15 Eagles leftovers from 2025 NFL owners meetings originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
PALM BEACH, Fla. — Over the course of a couple days this week at The Breakers, most of the NFL’s major decisions makers spoke to reporters. That included the Eagles’ brass of Jeffrey Lurie, Howie Roseman and Nick Sirianni.
Among the headlines from the week:
• The Tush Push debate was tabled
• Lurie’s support of the Tush Push
• Why the Eagles traded C.J. Gardner-Johnson
• The latest on Dallas Goedert
• Sirianni on some key topics
Now it’s time for some Eagles leftovers from a busy week in South Florida:
1. The Eagles this offseason gave out big money to a linebacker and a running back, which seems out of character. But they didn’t pay just any linebacker or any running back. They gave out big-time money to Zack Baun and Saquon Barkley, two of their best overall players in 2024.
That’s an important distinction GM Howie Roseman made sure to point out.
“I think that when we talk about Zach or Saquon and we put them in the box and we say running back or linebacker. Traditionally we haven’t done that,” Roseman said. “These are difference-making players. These are guys who are some of the best players on their side of the ball in the league and those guys are impossible to replace.
“And so from our perspective, yeah, we had to make some tough decisions that didn’t feel great at the time, but they were to keep guys here over a period of time so we can do our best to try to compete for another championship to keep these guys that we feel like are playing like some of the best players in the league.”
Baun this offseason signed a three-year extension worth $51 million that will keep him in Philly through the 2027 season. Barkley signed a two-year extension worth over $41 million that will keep him under contract through 2028.
2. The Tush Push vote was tabled on Tuesday after about 30-40 minutes of debate, competition committee chairman Rich McKay said. The interesting thing is that McKay made it clear that the arguments for banning the play went far beyond player safety. Remember, there’s no data to support the notion that this play is more dangerous than any other.
McKay said the other arguments revolved around the “aesthetics” of the play. It could come up for a vote again in May.
“I would say that there are definitely some people that have health and safety concerns but there’s just as many people that have football concerns,” McKay said. “… I wouldn’t say it was because of one particular health and safety video or discussion. It was much more about the play, the aesthetics of the play, is it what football has been traditionally, is it more a rugby play. All those types of discussions. Health and safety is still there, that potential, but I wouldn’t go beyond that.”
3. Sirianni on Tuesday morning gave a shout-out for a signing that definitely flew under the radar this offseason: Avery Williams.
“I can’t say enough of Avery Williams and just what I think of him and what we could do with him and what he’s going to bring to this football team,” Sirianni said unprompted. “Just really pumped.”
The Eagles list Williams as a return specialist, which is a unique position designation. In his past, Williams has played on both sides of the ball — both cornerback and more recently running back. When asked what position room Williams will be in, Sirianni didn’t say but he did eventually admit that Williams will be an offensive player.
“I’m excited about all he can bring with the versatility he has offensively. Yes, offensively,” Sirianni said. “And all the things he can do. My interaction with him was top-notch and I’m really excited to start working with him.”
4. Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans thinks the dynamic between Kenyon Green and Jeff Stoutland could be a productive one — and Ryans should know. Ryans coached Green the past two seasons and was on the Eagles’ roster early in Stoutland’s tenure in Philly.
“Kenyon working with Jeff Stoutland, Kenyon will be just fine,” Ryans said. “Kenyon’s a young guy, talented player, physical player. Working with Coach Stoutland will be great for him.”
Green, 24, was part of the return in the C.J. Gardner-Johnson trade last month and the hope is that the move saves his career. The former No. 15 overall pick hasn’t had a very good NFL career so far but the hope is that Stoutland will be able to get the most out of him just like Stoutland did for Mekhi Becton in 2024.
“Jeff has done a really great job,” Ryans said. “All the offensive linemen that he’s been able to develop. He’s a phenomenal coach, one of the best coaches in the NFL. I’m excited to see how Kenyon continues to develop working with Coach Stout.”
