Howie Roseman admits some young Eagles, like Nolan Smith, should have played more in 2023

The Eagles are in Indy this week for the NFL Scouting Combine, and GM Howie Roseman spoke to reporters on Tuesday about the balance of having talented veterans with young guys who need experience.

Roseman said that even though they were disappointed with how things ended this past season, they’ve made it to the playoffs in six of the past seven years, and played in two of the last six Super Bowls, so overall, he feels they’ve developed a winning culture.

Now, they have to add to that.

The GM later admitted that they weren’t good enough last year, and things have gotten to a place with the Eagles, that the standard is competing for World Championships. They weren’t in a position to do that last season, so now Roseman has to go back to work and do whatever he can to improve the team as quickly as they can, and make sure their resources are being utilized in the best ways.

He noted that he’s excited to be aggressive to add some new, young talent, as well as sign some of their guys back.

Here’s what the GM had to say:

On Haason Reddick

“I’ll say this. Haason [Reddick], obviously, unbelievable player for the Philadelphia Eagles. Local kid, great success story […] Love having Haason.”

Roseman went on to say that with anything they try to do roster-wise, it’s about balancing what they’re trying to do now and what they want to do in the future. He didn’t want to get into specifics about Reddick being allowed to seek a trade, but the GM said he has a tremendous amount of respect for Reddick as a player and person.

He also noted that the best-case scenario is one in which there is honest communication from both sides — and this is the case with all their contract situations.

On QB evaluations

“Just look at our quarterback [Jalen Hurts] and the traits he has: Unbelievable work ethic, unbelievable physical talents, desire to be coached, desire to learn. And off the field, all he wants to do is work and be with family and friends. I think it’s a lot of the things you look for in any leader, in any organization to have these kind of traits.

And obviously, there are physical parts of that, that go with: Accuracy, anticipation, and being able to extend plays, and being able to make every throw.”

On draft strategies

Roseman wouldn’t point to one position as the top priority this offseason, but did talk about how last offseason, they invested a little more into the offensive side of the ball. He explained, however, that it’s not always just based on need — for example, the Eagles have several young DT’s, and while that might not be a group they want to add to, it’s still an important position and they wouldn’t turn down a guy just because they already have resources there.

On playing young guys

The GM talked about their desire to play young guys to get a sense of their ability and to give them some experience early on. But, there is a benefit of having veterans, and the younger guys getting to sit back and learn in those situations, too. Roseman acknowledged that as some of the older guys start deserving bigger contracts, they’ll be shifting toward utilizing a younger roster.

When asked about Nolan Smith, Roseman said that in retrospect, there are some young players, like Smith, who probably should have gotten more playing time during the season.

“[Smith]’s got all the right tools in his body, he’s got the right mentality, and at the same time, he’s got to go out there and show it.”

On veteran players

The GM said that Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox have earned the right to make whatever decision is best for them regarding their future and whether they retire. So, the Eagles will give them whatever time and space they need to make their decisions.

“I think the important thing from our perspective is you’d never want to see them wearing different colors. I think for us, no matter when that is, if they want the opportunity to come back, we’d want the opportunity to bring them back.”

Roseman was asked about James Bradberry having a $9 million guaranteed contract and where they see him playing. He was pretty honest about Bradberry being more of an outside guy, despite the Eagles using him in the slot at times last season. The GM was also rather succinct when asked if the CB was part of their plan in 2024.

“Yeah. He’s under contract, he’s part of our plan.”

Other notables

• Roseman talked a bit about Kirby Smart and the kind of program he leads at Georgia. He complimented the Bulldogs who are now with the Eagles and how they show up to work, and don’t half-ass things.
• The GM was asked how the added salary cap numbers affect roster building, and he said that it gives them some flexibility when thinking ahead of guys coming up for big contracts, but also doesn’t make them force things. It doesn’t really change how they approach their salary cap decisions, and they still want to make good use of their resources.
• He noted that there are some good running backs heading into free agency — including a couple of Eagles RBs. Roseman explained that guys will still get big money at that position, and it will be a valuable roster spot for teams.
• When asked about the future of DeVonta Smith, Roseman didn’t want to get into specifics, but noted that homegrown guys like Smith aren’t players you want leaving.