveal:
  • Both agree — “The banner reveal is more for the fans... our focus is on the 2025 season.” —Cooper (46:49)
  • “New journey, blank slate.” —Cooper (47:13)
• On Micah Parsons’ stunning trade to Green Bay:
  • “I don’t understand… obviously he’s a great player. What they got going on, they got going on.” —Reed (47:57–48:22)
  • Cooper expresses relief at the Eagles keeping their own stars and looks ahead to facing Parsons (in Packers colors) later in the year.

13. Rapid-Fire Fan Q&A: Ranking the Most Exciting Names

Timestamps: 49:16–56:41

• Two fans, Nick and Emily, ask Reed & Cooper to rank their fantasy league’s draft order by “most exciting” name.
• Hilarious breakdown (“Congratulations, Joe. You have the least exciting name.”), with the duo explaining their logic and riffing:
  • Most exciting: Madeline, Charles, Megan.
  • Least exciting: Greg, Joe.
  • Comments on spellings and classic vibes (“Charles — that’s like an old school name”).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On captaincy:
  “I'm gonna wear it with pride as much as I can.” —Reed (02:19)
• On Philly fans:
  “They don’t care if it’s a practice or what... Don’t say we were playing a flag football game. They’re gonna show up and sell it out.” —Reed (22:36)
• Snack seriousness:
  “If they don’t keep these snacks filled up, we might have to... do a little something.” —Cooper (11:15)
• On preseason effort:
  “You’re not just playing for the team you’re on now, especially in preseason. You’re playing for 31 other teams.” —Reed (19:36)
• On the Parsons trade:
  “I can’t wrap my head around that... all I can say is he’s a good player.” —Reed (47:57)
• On Hard Knocks:
  “Hot mics everywhere, bro. That’s going crazy.” —Reed (24:22)
• On open practice in Philly:
  “You go to any other football city... it’s not gonna be half of what that is.” —Cooper (22:17)
• Fantasy name rank roast:
  “Congratulations, Joe. You have the least exciting name.” —Cooper (55:20)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Locker Room Snacks & Rookie Duties: 00:00, 08:49
• Captaincy Announcement: 01:39–03:32
• Season Opener Anticipation: 03:47–05:52
• Training Camp & Preseason Recap: 06:06–08:49
• Rookie Standouts: 07:09–08:49
• Citizens Play that Matters Most: 11:39–12:19
• Position Switches: 12:35–14:24
• Undrafted Rookie Mentality: 16:51–20:03
• Eagles Autism Open Practice: 21:26–22:49
• Hard Knocks & Locker Room Characters: 23:00–26:17
• College Football Schedules: 27:33–47:13
• Eagles Opener/Banner & Parsons Reaction: 47:13–49:13
• Fan Q&A – Name Rankings: 49:16–56:41

Recap

Episode 11 of Exciting Mics delivers classic Cooper and Reed camaraderie, with inside stories from the Eagles’ camp, real opinions on NFL news, and plenty of laughs—from snack-room drama to roasting each other’s college teams and fans’ fantasy-football identities. While the guys stay focused on what lies ahead in 2025, they never lose their trademark blend of humility, humor, and Philly edge.

Perfect listen for: Eagles diehards, NFL fans, and anyone who loves authentic, behind-the-scenes sports talk.

Stay tuned for next week’s episode, and don’t forget to follow, like, and comment to send in your fan questions!