Eagles notebook: Roseman talks Hurts' contract, Kelce's return, more
INDIANAPOLIS (CBS) -- The Eagles have plenty of tasks on their offseason to-do list, including locking up Jalen Hurts to a new contract.
But Tuesday at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis, general manager Howie Roseman declined to dive into the details of a new contract for the Eagles' quarterback.
"I wouldn't feel comfortable talking about contract situations with anyone," Roseman said. "I think you know that. At the same time, tremendous respect for him as a player, as a person. Tremendous respect for the people that work with him to do this, and you go through it in a way that you want to find a win-win solution."
Roseman, of course, isn't going to tip his hand in contract talks, even though the Eagles would like to lock Hurts up to a deal.
Eagles chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie is on the record saying Hurts has nothing left to "prove" for a contract extension.
Hurts made tremendous strides as a passer last season, had a career year in several statistical categories and finished second in MVP voting as he led the Eagles to the Super Bowl.
Hurts is eligible for a contract for the first time this offseason, along with several other top quarterbacks around the league like Los Angeles' Justin Herbert and Cincinnati's Joe Burrow.
Sportrac projects Hurts could earn a six-year, $265.3 million deal with an average annual salary of $44.2 million.
"You want to find something that he feels really good about, and at the same time that we feel good about and surround him with good players," Roseman said. "He knows that. He's a smart guy. He understands that. That doesn't mean that it's not going to be a tremendous contract for him because he deserves that, too."
Is Jason Kelce coming back?
Will Eagles center Jason Kelce finally retire? That is the question.
The 35-year-old just completed his 12th season with the Eagles, but he's still playing at an extremely high level. He earned first-team All-Pro honors for the fifth time in his career and a sixth trip to the Pro Bowl.
Kelce has been mulling over retirement for the past several years, but Roseman said he doesn't have to rush to make his decision for the 2023 season.
"When is our first game?" Roseman said jokingly. "I mean, he's a special player, special person. I think that whatever his timeline is, we're willing to work with him."
Roseman said he was supposed to go on Jason's podcast, "New Heights," with his brother, Travis Kelce, Wednesday, so maybe it will get brought up then?
We'll see.
Free agency unknowns
The Eagles enter the offseason with 19 unrestricted free agents set to hit the open market on March 15, including 11 starters.
Some of the free agents are top players on the team like Javon Hargrave, James Bradberry, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Miles Sanders, Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham and Jason Kelce.
Most, if not all, of those players will be in for big paydays.
Roseman said they'll prioritize things that are important to them entering free agency, but he was realistic that parts of the team will look much different in 2023.
"Are we going to get all the free agents back? We're just not," Roseman said. "We're not capable of getting all those guys back, but we also understand we're in a good situation in terms of picks that we have going forward. We have a lot of guys under contract, not only for this year but going forward. We're not going to make excuses for the position we're in."
Several key Eagles, including some that helped win the franchise's first Super Bowl, are set to hit free agency in March. Here's the full list.https://t.co/4iag7Zk9K8
— CBS Philadelphia (@CBSPhiladelphia) February 14, 2023
The Eagles currently have $6.3 million in cap space, according to OverTheCap.com.
Roseman also revealed they took a different approach in the 2022 season when deciding on which players to re-sign.
The Eagles usually like to sign players early during the season, but because the team started off so hot and had a lot of free agents, Roseman said the team "thought it would create a different dynamic if we started to pick one guy and not another guy."
"We understood that could cost us in the end, but we felt like it was worthwhile because of the opportunity to potentially win a championship," he added. "Unfortunately, we came up short."
How many QBs will go?
The Eagles have two first-round picks in April's NFL draft -- No. 10 overall via the New Orleans Saints and their own pick at No. 30 overall.
With their No. 10 overall pick, the Eagles could select a premium talent on the defensive line, secondary or elsewhere. University of Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzales and Clemson University defensive lineman Myles Murphy are among the many names to watch ahead of the draft.
There NEEDS to be more hype around #Clemson Edge Myles Murphy.
— Jared Tokarz (@JaredNFLDraft) January 10, 2023
At 6’5 278, @BigMurphy_25, is a perfect blend of size, athleticism, and production.
One scout told me the best way to describe him = “disruptive” and when you turn on the film it’s evident.pic.twitter.com/GcoDZIDWZd
But, landing a premium talent could depend on how many quarterbacks go in the top 10. The more quarterbacks that go, the more top players slide to the Eagles at No. 10 overall.
In a recent mock draft at CBS Sports, four quarterbacks went in the top 10, and Roseman is hoping that's the case.
"It's a quarterback league, and so our assumption is these talented guys -- we're not in that market, so hopefully they all go, to be honest with you," Roseman said "But they're talented enough to go."
Extra points
With Sanders potentially walking away in free agency, backup running back Kenny Gainwell might have a bigger role in 2023.
Roseman said the Eagles are happy with Gainwell and he hasn't hit his ceiling yet, but they'll need to add another tailback in the draft or free agency, especially if Sanders isn't retained.
Gainwell is coming off a year where he emerged late and led the Eagles in rushing yards in the playoffs. The University of Memphis product is also a capable pass-catcher out of the backfield.
Speaking of bigger roles, defensive tackle Jordan Davis and linebacker Nakobe Dean, could be in for more playing time in 2023.
The Eagles most likely won't be able to bring back both Hargrave and Cox this offseason. Plus, starting linebackers T.J. Edwards and Kyzir White are also free agents.
This could lead to a pathway for more playing time for the University of Georgia products.
Davis saw his playing time impacted during his rookie season once the Eagles added Linval Joseph and Ndamukong Suh after he landed on injured reserve, while Dean played mostly special teams and didn't start any games.
Roseman said the team is confident in Davis and Dean moving forward.
"Those guys are ready to play and they are ready to contribute," Roseman said. "We knew when we were drafting them last year we were drafting them because we thought they were the best players, not necessarily because they were the guys ready to fill spots at a position of need."
The Eagles also officially promoted Brian Johnson to offensive coordinator, hired Sean Desai as their defensive coordinator and made other coaching moves Tuesday.