5. When asked if it would be difficult to say the Eagles have a better roster now than they did on the date of Super Bowl LIX, Lurie had a different thought.
“I don’t know, I’d almost like to say that has there been a better NFL team than the 2024 Eagles? I don’t know,” Lurie said. “I’d much rather say that. I’m very proud of that. I think we had an incredible roster.”
Lurie was asked more about that comment a bit later.
“Just roster wise, incredibly capable,” he said. “Very well coached, all sides of the ball. Really hard to pinpoint a weakness. And then the way it dominated the championship game in the Super Bowl. There have been some other teams. It’s right up there, I think, with those teams. That’s something for you guys and everyone else to decide, not me. We just experienced a major win against Washington and a major win against the Chiefs. Those were not close games.”
6. The Eagles must decide by May 2 whether or not they’re going to pick up the fifth-year option on Jordan Davis’s rookie contract. That fifth-year option would give Davis a salary of just under $13 million in 2026.
Based on Roseman’s comments on Monday, it seems fairly likely the Eagles will pick up that option. He’s still high on Davis.
“When you watch these guys perform through the whole body of the season, because that’s what you really got to do, and it’s going watching the early part, watching the middle stages of the season and then going back and watching the end of the season,” Roseman said. “And you just see a guy who elevated in the postseason and (we) really counted on him continuing to develop and that’s what this is. All of us, in all of our professions, you continue to develop and you continue to get better and that’s what I think we’re seeing from Jordan.”
Davis, 25, played 37% of the Eagles snaps in 2024. He had just 1 sack in the regular season but had 2 in 4 playoff games. Davis is still stout against the run and has shown flashes of development as a pass rusher. Defensive tackle is also a position that can sometimes take a while to develop.
7. Sirianni joked on Tuesday that he got a little jealous of the relationship between Kellen Moore and Kevin Patullo last year. Sirianni said Patullo, who has been his right-hand man, and Moore became close last season. After Moore took the head coaching job in New Orleans, Patullo was promoted to replace him as OC. And Sirianni is excited to see how it goes.
The early signs have been good.
“When I talk about hunger, too, I see it every single day in Kevin Patullo,” Sirianni said. “Him coming into my office and, ‘What do you think about this?’ He’s so hungry and ready for this job. I’ve just been so impressed by how he’s handled it so far and now his story is to be determined and has yet to be written. But the hunger there because now his name’s on it and it’s his ideas, not just a collection of his ideas, which it has been in the past. But his ideas with a collection of other guys that are behind him.”
8. The Eagles were interested in cornerback Adoree’ Jackson back in 2021 when he was a free agent but Jackson visited the Giants and never left. After four seasons in New York, the 29-year-old signed with the Eagles on a one-year deal this offseason.
“A guy that is still extremely fast, extremely twitched up, has playmaking ability,” Roseman said. “And I don’t think it’s a secret, probably still hasn’t really played his best ball yet. And he’s played well and feeling like similar to some of the guys maybe that we lost from a skill set and trying to replace that. Always looking for speed and cover corners.”
The hope with Jackson should be that he competes with third-year player Kelee Ringo for a starting cornerback job and pushes the youngster while providing a veteran voice in the cornerback room.
9. Lurie has now been the Eagles’ owner for four trips to the Super Bowl and has hoisted the Lombardi Trophy twice.
This week, he was asked if he ever thinks about his legacy.
“I don’t give myself any time to think about that honestly,” Lurie said. “It’s going to get, I suppose, determined by others. But I’m someone that actually sort of self determines. I don’t look to outside voices and reputations and all that kind of stuff. Legacy, I’d just rather focus on getting that third, honestly. I don’t think that way. I’m proud of the culture we have more than anything. I’m proud of everything we’ve accomplished. It’s so hard. But no, I just don’t think that way.”
He did allow that it was a good feeling this week to be among his peers as a Super Bowl champion.
10. After Mekhi Becton left for the Chargers in free agency, the Eagles will have yet another starting right guard for the 2025 season. That spot next to Lane Johnson has changed every year since Brandon Brooks was in his prime.
