Birds facing key offseason of change
PHILADELPHIA >> This is the offseason where it gets tricky for the Eagles, who are almost certain to turn the page on a handful of veterans who led by performance and example.
If you don’t preserve the culture, word gets out and it’s next to impossible to attract free agents, coaches and so on.
One of the tough personnel moves the Eagles must make is unavoidable.
Which brings us to Nick Foles. For all practical purposes, including salary, you just cannot keep him and Carson Wentz, the guy the Eagles are committed to. What more can be said about Foles, who has come out of the bullpen two straight years to lead the Eagles to a 4-1 postseason record, including a Super Bowl title? How about, it’s us, not you? This is going to be a tearful breakup for years to come.
Howie Roseman’s Tuesday declaration of “We would love to keep Nick Foles” sounded so hollow framed against reality.
“It’s always got to be what’s best for our football team and the Philadelphia Eagles,” Roseman said. “We’ve got to make the decisions based on that.” Cold and true. Attributing the Eagles’ slow start to the so-called Super Bowl hangover wasn’t completely true. Roseman and his staff changed the team, and not particularly well enough to avoid the rough start. The roster lacked a reliable go-to running back. There were questions at speed receiver and tight end. The secondary was counting on youngsters. The punter was new, the defensive line was made over and Carson Wentz wasn’t healthy enough to start the season at quarterback.
Moving on, there are several players with expiring contracts. Getting these moves right will be challenging. Jason Kelce, who’s thinking about retirement, loudly stated during the midseason slump how much the Eagles missed the veteran players and leaders they didn’t bring back.
The pending top tier free agents on this Eagles squad include defensive ends Brandon Graham and Chris Long, linebacker Jordan Hicks, running back Darren Sproles, wide receiver Golden Tate and cornerback Ronald Darby.
These are not guys that you shouldn’t finish the exit interview with don’t let the door hit you on the way out.
Particularly Graham, who already took a hometown discount to stick around and help the team win a Super Bowl (And of course, he made the biggest defensive play in the title game).
Long is a huge leader and capable pass rusher. Tate has value although he could get really costly. Hicks is injury prone. Look for Darby to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, providing they keep his friend, quarterback Jameis Winston. Sproles’ recent injury history weighs against him.
The next group is composed of running back Jay Ajayi, wide receivers Jordan Matthews and Mike Wallace, defensive tackle Haloti Ngata and safety Chris Maragos.
Ajayi can’t stay healthy. The Eagles likely will draft a running back on the first or second day of the draft. Matthews or Wallace might return at the right price, providing there’s roster room. Ngata is gone. Maragos is coming off a couple of knee injuries.
Quarterback Nate Sudfeld is a restricted free agent. Though he finally threw his first TD pass, don’t look for him to get an outside offer sheet.
Only the Eagles really know what their salary cap situation is, although it’s safe to say they don’t have a ton of payroll space, even with the cap increasing. The issue could become acute if Wentz’s contract is extended. The cap could be an issue if they franchise Foles to trade him.
“Typically, you’re looking at 15 to 20 percent turnover of your roster (changing) in every year,” Roseman said. “Some of that is based on attrition, some of that is based on decisions you have to make. But it’s very important also that we keep our core together and that we maintain the culture that Coach Pederson and his staff have built. And that we continue to keep leaders here to show our young players the right way to do things.”
We’ll see about that. There is no bigger leader in the Eagles locker room and on the field than Graham. Long is right there, too.
Graham and Long are the guys the Eagles ought to push for, partly because the defensive line is where it starts for coordinator Jim Schwartz and partly because those vets — along with Malcolm Jenkins and Fletcher Cox — make their teammates part of it. They make the kids enjoy the grind.
If Roseman wants to do what’s best for the Eagles, he’ll make sure there are enough vets like Graham and Long to lead the team while Wentz learns how to win again. Long’s future is uncertain in that he typically takes time to figure out whether he should retire. There are no such doubts with the 30-year-old Graham.
Graham fit all of Roseman’s criteria as a guy the Eagles should like to have around. Plays hard, plays well and plays hurt.
“Obviously it’s our job to keep as many good players here for as long as we can,” is the way Roseman put it. “In their prime, and guys we drafted, those are guys that are always going to be a focus for us.”
Sure, the Eagles would want him back at their price. That’s business. And Roseman sure made it sound like Graham and or Long would have to take a discount, at the least, to hang around. what with all those defensive linemen coming out in the draft.
“It’s clearly a very good defensive line group,” Roseman said. “Really probably a historical defensive line group, and that’s both at ends and tackle.”
That doesn’t sound real welcoming for a team that says it values veterans. Here’s hoping it only was posturing.
Contact Bob at bgrotz@21stcenturymedia.com and follow him on twitter @BobGrotz