Howie Talks
Posted: March 25th, 2024 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | Comments Off on Howie TalksThe owners meetings are taking place in Orlando. Nick Sirianni and Jeffrey Lurie will meet with the media on Tuesday. On Monday, Howie Roseman met with reporters and offered thoughts on a variety of subjects.
Here's part of what Eagles GM Howie Roseman said about the addition of Saquon Barkley this offseason: "We think Saquon’s a special player and we think he’s a special person. And when you’re trying to find those guys, they’re hard to find, especially on the open market….
— Dave Zangaro (@DZangaroNBCS) March 25, 2024
The Eagles didn’t just go spend big on a RB. They spent big on a special player. I think that is an important distinction to make. Last year the Eagles paid solid money for a solid starting RB. This time around they went for a star. Howie always talks about trying to find an edge in terms of roster construction. Maybe as other teams are being cautious about paying RBs, the Eagles saw an opportunity to go the other way and get a big time talent. The price wasn’t that high and Barkley didn’t cost any compensation.
There is risk in this move, but also the potential for a home run. Barkley has a special combination of size, speed and athleticism. He could make a good offense great. He is one of the rare players that feels like a threat any time he touches the ball.
Howie Roseman on the idea that the Eagles missed C.J. Gardner-Johnson's mentality/personality: “That would be accurate to say: We were looking to gain our swagger and mentality back. Obviously what happened at the end of the year didn’t feel good, wasn’t acceptable for any of us.…
— Zach Berman (@ZBerm) March 25, 2024
The Eagles defense lacked talent and attitude last year. And the coaching wasn’t ideal. CJGJ gives the defense someone who can cover and make plays. He also brings attitude. Some will call it swagger. It was hard for some of last year’s defenders to have swagger. If you don’t have talent, it is to be a confident, aggressive player. CJGJ can have a real impact on this defense.
Howie Roseman on Bryce Huff: "Heavy-handed, understands leverage, has explosiveness in his body. The Jets did an unbelievable job of having that edge rusher position really filled with 5 or 6 guys, when I look at their depth chart. Joe did a great job of bringing those guys in.…
— Zach Berman (@ZBerm) March 25, 2024
Huff is a fascinating addition. He’s coming off a 10-sack year and has a lot of potential. But he’s unproven as a starter and there is a question about what the Eagles will do with Haason Reddick. Howie wouldn’t address that topic. He certainly is high on Huff and thinks he can be a key player for the Eagles. It certainly does seem like the Eagles are going to do a lot of rotating with their pass rushers this year. That is a way to bring out the best in Huff.
Howie Roseman on Zack Baun, who was a "targeted" player for the Eagles at the start of free agency: "Vic (Fangio), when he went to Miami last year, had a player with a similar skill set that hadn't really ascended yet. …You saw that guy in Vic's defense, has the ability to play…
— Zach Berman (@ZBerm) March 25, 2024
Speaking of edge rushers…Howie’s most interesting comments might have been about Zack Baun. The Eagles signed him on Day One, just like Saquon and Huff. They targeted all three of the players. That doesn’t mean Baun will be a starter or key player, but he is an interesting option for Vic Fangio. Howie compared him to Andrew Van Ginkel, who played for Fangio last year at Miami. Van Ginkel had an INT, 6 sacks and 19 QB hits for Miami last year. He was able to move around and do different things. Baun has the same versatility so he could be more of a factor than people initially expected.
"I think it’s obvious to everyone, including [James Bradberry], that JB didn’t have the year that he was expecting and that we were expecting. I think, obviously, he understands that and he is driven to show that he is the player that he was in 2022." — Howie Roseman
— Dave Zangaro (@DZangaroNBCS) March 25, 2024
Rather than talk about only new guys, let’s mention a returning player. James Bradberry had a disastrous season in 2023. The Eagles have publicly acknowledged his struggles, but also have talked about him bouncing back. Because of his contract, cutting Bradberry doesn’t help them. They pay him to play or they pay him to go away. But they will be paying him.
I hated what I saw from Bradberry last year, in terms of results, but also toughness and effort. If you struggle to cover, you better sure as heck tackle and play your butt off. Bradberry didn’t do that.
Maybe having Fangio running the defense will bring out a better version of Bradberry. Maybe having a guy like CJGJ around will bring out a better version of Bradberry. Maybe it will simply be pride that kicks in. The Eagles are keeping Bradberry around for now to see if they get an improved player.
“For now” is the key phrase. If they draft a corner early, they might let go out of Bradberry. Or the Eagles might just cut him at some point this summer. They saw him slip in a big way last year and have an idea of whether there is any real chance of him improving.
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