The Eagles made some difficult personnel decisions this offseason with the idea of building on an impressive foundation of young talent.
Philadelphia GM Howie Roseman again emphasized that thought process when speaking with Adam Schein on SiriusXM’s Mad Dog Sports Radio on Thursday.
“Our core guys, they’re all in their 20s. This isn't like we're just putting the band back together to make one last run,” Roseman said.
The Eagles lost several defensive starters and key contributors on Vic Fangio’s No. 1-ranked defense after winning Super Bowl LIX.
The repopulation of that side of the football came on draft night when the first five picks in a 10-person draft class came on defense, including first-round weapon Jihaad Campbell and second-round safety Andrew Mukuba.
The heavy emphasis on defense came because the offense is littered with talent that is locked up long-term, the latest of which is Pro Bowl center Cam Jurgens, who signed a massive four-year extension last month.
Defensively, the goal was to get first-team All-Pro linebacker Zack Baun back, which was accomplished, and then start getting the organization’s financial ducks in a row for the impending extensions for star young talent around the bend.
That will start after the 2025 season with second-team All-Pro defensive tackle Jalen Carter, who is expected to set the market for interior defensive linemen.
Edge rusher Nolan Smith could also be in line for a big extension after next season if he continues to play at the level he did in the second half of 2024-25.
After the 2026 season, star cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean could be in for a financial windfall.
“We feel like we’ve got an opportunity here to continue to build our core players and keep our core guys together,” said Roseman. “We have a lot of [draft] picks next year already. … By the same token, I see the attitude and the energy [for this season]. We understand 2025 is a new year, and we haven’t won a game yet.”
