The confetti had been cleared, the streets had been cleaned and the hangovers were cured by the middle of February 2018, when there was finally time to come up for air after chronicling the Eagles’ Super Bowl run. I started preparing to write a book about the team, and went through six years of stories from my time covering the Eagles.

It only took a few minutes to realize the review was mostly unnecessary. The stories that mattered, that resonated beyond a strained hamstring or a boilerplate waiver-wire transaction, were easy to remember.

They included: eating at Fletcher Cox’s favorite crawfish restaurant in Yazoo City, Miss.; seeing the hallways Carson Wentz walked as a student in Bismarck, N.D.; and parking where Malcolm Jenkins’ father had started the carpool when Jenkins was a kid in Piscataway, N.J. It was learning about the pep rally where Jake Elliott — selected at random for a contest — first heard the boom of the football off his foot, discovering how a game in Cincinnati altered Zach Ertz’s perspective and understanding why Brandon Brooks sends Lane Johnson a text message after vomiting the morning of a game.

It often wasn’t the times Doug Pederson, Howie Roseman or Jeffrey Lurie spoke behind the lectern that truly stood out, but rather laughing at the memories of Pederson’s former high school players at Calvary Baptist Academy in Shreveport, La., or Roseman’s roommates at the University of Florida remembering him reacting to Kyle Brady’s selection in the 1995 NFL Draft, or sitting with Lurie in the team hotel a few nights before Super Bowl LII and finding out what woke him before his alarm at 4:45 a.m.

These were the stories I most enjoyed reporting and writing for The Philadelphia Inquirer, for whom I’m ever grateful. These moments were also part of the reason I wanted to write for The Athletic, which has become the destination for storytelling and smart, informative coverage intended for fans who are savvier about their teams than ever before.

I’ve often asked myself this question: If you disregard the way the beat has always been covered, and focused entirely on how to do it best in today’s climate, what would be different? The Athletic offered me an opportunity to learn the answer.

I will still closely monitor the pulse of the team and remain in tune with up-to-the-minute news and events in this new role, but my coverage will be presented with depth and nuance that will seek to give you a better understanding of whom and what you watch on Sundays. My objective is to bring to life the characters and moments that form the story of the Philadelphia Eagles, explain why and how decisions are made, and show you what’s going on — not only during the three hours they’re playing but also the other 165 hours during the week. At The Athletic, we have the creative license, flexibility and platforms to tell the story or illustrate a point in nontraditional ways.

For seven seasons, I’ve experienced the media competition and saturation on the Eagles beat. There are days when reporters outnumber players in the locker room. So I realize you have options for Eagles coverage, which is why I’m tasked with unearthing stories and providing analysis you won’t find elsewhere — stories that don’t require a search to remember.

I’m excited to work with Bo Wulf, who covers the team with intelligence and originality, and is someone I’ve known since I started on the Eagles beat in 2012. Same with Sheil Kapadia, who will remain a strong voice on the Eagles and also contribute to our national NFL coverage. The tremendous talent on the Philly site and across the different cities and verticals has made this an appealing team to join. I’m eager to add to that group, interact with the community of loyal subscribers and help grow the audience so more readers, listeners and viewers see what’s happening here. It’s why I’ve joined The Athletic.

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(Top photo: Mitchell Leff / Getty Images)