New head coaches are inspected upon arrival, much like the rookies trying to work their way into the fabric of the 53 players, according to Philadelphia Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins. They're watched closely to see how they behave, how they interact and whether they're consistent in demeanor and approach. Impostors are sniffed out pretty quickly.

"One thing about the NFL: You can't hide who you are," Jenkins said.

If nothing else, Eagles head coach Doug Pederson seems to have a good understanding of that.

So when he addresses the team, he hasn't banged a table or tried to deliver any Al Pacino "Any Given Sunday"-type rants since taking over as coach in January. Soaring speeches have typically been outsourced. Villanova basketball coach Jay Wright came in to talk to the players. Pederson called on former Eagles safety Brian Dawkins to get players' juices flowing. And on Wednesday, he had motivational speaker Dr. Kevin Elko -- used by teams and coaches (including Andy Reid) across the country -- to deliver a message about working through adversity.

Pederson is a bit more of a nuts-and-bolts guy himself.

"He gets up there with his piece of paper every day. He's got his notes, his points he wants to get through, and that's that. He doesn't do much motivational speaking. He's just like, 'Hey, these are my announcements, this is what we've got to get done.' And then you can tell when he's off of script when he'll put his paper down," said Jenkins, letting out a laugh.

"He's being himself. I think that's the good thing. He's not trying to be somebody he isn't. Because in a locker room full of men, we can point that out."

Pederson's time as a player in the NFL has served him well in that way, and has been perhaps his biggest asset when it comes to establishing an early connection with his players. Talk to anyone in the locker room about the quarterback-turned-coach, and chances are they'll mention that he has suited up in this league.

The fact that Doug Pederson had a long NFL playing career is evident to Eagles players. Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire

"Even if I wouldn't have known him in Kansas City, I think it's very apparent that he used to play the game," said quarterback Chase Daniel, who followed Pederson over from the Chiefs. "He understands the schedule for guys, he understands the stress that's put on guys, he understands when guys need a break, need a bone here and there."

"The thing that's really been cool is Doug's just real personable, real cool guy," receiver Jordan Matthews said. "It's weird because sometimes I'll be like, 'Oh, yeah, he is, like, the head coach.' And I don't think that's a bad thing, because when he turns it on at practice, when it's time to go, it's time to go. But he'll joke around with you; he'll kick it. He's a great guy. I'm just really excited to play for him."

That philosophy is part of what allows Pederson to get away with working the players to the degree he has. Taking a page out of the Reid playbook, Pederson started his tenure as Eagles head coach by holding a grueling, physical training camp that put a bit of a strain on the new coach-player relationship.

"To be a new coach, and to push as hard as he's pushed so far, there hasn't been much, if any, pushback," Jenkins said. "I think guys, although it gets hard and you start to have to really dig deep into buying in, I think he's gotten us past that point."

"One time in practice, we were having not so good of a day," linebacker Marcus Smith said. "He came up to us and told us, 'Man, I used to be a player, I know what it's like, I know how grueling this practice is.' But he kind of told us, 'I'm with you. I want you to get through it. Because once we get to Cleveland, it will be easy.'

"When guys heard that, when I heard that, when you've got somebody that talks to you like that, it kind of spreads all around the locker room. And it's a different culture on the field in general."

Doug Pederson has the support of veteran leaders such as Malcolm Jenkins. Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire

Asked to explain that last point, Smith noted how players have taken more ownership, are holding one another accountable and making corrections often without the prompting of the coaching staff. He credits that to the regular players-only meetings, where it's not the coaches but on-field leaders such as Jenkins and Jordan Hicks holding the clicker as the group breaks down film together.

"I think it's good for us," cornerback Nolan Carroll said. "We're the ones who are on the field, so you all have to be able to communicate with everything that is getting thrown at us."

"If somebody messed up, the coaches didn't have to say anything to get right," Smith said. "The players took the initiative to say something to them. I think that's what Doug is trying to bring. He understands that he's the coach, but we play the game. That's what he wants -- he wants it to be player-driven."

That's a significant departure from the way it was under former coach Chip Kelly, where the pace of practice didn't allow for many corrections of any kind and the machine seemed to cast a shadow over the individuals responsible for making it hum.

After a bit of a rocky breakup, it's little surprise that the new coach -- standing in such sharp contrast to the old one, who never played or coached in the NFL before coming to the Eagles -- would be looked at in a positive light, especially early. No regular-season games have been played, so no meaningful gaffes have been made and no losses accrued. And there will likely be plenty of both. Pederson was coaching high school at Calvary Baptist Academy just eight years ago. He's green, and it's to be determined if he's able to successfully handle all the challenges of being a head coach, and all of the unique challenges of being a head coach in Philadelphia.

Following some early skepticism, though, it can at least be said that Pederson heads into the Eagles' Week 1 matchup against the Cleveland Browns with the backing of his players. The trick now is holding on to it.

"It's been pleasant," Jenkins said. "It's just like any rookie that would come into the league; you kind of watch to see what their demeanor is every day, if they're consistent -- are they leaders? -- and it's the same way we kind of looked at Doug. You pay attention to his demeanor at meetings. Is he the same guy every day? Is he consistent? He's been all those things. He's been a great leader so far. He's gotten control of the locker room."