In case you haven’t noticed general manager Howie Roseman has now gone on record twice — in Philadelphia and Indianapolis — to alert the team’s passionate fan base that the Eagles will be losing significant players from what was the deepest roster in the NFL when the new league year starts on March 15.
The organization’s plan, which is never rooted in the immediate gratification most followers live in, has already begun to factor in 2024 compensatory draft picks that will be headed the Eagles’ way.
Players like Javon Hargrave, James Bradberry, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, and Isaac Seumalo are expected to receive top-of-the markets deals at their respective positions. The consolation prize if they are signed elsewhere will be draft picks 14 months out.
Before you panic that’s not to say the Eagles will or are planning to lose all of those players but if there is a 50% return you should consider that a win.
The feeling is that the most likely to leave are Bradberry, whose play in 2022-23 simply priced him out of Philadelphia’s CB2 slotting, and Pro Bowl running back Miles Sanders, which is tied to the valuation that Roseman typically places on that position, along with a deep draft class in which potential contributors could be garnered in the middle rounds of the 2023 draft in April.
As far as who stays the belief is Gardner-Johnson’s age and upside make him the top target but other executives have pointed to Hargrave’s interior pass-rushing dominance and Roseman’s belief in building up front.
One former executive also said press pause on Gardner-Johnson, however.
“They want him but they aren’t going to make him the highest-paid safety or anything like that,” the former exec told JAKIB Sports. “They are disciplined. Look at [Marcus] Williams and [Christian] Kirk last year. They wanted them but got priced out. They liked the players but stayed disciplined and WIlliams is better than C.J.”
Reports of the franchise tag are unlikely, even as a strategy placeholder because players could actually sign the deals under the tag and place Roseman in a position he doesn’t want to be with the 2023 salary cap.
Seumalo’s future is likely tied to Jason Kelce. If the All-Pro retires, the Eagles will slot in Cam Jurgens at center and try to get Seumalo back in the fold. If Kelce wants to play in 2023, the Eagles will most likely let Seumalo walk and move Jurgens to RG. at least for the short-term.
Despite Roseman’s assertation that Kelce can take all the time he wants the belief is that the veteran will let the organization know his decision by the start of the new league year so it can plan accordingly.
If that’s not the case, however, and the Eagles are planning to let Kelce mull things over for a longer period it’s a clear indication Seumalo won’t be back.
