Did Jalen Hurts Contract Impact Eagles’ Failure to Re-Sign C.J. Gardner-Johnson?

The Philadelphia Eagles made a strong attempt to re-sign defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson in free agency … but ultimately fell short, in part due to quarterback Jalen Hurts’ looming contract extension, per general manager Howie Roseman.

The Philadelphia Eagles’ free agency process with defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson proved to have many twists and turns.

There were early reports of a potential “big push” from Eagles general manager Howie Roseman followed by a “strong offer,” but the two sides ultimately went their separate ways, as Gardner-Johnson signed with the Detroit Lions during free agency.

Roseman, speaking at the NFL owner’s meeting, recapped the process of attempting to retain Gardner-Johnson … and noted the team’s intent on extending quarterback Jalen Hurts played a part in being unsuccessful in their pursuit.

“I think when you go back to the start of free agency, we talked to his representatives about bringing him back here and also talked to them about the fact that we had limited resources,” Roseman said. “It’s no secret that sometime relatively soon we want to extend our quarterback. Our whole kind of roster building is going to turn a little bit here from a quarterback on a rookie deal towards hopefully a quarterback on a long-term deal. 

“Not that we have anything done or anything but that’s obviously our goal, is to keep Jalen here for a long time. And so you run out of resources.”

Hurts, who just wrapped up a stellar third season, is entering the final year of his rookie contract - and appears poised to land a lucrative deal this offseason.

Thus, as Roseman alluded to, the Eagles will be forced to allocate more resources to the quarterback position, though it’s certainly not a bad dilemma to have considering the circumstances of Hurts’ All-Pro season.

Still, there are certainly side effects that come with it - and losing players like Gardner-Johnson, who finished tied for the league lead in interceptions last season with six, illustrates exactly that.

---

You can follow Daniel Flick on Twitter @DFlickDraft

Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Philadelphia Eagles? Click Here.

Want even more Philadelphia Eagles news? Check out the SI.com team page here