Seven things we learned from the Eagles at NFL owners meetings in Orlando
The Eagles and 31 other teams just wrapped up the NFL owner’s meetings in Orlando, Florida, and the media sessions featuring owners, general managers, and head coaches were the week’s highlight.
Longtime Philadelphia owner Jeffrey Lurie held his annual State of the Organization address. In contrast, GM Howie Roseman and head coach Nick Sirianni had 30-minute question-and-answer sessions with NFL media.
The topics at hand included Haason Reddick, Jalen Hurts, Kellen Moore, Vic Fangio, the addition of Saquon Barkley, and more.
With less than one month until the NFL draft, we’re looking at takeaways from all three media sessions and how they’ll impact the 2024 season.
Jeffrey Lurie on Fletcher Cox--Jason Kelce
Two longtime pillars announced their retirement and Lurie addressed their exits.
“I just want to recognize that two players, extraordinary people and players, Jason Kelce, Fletcher Cox retired this year,” Lurie said. “One of the joys of owning the Eagles is the camaraderie, the relationship with players, the relationship with coaches, relationships with everybody in the building. It’s one of the favorite joys of owning the team, and it’s all for a purpose: Winning.
“Yet, you come across extraordinary players and extraordinary people. Jason and Fletch, two exceptional, exceptional players. I hope we’ll see them both in Canton in five years, and they’ll of course be recognized and celebrated in Eagles near history and future history forever, but amazing people. Amazing people.”
Jeffrey Lurie on retaining Nick Sirianni
Philadelphia retained Nick Sirianni after three straight playoff appearances, and Lurie made it seem as if it was an easy decision.
“We go through a very, very intensive process after every single season,” Lurie said. “This season was no different, extremely disappointing ending to the season, the last five, six games, extremely disappointing to me, very frustrating for all of us.
“And once one can assess and meet with Howie (Roseman), with Nick, go through a lot of details and a lot of plans and a lot of philosophies, I was very encouraged where we’re at and where we’re going forward. It was an extremely impressive meeting with Nick and Howie on our plans for both roster development and player development, execution, and every aspect of coaching.
“So, it was a very straightforward decision based on a very straightforward process. I don’t get very overly influenced by much. It has to be a holistic look of where we are as a franchise. I expect us to always be a championship-caliber team that looks to the mid-range and the future at the same time. They’re all important. And I think one of the experiences I’ve had over the years is to take a very hard look at everything every year, no matter how it ends, no matter how it starts.
#Eagles Owner Jeffrey Lurie speaking for first time since end of season at #NFL Owners meetings explains reasons why he likes Nick Sirianni as his HC. @SportsRadioWIP pic.twitter.com/sWuBXBIExM
— Howard Eskin (@howardeskin) March 26, 2024
Howie Roseman on Landon Dickerson
Dickerson is now the highest paid guard in NFL history and Roseman talked about his new deal.
“Tremendous player, tremendous person, and I think the best is yet to come. He is one of seven players since 2010 along the offensive line to make the Pro Bowl in two of his first three seasons and that’s a tribute to him and to Offensive Line Coach Jeff Stoutland. Landon has tremendous power, he’s got a great mentality, and he’s one of our leaders.”
Nick Sirianni on Kellen Moore
Moore was added after Brian Johnson was fired, and Sirianni addressed the meshing of two offensive philosphies.
“We’ll mesh things together. We’ll have some good things we’ve done here in the past and he’s going to bring some new elements to it. There are a lot of similarities within it, too. Kellen is doing a good job of leading the offense.”
Sirianni on Offensive Guard spot
With Jason Kelce retiring, the expectation is that Cam Jurgens will slide over to center and there will be a competition at right guard. Sirianni addressed that potential rotation.
“Excited about the pieces, with (Matt) Hennessy that we added. There is free agency, then there’s the draft, then there’s after the draft, then there’s the first couple of weeks of the season, then there’s the trade deadline … I know this: Howie (Roseman) constantly works to improve this football team. That’s an unbelievable thing as a coach when your general manager and the front office is just willing to do anything to get the team better at all times. It’s a long way away to being a finished product for the offensive line. As we sit right now, I like our guys (offensive line). We’ll see who that is at center. We’ll see who that is at right guard.”
Nick Sirianni on Parris Campbell
The former Colts wide receiver landed in Philadelphia after spending one season with the Giants.
“Parris brings an element of speed. Parris is really fast. He’s a guy that works extremely hard and that wants to be great.”
Jeffrey Lurie on adding Saquon Barkley
The owner was asked about signing Saquon Barkley and the idea that Philadelphia went away from the normal protocol to spend money.
“With Saquon, one of the things we always talk about, whether it was LeSean McCoy, Brian Westbrook, is the value of a running back is it’s not even the word of the title ‘running back.’ You have to be a great passing attack running back as well,” Lurie said. “For us it’s got to be multifunctional.
“And he exhibited a very special skill set both in the running and the passing game that we think certainly can be maximized by being on a team with better skill positions, quarterback, offensive line. So, it was a strategy to go.
“I know people think, well, we don’t spend on the running back position. That’s never really been the case. We would do it very carefully. So, LeSean McCoy, Brian Westbrook, those are instances of players that are really multipurpose running backs that improve the passing attack, improve the running attack.”
