Howie Roseman and Doug Pederson stepped up to the podium this afternoon for the first time since the conclusion of the 2016 regular season. While Roseman was rather adamant in not sharing the team's offseason strategy, the pair did speak on a number of topics ranging from the long-term plans for this franchise to the importance of the NFL Scouting Combine.
One thing that may have disappointed answer-seekers was Roseman's insistence that the team will be thorough in their evaluations and methodical in their offseason moves. Despite Pederson telling reporters that the team is much further along in the offseason process at this time than they were a year ago, Roseman noted some moves don't need to be made for a long time.
"There's no deadline on the decision-making," the GM said. "We don't have a drop-dead date. Again, it goes back to information gathering and getting as much [information] as possible. Seeing the potential options for us, we don't want to do something that's short-sighted and lose an opportunity."
"The offseason really goes until our first game, so from our perspective, the offseason doesn't begin and end with free agency."
Roseman also refused to talk about the contract status of any veteran, including Bennie Logan, Jason Peters and Jason Kelce. However, he did say Ryan Mathews remains under contract and he expects the running back to be ready to play in 2017.
As for Pederson, he claimed that Darren Sproles's job was safe and he expects Kelce to remain with the team in 2017. He even noted that he'd be willing to bring in former Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles, should the price be right.
"[His status] is something that we'll evaluate now," Pederson said. "We'll grade him just like we do every free agent and see where he could fit into our offense."
Both men were also quick to point out they aren't looking for any quick fixes this offseason. With Carson Wentz to build around, Roseman repeatedly said he wants to surround the young signal-caller with talent that can surround him for years to come.
"For us, we're trying to build a complementary roster around the people we have and certainly [who] fits with our quarterback and what he's good at," Roseman explained. "Every offseason is important, but at the same time, we want to make good decisions, we want to minimize our risk and go forward and have something to build upon."
As for the Combine itself, both Pederson and Roseman stressed the importance of getting see these prospects up close.
"Character is a big issue these days and something we take a lot of pride in," Pederson said, when asked about the importance of meeting prospects. "Again, we do our due diligence, our scouting department, they do a great job, they're on the road, they're with the players. We've gotten a lot of information and we want to know as much as we can about every player."
