The NFL offseason is in full swing as the Eagles join the rest of the NFL at the Combine in Indianapolis this week.
Eagles head coach Doug Pederson and executive vice president of football operations Howie Roseman addressed the media on Wednesday, discussing everything from their offseason decisions so far to a pending decision regarding Sam Bradford and the quarterback position to the focus on retaining players already on the roster.
To this point, the Eagles have re-signed or restructured contracts for tight ends Zach Ertz and Brent Celek, tackle Lane Johnson, defensive lineman Vinny Curry, linebacker Najee Goode and safety Malcolm Jenkins. They released linebacker DeMeco Ryans on Wednesday afternoon.
The focus on keeping players already with the team that they want going forward is evident.
"When coach came in, we sat down, he got a chance to evaluate our roster and we knew right away these were players we wanted for the long-term," Roseman said. "For us, there was no use in waiting. All of these guys were free agents either this year or next year. We didn't want to be in a position at this time next year where people were asking us whether we'd be able to retain them. We wanted them here, we wanted them here for the long haul so we felt like let's get started on that."
"I think the message is that we're committed to the players on the roster," Pederson said. "It's important to those that are free agents to say 'hey, we want you, do you want to stay in Philadelphia?' I think that sends a message to the rest of the guys and to the team that we're committed as a staff and front office that we want you to stay in Philly."
There is no position watched with a greater eye than the quarterback position. Sam Bradford still seems to be the focus, but nothing sounds definitive as the franchise tag period approaches its end, closing in six days, and free agency draws closer.
"Sam's part of the Eagles organization," Pederson said. "What he's done in the last half of last year has given him that opportunity to stay in Philadelphia. Being a player in his shoes, you have to want to be somewhere and I think Sam wants to be in Philadelphia."
"We've been pretty clear we'd like to have Sam back," Roseman said. "We'll meet with a lot of people. We hope to run into [Bradford's agent] Tom Condon over the next couple of days."
Do the Eagles have a backup plan?
"You have to get with Doug and his staff," Roseman said. "One of the benefits we have as a front office is having Doug who played the position, having Frank [Reich] who played the position, having [John DeFilippo] who played the position and having their input into the evaluation process and who they see them fitting their system because they have a criteria for what they're looking for as well.
"In everything you do, you have to have a backup plan. We're looking at a lot of different options at a lot of different positions, but our hope is we're getting plan A in all of this."
Outside of Bradford and the quarterback position, the focus remains on an offensive line that needs work and shoring up the defense. The Eagles have done a lot of that already with the defense, but are still looking to sign Fletcher Cox to a long-term extension that makes him a staple of the defense.
"I think at the end of the day, it's finding the right value for them and making them feel that they're really appreciated and respected," Roseman said. "I think that's what gets guys to sign contracts. It doesn't always go so quickly."
Otherwise, with quarterback and offensive line holding the greatest attention, the Eagles are certainly using the Combine, and potentially the Draft, to look at the options.
"It's a priority," Roseman said. "We were leading the league in offensive linemen drafted from 2000 to 2013. A lot of the resources we've already spent in the offseason have been along those lines. As we get in here and look at the prospects, it's an important priority for us."
"I think everybody in the National Football League has to shore up their offensive line," Pederson said. "Taking a look at our current situation, there are some holes. But we're going to continue to evaluate not only the guys on our roster but here this week. There's opportunities there to help improve that talent level."
You can watch the full press conferences of Pederson and Roseman below.
The Combine closes on Monday, Feb. 29. Free agency will begin on March 9 with the Draft following from April 28-30.
Kevin Durso is managing editor for Eagledelphia. Follow him on Twitter @Kevin_Durso.
