A quarter million reasons why Draft could return to Philly

PHILADELPHIA >> Eagles president Don Smolenski wouldn’t deny rumors the NFL could host the draft here again, possibly next year. But there is a caveat. “I’d love to but that’s not my decision,” Smolenski said Saturday. “I think we showed them that we could do it.”

The league announced that a record 250,000 people attended the threeday draft on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway near the Art Museum.

It’s the first time a host city held the draft outdoors.

“I got a chance to sneak out yesterday in the afternoon to check it out,” Eagles football operations head Howie Roseman said. “And the people in this city, the people in the league, the job they did, it was an unbelievable event. The light it really put on Philly and how the city responded, it just makes you proud to be part of the city. It was just a great weekend.”

Ron Jaworski, part of the executive team that brought the draft here, told CSN there’s a chance the draft could be back in 2018.

The Dallas Cowboys, however, are interested in hosting next year.

*** While the Eagles declined to address trade rumors involving their players, it appears center Jason Kelce and linebacker Mychal Kendricks are safe … for awhile.

“Yes, they’re here and we fully anticipate that they’re going to be here going forward,” Roseman said.

Roseman said running back Ryan Mathews is making progress in his possible return from a neck injury but wouldn’t commit to the veteran sticking around.

*** Eagles icon Brian Dawkins led the crowd on the Ben Franklin Parkway in a round of “Fly Eagles Fly” to kickoff the final day of the NFL Draft.

Brian Westbrook, the running back out of Villanova, joined his former Eagles teammate on the podium.