Howie Roseman calls re-signing Eagles’ draft picks a “success story”

The Eagles’ GM and head coach sat down for their pre-draft press conference and talked about the importance of retaining top players, their approach to player development, and more.

The Eagles held their pre-draft press conference on Tuesday with GM Howie Roseman and head coach Nick Sirianni — but, it was about 30 minutes of Howie answering questions, and four minutes of Sirianni chiming in. The GM spoke at length about why it’s so important for him to re-sign players they drafted, how he prepares for the NFL Draft, and how they approach developing draft picks.

Here’s what Roseman (and a little bit of Sirianni) had to say:

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On retaining players and legacy

Having locked up most of their offensive players — nine of which are now under contract for at least two more years — Roseman said that their strategy is to fill any positions of need during free agency so that they can focus on taking the best players available in the draft.

Sirianni said that it’s really exciting to have such a large group of offensive players staying together and having that continuity. The head coach said it’s not just exciting for the offense, but also for the culture of their football team — and for the people around them.

SIRIANNI: “It’s exciting for the football team, but, gosh, when you’re a coach and one of your players gets the big extension like that, it’s really an unbelievable feeling.”

Roseman echoed that sentiment later on, saying that part of the reason he loves this time of the year, is getting to see players they drafted earn that second contract, and how it impacts them and their families. He named DeVonta Smith — who he quipped didn’t seem to have big plans for his new payday —, Landon Dickerson, and Jordan Mailata as just a few examples of that this offseason.

“ROSEMAN: Obviously, we do this to win Championships, you know, that’s our first thing, but to also just have legacy and have good people, and I’m proud of that.”

Roseman was later asked about what risks are involved when signing so many players to extensions, and the GM gave a lot of credit to Jeffrey Lurie allowing them to be aggressive and do the contracts early.

“ROSEMAN: When you’re able to do that, and when you’re able to be in a position to lock down the caliber players that we think we’ve locked down over the last couple weeks, it really gives you tremendous flexibility as you build your team going forward.

It’s a great success story for us to be able to draft guys and sign them to extensions. I think it’s a great message to our team, that if you come here and you do the right thing, you don’t have to leave.”

Howie then pointed to Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox retiring having only played for one franchise, and hoping to have that happen again with Brandon Graham and Lane Johnson. He called that a legacy to have players that are able to do that, and when other players see that, that’s a big part of building culture.

Roseman went on to explain that by doing extensions early, they’re able to spread out caps hits and have some flexibility to continue bringing in other players, as well.

On drafting CBs

It was pointed out that Roseman has drafted three cornerbacks in the past six drafts, and none higher than the fourth round, and only one draft during his tenure in which they drafted a CB in the second round.

“ROSEMAN: Obviously corners are a huge part of playing defense in the National Football League right now. We always talk about affecting the passing game and just like an offense, we talk about the offensive line and having skill guys, we talk about the defensive line and having guys that can cover on the outside, on the inside, and how much that helps you.”

Howie went on to say that two years ago, the Eagles had the No. 1 pass defense, and they had Darius Slay who was a Pro Bowler and James Bradberry was a second-team All-Pro. So, obviously that’s an important part of playing good defense, and it’s an area that’s always a priority for him. Still, he called the stats on his draft history at the position compelling, and admitted that they’ve signed and traded for Pro Bowl corners, so they’ve just gone about the position in a different way.

On developing young players

Roseman talked about how players out of college are expected to be great right away, and get criticized if they’re not, but the Eagles believe in giving guys time and resources to develop. They know that rookies are going to have things they need to work on, and having Top 30 visits allow them to get a head start on identifying some of those things. Then they look at the strengths and weaknesses, and evaluate how they would be able to support the player’s development should they draft them.

The GM, along with Sirianni, explained that they aren’t drafting guys without expectations that they contribute, but they also understand that learning behind some of the exceptional veteran talent they have on the roster is invaluable. Both Roseman and Sirianni pointed to Cam Jurgens being able to not just study Jason Kelce on film, but get to ask him question and learn directly from him how he practices, sees the field, etc… Plus, Jurgens was versatile enough that he was able to play another position while waiting in the wings for Kelce to retire.

On trading Haason Reddick

Howie was asked about the decision to trade Haason Reddick, and he acknowledged that defender is a great player who had two great seasons in Philly, “It’s bitter-sweet.”

He explained that as the offseason went along, the room got crowded: They added Bryce Huff, brought back Josh Sweat, drafted Nolan Smith in the first round last year, Brandon Graham came back, plus other young guys they’re excited about. After talking to the Jets, he considered the opportunity a win-win to make the trade.

Roseman was later asked about the trade’s perceived lack of value for the Eagles, and the GM got a little snippy about the question. He pointed out that they got a draft pick for Reddick, the round is what’s conditional, and said the question was asked in a vacuum without all the other factors.

ROSEMAN: “So, if we want to talk about all the factors that go into building the team and the resources we put into each position, we can do that. But, I don’t think the question is really fair and accurately describes the transaction.”

Other notables

• The GM was asked what his favorite thing is during this time of year, and with a big smile, Roseman admitted he does like making trades. But, he also noted that he enjoys this time of year and to be able to make their imprint on the football team and bring in guys to help with their mission. The whole building comes together and sets the stage for them to start establishing their culture, and all the different departments have a hand in it.”
• Howie talked a little bit about how they incorporate injury concerns into their pre-draft process, and how they rely on their medical staff to help make some of those decisions. They grade prospects based on what they think they can do now, but also in the future, and noted that durability is a huge factor.
• Roseman was asked about Jeff Stoutland and how he approaches the pre-draft process. The GM quipped that he and Stoutland are like family and discussions can get “passionate” at times, but ultimately, they see players the same way and work through differences of opinions when they have them.
• Howie said that he feels confident in his predictions for the first 25 players to come off the board, but knows that the draft is full of surprises and there will be some surprises. They expect some curveballs having a pick in the middle of the round, but they work off worst-case scenarios, so they feel like they’ll be prepared when they’re on the clock.
• The GM admitted that he’s biased toward hometown players, and with players who have legacy with the Eagles franchise, so it’s hard to stay nuanced when looking at someone like Jeremiah Trotter Jr. Roseman tries to rely on the information he’s given, and make the best decision for the team, not just one based on emotion.