"He's an encyclopedia of knowledge, and you just try to draw from him as much as you can," said Eagles first-round pick and penciled-in starting right guard Danny Watkins.
Mudd imparts the kind of wisdom that comes with coaching one position for 37 years. His latest stint was 12 years with the Indianapolis Colts.
Kelce hears about and sees what he can become.
During film sessions, Mudd will turn on the Colts tape because the Eagles are running the same plays and they need to learn the basics somewhere. Kelce pays close attention to Jeff Saturday, who was Mudd's center for almost his entire time in Indy. Kelce and Saturday are lean centers, perfect for what Mudd wants.
The sixth-round pick out of Cincinnati has split time with longtime starting center Jamaal Jackson during training camp. From what the coaching staff has told him and from where he is in his development, however, Kelce says the Eagles are just trying to "build depth" by letting him run with the first team.
But left tackle Jason Peters, left guard Todd Herremans, and Watkins at right guard aren't being rotated, while the right tackle position is a revolving door right now. Maybe there is something to Kelce's early reps.
One theory is in the tale of the tape: Kelce is exactly the type of lineman Mudd likes.
"I think a lot of the stuff that Howard teaches helps me out from a technique standpoint, because a lot of it is built for shorter, athletic guys," Kelce said. "In the pass [game], where most O-linemen step back, we're very aggressive. We use our feet a lot. We're in your face right now."
On the field, the 6-foot-3, 282-pound center feels like he can compete with everybody. He graded himself at a B-plus or an A physically. It's the mental aspect of the game that's lagging: the technique, the terminology, learning the plays.
Maybe the Eagles won't play Kelce much when it counts. Maybe they are just ensuring themselves against another Jackson injury - he has had two major surgeries since December 2009, one for a torn anterior cruciate ligament and one for a torn triceps. And Jackson isn't small, athletic, or quick like Kelce.
Whether he's a realist or humble, Kelce isn't buying his own stock just yet.
"I think it's going to be awfully hard for me to establish more confidence in a coach than Jamaal Jackson, who has been here for seven years and is a proven, successful center in the league," Kelce said.
With Mudd's help, he's got a place to start.
Contact staff writer Tim Rohan at trohan@philly.com
or @TimRohan on Twitter.
