Philadelphia Eagles

DeMeco Ryans encouraged by his recovery so far

Published Jun. 1, 2015 9:28 a.m. ET

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After the Philadelphia Eagles lost DeMeco Ryans in November of last season to a torn right Achilles tendon, the defense collapsed. Many factors go into a defense's downfall as a whole, but Ryans was not only the team's leading tackler at the time but also their defensive captain. He wore the helmet with the headset and he was the "quarterback of the defense". Despite being only six months removed from the injury, Ryans was back with the team during their first set of OTAs last week.

Ryans is not a full participant in practice just yet, but he is making steady progress.

“I feel pretty good for where I am right now and the recovery process is going really well,” Ryans said after Thursday’s training session, per Alex Smith of Eagles.com.

Of course, Ryans is not ready to be a complete participant just yet.

“I’m not doing everything,” Ryans explained. “I’m gradually progressing into doing everything, but I am doing position drills and that’s going really well.”

When he does return to the field full time, he will join an inside linebacker corps that is quite crowded. The Eagles return 2014 starter Mychal Kendricks and they traded for 2013's Defensive Rookie of the Year, Kiko Alonso. They also drafted Jordan Hicks in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft. These four will do battle in due time, but Ryans' won't change his outlook on how to approach potential in house competition.

“We’re all assimilating and getting used to what we’re doing here,” Ryans said. “The older guys are definitely responsible for bringing in the new guys and making sure they understand our culture and what we do here, so it’s been a smooth process so far.”

Ryans is a true professional and it will be interesting to track his progress and role within the defense as the offseason schedule progresses.

(h/t Philadelphia Eagles)

Photo Credit: Jeffrey G. Pittenger/USA TODAY Sports