Did Eagles owner reveal player (not Jalen Hurts) crucial to Nick Sirianni job security?

Jeffrey Lurie, as expected, was peppered with questions Tuesday about why Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni kept his job despite an epic collapse that spoiled a 10-1 start and led to a 1-6 finish.

For Lurie, the Eagles chairman and CEO, the NFL's annual meeting represents the only time he addresses reporters in the course of a calendar year.

So this was his first time speaking since the season ended, when there was speculation that Sirianni could get fired. We now know, of course, that Sirianni stayed, that both of his coordinators were fired, and that they were replaced by established gurus in Kellen Moore for the offense and Vic Fangio for the defense.

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We also know that the Eagles embarked on a free agency spending spree that included paying up to $37.8 million over three seasons for running back Saquon Barkley. The Eagles addressed the defense, most notably by signing edge rusher Bryce Huff (possibly at the expense of Haason Reddick, who had 27 sacks over the last two seasons), linebacker Devin White and safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson.

But it's Barkley who will determine Sirianni's fate after all of the signings, maneuvers and changes over the past few months, and those still to come in the NFL draft and with possible trades.

Sure, the Eagles have a leadership void to fill after the retirements of franchise icons in center Jason Kelce and defensive tackle Fletcher Cox. But Sirianni told reporters Tuesday that there are plenty of leaders left, and he mentioned bigger leadership roles for offensive linemen Landon Dickerson and Jordan Mailata, in addition to the returning veterans.

And sure, quarterback Jalen Hurts' perceived regression over the final seven games including playoffs was concerning.

Lurie glossed over all of that, saying to reporters about Hurts' play down the stretch: "It’s a team sport. And there are so many factors that go into it. Was the protection good enough? You can go on and on and on. But we got a major star, 25-year-old mature young man who has every skill set that you want, and he’s a superb person, excellent leader, and he’s authentic."

Then Lurie praised Sirianni for being "proactive" and wanting to be "much more innovative, much more dynamic."

But Lurie did it in the context of offense. That, after all, is Lurie's philosophy on winning football. So as bad as the defense was last season − and it was bad, ranking 31st against the pass and 30th in points allowed per game, among other metrics − in Lurie's eyes, it was really a top-10 ranked NFL offense that needed fixing.

"I do a lot of listening … and go through a lot of plans, a lot of philosophies," Lurie said. "It was easy to be very encouraged of where we’re at and where we’re going forward ... It was a very straightforward decision based on a straightforward process. I don’t get overly influenced by very much. It has to be a holistic look about where we are as a franchise.

"I expect us to always be a championship-caliber team that always looks to the mid-range and the future at the same time. They’re all important."

It's easy to surmise that Lurie believes Barkley makes Hurts a better quarterback, just like he makes Moore a better offensive coordinator and Sirianni a better head coach.

That's why, to Lurie, it was a no-brainer to break from recent tradition and splurge on him.

"We’re always looking for inefficiencies in the market,' Lurie said. "If we think the league is overvaluing a position or undervaluing a position, we will try our best ... to take advantage of those inefficiencies. I think with Saquon, one of the things that we always talk about, whether it was LeSean McCoy or Brian Westbrook, is the value of a running back.

"It’s not even the word in the title ‘running back.’ You have to be a great passing attack running back. For us, it’s gotta be multi-functional. And he exhibited very special skill sets, both in the running and passing game, that we think certainly can be maximized by being on a team with better skill position (players), quarterback, offensive line. So it was a strategy to go (after him)."

And it explains why the Eagles wouldn't pay their previous two running backs, even though both were selected to the Pro Bowl in consecutive seasons.

Miles Sanders had a career-high 1,269 yards rushing in 2022 (Barkley had 1,312 for the Giants that season). But Sanders isn't nearly as accomplished as Barkley is as a receiver or pass protector, so the Eagles let Sanders leave as a free agent.

The Eagles replaced Sanders by trading for D'Andre Swift, who like Sanders in 2022 was in the final season of his rookie contract. Swift also had a career year in rushing with 1,049 yards (Barkley had 962 in 14 games). But Swift, a good receiver out of the back field, isn't at Barkley's level as a rusher or pass protector. So the Eagles let him leave in free agency, too.

On March 11, a few hours after Swift agreed to terms with the Bears for three years worth as much as $24 million, Barkley agreed to terms with the Eagles for much more.

To Lurie, the reason was simple:

"(Eagles general manager) Howie (Roseman) said it’s hard to find exceptionally talented players," Lurie said. "So if you think about it, what we pay Saquon Barkley, take another position of what that (money) is getting in the league, and you tell me, is it better to pay Saquon that kind of money?

"Or a player at a different position that’s getting the exact same amount of money? That’s the decision. Howie led the way there, and felt that Saquon was the right way to spend that money."

It's up to Sirianni to make that work. His job is depending upon it.

Contact Martin Frank@delawareonline.com. Follow on X @Mfranknfl.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Eagles owner: How Saquon Barkley is crucial for Nick Sirianni, offense