Where is Sirianni with the right guard spot?
“A lot of time,” Sirianni said. “Lot more to be able to do through the draft, through offseason. Happy with some of the new additions we’ve got. Obviously, we’ll miss Mekhi and all the things he contributed. Again, you’d love to keep everybody. That’s just not the reality of the NFL. You also have an attachment, I have an attachment to him as far as the special things we were able to do together but we’ll wish him the best. We’ve got some good options in-house I believe and we have more time to add.”
Among those in-house options are Tyler Steen, Kenyon Green and Matt Pryor. Both Green and Pryor were acquired this offseason but Steen will enter his third NFL season with the Eagles in 2025. Steen was actually the starting right guard when training camp kicked off last year but after he suffered a minor ankle injury, the Eagles took that opportunity to insert Becton into the starting lineup and never looked back.
What does Steen have to do to earn that position in 2025?
“Everybody that’s fighting for a position has to show they’re consistent, they’re able to communicate with the guy next to him, that they’re able to play at a very high level on a good football team and not miss a beat there,” Sirianni said. “Excited about Tyler. He’s a guy that we’re excited about in the room with an opportunity to be able to do some great things. We’ll see how it goes.”
11. Roseman on Monday gave a quick scouting report on the two edge rushers the Eagles signed to one-year deals this offseason:
Azeez Ojulari: “It’s fairly apparent that we spent a lot of time scouting the SEC players and certainly Georgia defensive players. So this is a guy that we felt like we were very familiar with from college, competing against him in the NFC East. It’s a position that we obviously lost a couple of guys that are hugely important to our success and as free agency went on, felt like it was a good opportunity for both parties.”
Josh Uche: “Another guy we feel like we’ve been on his track, we’re watching him. Pass rushing is of huge importance to the National Football League, our football team. The guy has shown the ability to have vision for the quarterback, get pressure, has the athletic skills, still young. We’re excited to get him.”
12. Lurie’s press conference on Tuesday was in this incredibly beautiful ballroom. The Breakers is an impressive resort.
13. The Eagles didn’t make any big splashes in free agency but the addition of running back A.J. Dillon did move the needle a bit. The former second-round pick missed the entire 2024 season with a neck injury but said he has been cleared to return. And Dillon has had some success in the NFL. During his four years with the Packers, Dillon rushed for over 2,400 yards with 16 touchdowns and had 763 receiving yards.
Roseman said the Eagles scouted Dillon when he was coming out of Boston College in the 2020 draft.
“Had a lot of exposure to him,” Roseman said. “It’s very rare that you find a 250-pound back with quick feet. Obviously, have a tremendous amount of confidence in Saquon (Barkley), have a tremendous amount of confidence in Will as well. Just for us, it was an opportunity, he was out of football last year, that came to us and we felt like a high character, talented player and a little bit different style than we have.”
14. The Eagles were able to trade Kenny Pickett to the Browns this offseason and Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said he’s “very excited” about the addition. There’s a chance Pickett could end up being the Week 1 starter in Cleveland.
Browns owner Jimmy Haslam at the owners meetings admitted that acquiring Deshaun Watson was a major mistake. The only other QB on the Browns roster right now is Pickett.
“I caught up with some of his former coaches in Philly and filled me in on the type of person, type of player he is,” Stefanski said. “Excited for Kenny and the opportunity to see what he’s capable of. He’s got the right makeup for it.”
15. Sirianni on Tuesday was asked for something that stood out in his exit meetings with players following the Super Bowl season and there was a recurring theme.
“I think one thing that was pretty consistent was the team. The connection, the team,” Sirianni said. “Just really cool to hear how they talk about each other and how they think about each other. … The most consistent thing was just how much these guys cared and appreciated each other and the team that we were.”
Sirianni said his goal is to recapture that vibe with the 2025 team and he said it takes daily investment to get there.
from NFL News, Scores, Fantasy Games and Highlights 2020 | Yahoo Sports https://ift.tt/fb6PAuv
