Podium Ponderings

INDIANAPOLIS – Thirty minutes before taking the podium, crowds began to form around podium 6 inside Hall J of the Indiana Convention Center. Howie Roseman, Eagles executive vice president/general manager, was set to speak at 2:45 p.m., followed by head coach Nick Sirianni 15 minutes later.

There was much on the agenda, as the Eagles in the two months since the season ended reshaped their offensive coaching staff  – and seemingly, philosophy – while the team braces for free agency, where 20 in-house players are primed to reach the open market. There’s also the ongoing A.J. Brown stay-or-go saga, but I’ll spare you that for now.

The topics Roseman addressed included, but were hardly limited to, pending free agents and philosophy, with the crowd growing deeper as the start time neared.

Here are some takeaways from Roseman’s comments Tuesday in Indianapolis:

Howie Roseman’s podium interview is well-attended every year at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

Open line of communication

Among the more notable position groups the Eagles will be tasked with restocking this offseason would be tight end, where Dallas Goedert, Grant Calcaterra and Kylen Granson are slated to hit the open market next month. At the head of the class, and likely near the top of the Eagles’ in-house free agent priority list, would be Goedert. The 31-year-old turned in a stellar season, achieving career highs in receptions (60) and receiving touchdowns (11) – in a season that almost never happened.

As a refresher, the Eagles and Goedert last May agreed to a contract restructure that kept the 2018 second-round pick in Philadelphia for one more season when the relationship once appeared to be headed for a heartbreak. Goedert delivered, producing the most productive season of his eight-year career. In hindsight, the breakout campaign should have been spotted from a mile away, as Goedert functioned as the most popular target for quarterback Jalen Hurts in training camp, foreshadowing what was the come. And the connection was as consistent as Goedert’s red zone presence.

Age and injury history aside, he delivered, missing only one game due to injury. The position room will inevitably undergo a makeover from last season – par for the course from a business perspective – but the Eagles should do what they can to ensure Goedert doesn’t play elsewhere in 2026. And on Tuesday in Indianapolis, Roseman indicated that conversations between both sides will take place this week, but not before extending his gratitude.

“Tremendous player and person for the Philadelphia Eagles,” he said. “Really glad we were able to figure it out and bring him back to Philadelphia this year and for the season. And tremendously productive for us. Just a huge asset for or offense to have him on or football team. Again, we gotta put the whole puzzle together, and so, to sit here – we got a lot of other free agents, too – and say, ‘Hey, we’re definitely gonna get this guy back,’ when we get this late. Obviously, the market dictates a lot of that as well, but we’ll certainly sit down with his agent here over the next couple days and have a conversation. Very appreciative of Dallas Goedert.”

Support for Elliott

While a largely static Eagles offense garnered most of the outside criticism last season, a different reoccurring concern festered on the backburner. In this case it wasn’t a one-off, but rather a troubling trend potentially in need of further examination. Complicating matters is that the player cast in the spotlight, kicker Jake Elliott, has delivered for the Eagles on the biggest stages and under the narrowest of margins.

Just refer back to 2017, when Elliott drilled a 61-yard field goal to sink of the Giants. Or later that season, when Elliott connected on a 42-yard field goal in Super Bowl LII in the fourth quarter to extend the Eagles’ lead to six.

For something more recent, many will remember Elliott booting a 59-yard field goal against the Bills in the driving rain with 20 seconds remaining in regulation, but few probably recall Elliott earning All-Pro honors that season. The NFL can be fickle. And while the accolades on Elliott’s moments can’t be erased, and his demonstration of performance over the years should certainly conjure equity, the NFL is a business.

But the Eagles must determine whether Elliott’s inconsistencies can be reversed in the coming months, or if the struggles are a precursor to a downslide.

In the midst of his slumps, Elliott always conveyed confidence, vowing to find a rhythm and work his way out of it. Given his history with the Eagles, he deserved the benefit of the doubt to do so. But Elliott is coming off a season in which he produced a 74.1% field goal percentage, second-lowest of his career, and failed to deliver for his team last season in some critical moments. The Eagles must do something this offseason to account for the third phase turbulence, but that isn’t to suggest Elliott should just be jettisoned.

The 31-year-old has always entered training camps unchallenged, never having to look over his shoulder or feel the burden of legitimate competition. It’s fair to expect that to change, presumably via post-draft signing or free agency, but Roseman didn’t mince words when asked about Elliott, standing by his placekicker of nearly 10 seasons.

“I think that Jake has been a tremendous kicker for us since we got him off the practice squad in Cincinnati in 2017,” he said. “Tremendously clutch. Have a lot of confidence in him as a player, as a kicker, as a person – a captain on our team – and continue to believe in him as our placekicker.”

Cornerback construction

When the Eagles lost cornerback Isaiah Rodgers to the Minnesota Vikings last offseason in free agency and proceeded to land veteran Adoree’ Jackson, the team’s maintenance offseason – that shouldn’t have caught anyone by surprise –  reached a moment of clarity. Bypassing on the position in the early rounds of the draft meant the team was banking on Jackson to contend with third-year pro Kelee Ringo in training camp for the opportunity to start opposite Quinyon Mitchell.

Ringo faltered and Jackson was only slightly better, prompting the Eagles to strike a trade for Jakorian Bennett last August. Bennett fell behind, trailing both Jackson and Ringo, before suffering an early season injury that landed him on injured reserve. He returned, but never became a factor on defense.

Jackson, who endured a shaky start to the season, would ultimately settle in and provide stability opposite Mitchell. Sure, on a secondary that includes two All Pros, Jackson stuck out like a sore thumb, but the survivor performed well enough to warrant another season in Philadelphia, if for no other reason than insurance.

While the Eagles’ thought process when approaching the No. 2 cornerback position was sound, as they doubled down in their confidence in player development (Ringo), the team failed to furnish the roster without a viable break-glass-in-case-of-emergency reserve. And based on early returns, the trade for Bennett looks like a potential misevaluation.

For as much wizardry as Roseman can show when it comes to team-building, the lack of urgency when tending to the position this time last year confirms oversight. But if there’s a silver lining here, Roseman has proven to be a quick study, always accountable and rarely making the same mistake twice.

He’s armed the Eagles with two top-end corners, a luxury that most teams are without, and still plans to add to the position.

“I think that when you look at Q and Coop leading that group, two All-Pro players – guys who want to be a part of the Philadelphia Eagles for a long time,” he said. “Really, Coop, he can play anything; he can play outside corner, he can play nickel. He can play at an All-Pro level anywhere, so having him gives you some flexibility.

“And so, we’ll go into the offseason looking to add to that position. Adoree’ (Jackson) did a really nice job for us last year and got better throughout the course of the year. And just like any other position, he’s a free agent. We’ll just see how the offseason plays out.”

— Andrew DiCecco (@AndrewDiCecco) is a Staff Reporter/Content Producer for InsideTheBirds.com