Did Eagles give away plans for Haason Reddick, D'Andre Swift? Could Bradberry really return?
INDIANAPOLIS − As the Eagles set their offseason goals, there will be changes. Both Eagles general manager Howie Roseman and head coach Nick Sirianni made that clear Tuesday.
Sort of.
No, Roseman and Sirianni didn't divulge how the team will change after a brutal 1-6 finish that included the wild-card round playoff exit. At least, not explicitly.
But we have already seen some of them as the Eagles hired Kellen Moore as offensive coordinator and Vic Fangio as defensive coordinator. Soon, the players will change, too, as free agency begins the week of March 11.
The Eagles put some of that in motion by telling Haason Reddick's agent to seek a trade. And the Eagles are also waiting on decisions from veteran and franchise stalwarts in center Jason Kelce and defensive tackle Fletcher Cox on whether they want to return for a 14th and 13th season, respectively.
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While Roseman would like a decision from both before the start of the new league year on March 13 so he can adjust accordingly, he's also not going to rush them.
"Obviously, those guys are unbelievable players, unbelievable people, and they deserve the right to decide what's best for them," Roseman said. "And, you know, we'll wait and give them whatever time and space they need to make the right decisions. And I think the important thing from our perspective is you never want to see them wearing different color (uniforms).
"I think for us no matter when that is, if they want the opportunity to come back, we'd want to have the opportunity to have them."
But it's not that easy. There's a salary cap to adhere to once the new league year starts March 13. The Eagles are currently about $27 million under the cap. But there's also one of the NFL's worst defenses to address, and re-signing Kelce and Cox will certainly take away money that could be spent on top free agents.
And Roseman made it seem like there are several moves that he needs to make to improve the defense.
That could begin with trading or even releasing Reddick, who led the Eagles with 11 sacks last season and 27 total over the previous two. Reddick, who turns 30 in September, will count $21.9 million against the salary cap in 2024, the biggest cap hit on the team.
Reddick is going into the final year of his three-year, $45 million deal. Sure, the Eagles can cut that cap hit in half by restructuring his contract, but do the Eagles want to keep paying Reddick well into his 30s, when they could possibly get an early-round draft pick, plus an extra $16 million on the salary cap by trading him?
That's why Roseman said there's not just one area of the defense that he needs to address.
"I don't think there's an area that we wouldn't be open to addressing now," Roseman said. "If you look at our defense, and you're just kind of honest with it, well, we have a lot of young players at defense tackle, right?
"So is that as big a priority as other areas? Just being honest, probably not. But that's also an important position. So we're also not going to be in a position where we're going to turn down a guy because the resources are already there. (That's) because we believe in the D-line."
But that also applies to offense.
Sure, the Eagles are set with the core of a top-10 offense led by quarterback Jalen Hurts, wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, and tight end Dallas Goedert, not to mention one of the NFL's top offensive lines whether Kelce returns or not.
But the Eagles know the offense underperformed during a 1-6 finish, which is why Sirianni fired offensive coordinator Brian Johnson and replaced him with Moore.
In addition, D'Andre Swift, who rushed for 1,049 yards last season, is eligible for free agency. The Eagles haven't paid big money for running backs, and it's becoming apparent that they aren't going to start now.
They let Miles Sanders leave as a free agent after he rushed for 1,269 yards in 2022. And Sirianni made it seem like the Eagles are prepared for Swift to leave as well.
"We were in the top 10 in rushing, and it's been kind of a staple here for the past three years," Sirianni said. "And we've done it with different pieces. And you always can do it with different pieces. But you know, obviously you get attached to things ... and DeAndre had a great year. He did a lot of really, really great things. And we'll see how that plays out. There's a lot to play out."
Here are some other takeaways from Roseman and Sirianni's press conferences:
Could James Bradberry really be back?
Perhaps the most disappointing of the defensive players was the play of cornerback James Bradberry. The soon-to-be 30-year-old would appear to be gone. But Roseman indicated Tuesday that Bradberry "is under contract, part of our plan" for 2024.
Of course, that doesn't mean Bradberry will be back because the Eagles can release him any time. And it won't cost them anything on the salary cap if they do it with a post-June 1 designation.
Does Nolan Smith have a future?
If the Eagles do move on from Reddick, the Eagles could be counting on Nolan Smith to replace him. Smith, the Eagles' first-round pick (No. 30 overall) last spring, had a disappointing season when he finally got a chance to play late in the season.
Roseman said Smith played well in the 32-9 playoff loss to the Bucs, but he needs to show more.
"He's got all the right tools in his body. He's got the right mentality," Roseman said. "And at the same time, he's got to go out and show it."
What Kellen Moore's hiring means for Sirianni
For three seasons, Sirianni designed the offense the Eagles have run. His assistants, whether it was Shane Steichen as the offensive coordinator in 2021-22, and Johnson, reflected that.
That's about to change with Moore, who spent five seasons with the Dallas Cowboys as a pass-happy offense built around Dak Prescott, then the Chargers last season with Justin Herbert.
And Moore will come up with a plan for the Eagles around Hurts and his receivers. Sirianni will have to adjust.
"It's been fun to get to know him and work through these things together, to build our offense for next season," Sirianni said. "(Moore) has been highly successful, and we've been highly successful. I'm really looking forward to meshing what he's done really well together with the things that we've done really well.
"I think it's gonna be a really good match."
Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on X @Mfranknfl.
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Did Eagles reveal plans for Haason Reddick, D'Andre Swift, Bradberry?
