Roseman doesn’t say much about Worley’s release
The Eagles held back in their first public comments about Darryl Worley, the cornerback they released Sunday.
Worley was tased then arrested after Philadelphia police found him asleep in a car in the middle of Broad and Pattison early that morning.
A gun was found at the scene.
“This is an ongoing investigation,” Eagles football operations chief Howie Roseman said Thursday. “I’m not comfortable taking about any specifics other than we just thought this was in the best interest of our team to move forward — for both parties.”
Worley was acquired from the Carolina Panthers for wide receiver Torrey Smith. Worley played at Penn Charter and West Virginia before being selected by the Panthers in the third round of the 2016 draft.
The Eagles insist they didn’t skimp on the background check before bringing Worley into the NovaCare Complex.
“We did do a lot of legwork on it,” Roseman said. “It’s hard to predict incidents like this. We did do a lot of background on him. We just felt like going forward, this was in the best interest of our football team.
“All the decisions we make, we just try to do what’s in the best interest of our team, gather as much information as possible. We felt like it was the right decision for the Philadelphia Eagles.”
Rest assured, it was a wakeup call for the organization as it wades through a draft of prospects it could draft next week.
Player personnel chief Joe Douglas described the current state of scouting as moving more into “almost like private investigation as far as what guys do.
“You try to gather as much information as you can on a player and then determine whether or not this certain person at any position is a fit for what you’re trying to do, culture-wise,” Douglas said.
••• The NFL announced that the Eagles will oppose the Jacksonville Jaguars in London Oct. 28 at 9:30 a.m.
The game is at Wembley Stadium.
Tickets go on sale May 1 at ticketmaster.co.uk/NFL.
The Eagles open the season at Lincoln Financial Field against the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday, Sept. 6 per reports.
The Tennessee Titans oppose the Los Angeles Chargers on Oct. 21 at 9:30 a.m., also at Wembley Stadium.
The first game in the London series is Oct. 14, when the Seattle Seahawks take on the Oakland Raiders at Tottenham’s new north London Stadium. That game has a 1 p.m. Eastern time start.
••• It almost certainly will be more difficult for the Eagles to find the next Corey Clement, the undrafted running back out of Wisconsin who capped a sensational rookie season with a touchdown grab in Super Bowl LII.
It’s the price you pay for winning a Super Bowl, according to Douglas, who experienced the effect with the Ravens.
“It’s sometimes harder to get guys to commit to your roster because agents of players have a perceived notion that it’s going to be that much tougher to make your team,” Douglas said. “That’s going to be a challenge for us … recruiting these guys that slip through the cracks.”
••• With the April 26th draft approaching, the Eagles expect trade talks to heat up next week.
Roseman said the Eagles are “open for business in every round,” so it could be entertaining.
Douglas said the Eagles would be comfortable selecting if they keep their first-rounder.
“Any number you’re picking, whether at 14 like last year or 32 this year, you’ve got to have 32 guys you’d be excited to take,” Douglas said. “Right now, we have 32 guys we’d be fired up to get. How it plays out, we’ll find out.”
Douglas said the Eagles are looking for “smart, tough playmakers at any position.”