Howie Roseman Explains In-Season Contract Approach, Talks Jason Kelce

The Eagles GM said the 8-0 start that became 14-3 was a reason he didn't sign anybody during the season, adds he won't rush a return-or-retire decision from veteran center

The Eagles were too good for their own good, and that is why they are sort of in the predicament they are now, with a mass exodus of free agents expected to walk out the door once the new league year arrives on March 15.

GM Howie Roseman explained that he didn’t want to tinker with the team’s chemistry as the season wore on, so he veered from the path he usually takes and chose not to re-sign anybody once November rolled around.

“Obviously we took a little bit of a different tactic this year,” he told reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine on Tuesday afternoon. “Usually, we like to sign guys early and sign guys during the season, and because of how hot we started, how well we did, and how many free agents we had, we thought it would create a different dynamic if we started to pick one guy and not another guy.

“We understood that could cost us in the end, but we felt like it was worthwhile because of the opportunity to potentially win a championship. Unfortunately, we came up short.”

So, that 8-0 start was fun for the fans, as was the 14-3 regular season, and the trip to the Super Bowl, but now the bill has come due.

“Obviously, you want all your guys back because you just went through a super special journey together,” said head coach Nick Sirianni who took to the podium after Roseman spoke for about 10 minutes. “The journey is what you’ll always remember. I know that will stick with us. But there are a lot of good moments in that journey.

“…you want to try to get as many guys back as you can. But knowing that’s not always possible. Again, Howie’s gotta do what he feels is best for the team. I’ll have my input, just like we talked about, and we’ll see what happens.”

Roseman knows that it is simply not possible to bring back everybody.

It’s a long list, after all.

“We're going to prioritize the things that are important to us, that we build our team on,” he said. “We're going to make sure those areas are strong. Are we going to get all the free agents back? We're just not. We're not capable of getting all those guys back, but we also understand we're in a good situation in terms of picks that we have going forward.

“We have a lot of guys under contract, not only for this year but going forward. We're not going to make excuses for the position we're in.”

One of the priorities will be center Jason Kelce, who technically is one of the free agents.

Roseman said he won’t push him for an answer as to whether he would like to keep playing or retire after 12 likely Hall of Fame seasons.

“He’s a special player, special person,” said Roseman. “I think whatever his timeline is, we’re willing to work with him.”

The GM added that he will be on Jason and Travis Kelce’s podcast, ‘New Heights’ on Wednesday.

“Maybe we’ll have a conversation on it,” he said.

Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Fan Nation Eagles Today and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglestoday.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.