Howie Roseman talks roster building, 2023 NFL draft, and Jalen Hurts’ looming contract extension
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Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie, general manager Howie Roseman, and head coach Nick Sirianni are taking a break from the pre-NFL draft pro day circuits to join personnel from 31 other teams at The Biltmore Luxury Resort in Phoenix, Arizona, for the annual owners’ meetings.
The fancy get-together serves as the backdrop for discussions and meetings centered around future events, rules, and regulations for years to come.
On Monday, Philadelphia’s top decision-maker discussed the upcoming draft, a contract for Jalen Hurts, and the process currently employed for the organization’s retooling.
With the festivities underway, here are takeaways from Howie Roseman’s media session.
Roseman on 5 draft picks
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
After addressing needs at safety and other positions, look for the Eagles to target a defensive tackle and defensive end early in the first 100 picks.
“I think it’s a good start,” Roseman said.
Roseman on the key pieces added or retained
(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
“I think it’s a good start,” Roseman said.
Philadelphia retained Fletcher Cox, Jason Kelce, James Bradberry, and Darius Slay in the first wave of free agency.
Howie Roseman, when discussing the DTs: "I don’t really understand the perception on Fletch. I think Fletch is a great player. He had 7 sacks. I don’t know how many defensive tackles in the league had seven sacks last year, but not many. He took less to come back."
— Zach Berman (@ZBerm) March 27, 2023
Roseman on Jalen Hurts contract extension
Nfl Super Bowl Lvii Kansas City Chiefs Vs Philadelphia Eagles
“We want him here long term,” Roseman said. “He’s going into the last year of his deal and that’s going to be a priority for us to extend him. We have a great relationship with him. You have to navigate the offseason understanding that we’re not going to lose our franchise quarterback with one year left on his deal. Whatever that means, it means that 2024 is going to look different. We’re not going to have a quarterback on a rookie deal. We’re going into it with our eyes open and understanding that we’ve got to kind of flip it. A lot of guys on our team, especially on offense, have long-term deals. It’s not like we don’t have a bunch of guys who aren’t on long-term deals.”
Howie Roseman on positional value
Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
The Eagles build from the inside out and will likely add to the defense after retaining Slay and Bradberry.
Howie Roseman with an interesting note on the #Eagles positional value principles on defense:
“For us, it’s going to start on defense with the defensive line and the cornerback position. When we look back at what we did here, it was consistent with what we think.”
— EJ Smith (@EJSmith94) March 27, 2023
“For us, it’s going to start on the defensive line and the cornerback position,” Roseman said. “Priorities are the defensive line and cornerback position. Those two spots are probably better (at this point) than I would have anticipated going into free agency.”
Howie Roseman on C.J. Gardner-Johnson
(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Roseman explained how negotiations with Gardner-Johnson broke down, causing Philadelphia to pivot.
Howie Roseman on Gardner-Johnson negotiations: "At some point you run out of resources and so we were very clear that at some point we were going to have to go in a different direction. And those first couple days, we tried and then we pivoted."
— Zach Berman (@ZBerm) March 27, 2023
Roseman on free agent losses
Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
“That’s one of the most important things with free agency,” Roseman said. “You can go in with a plan, but you have to be able to pivot and have other options, not get stuck with nothing. If you would have asked me a month ago, I probably wouldn’t have expected to get some of these guys back, which is a good thing. You can go in with a plan in free agency and you can pivot and understand what the values are, a valuation on those players.”
Roseman on signing guys to 1-year prove it deals
(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
“When you’re looking at these one-year guys, you want some high-upside guys, guys who have traits in their bodies, guys who we had a like for at some point in time,” Roseman said. “They’re young guys who have a lot of upside. I think we like these kind of high-upside-guys, lottery tickets with the understanding that they’ve got to prove it. They have a chip on their shoulder. They have talent. It hasn’t worked out perfectly where they are and if you can hit on some of those guys it’s mutually beneficial.”
