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Following the Zach Ertz trade, there are two ways the Philadelphia Eagles can go from here on out. They can ignite a fire sale by slowly shedding high-priced veterans or stay the course. Don’t tell general manager Howie Roseman the team can’t make a playoff push.
Yes, the Eagles have dropped four of their last five games but optimism continues to run high in the front office. The decision to cut ties with Ertz was more about doing what was best for an all-time great player. He gets a chance to chase another Super Bowl ring in Arizona, maybe even parlay any success out there into one last pay day.
Back in Philadelphia, Roseman has his eyes set firmly on the future. And he likes the way the roster looks at the tight end position. He doesn’t anticipate being sellers when the NFL trade deadline rolls around on Tuesday, November 2 at 4 p.m.
“I don’t view us as being sellers. I view us as still having an opportunity in the next 11 games to show what kind of team we are,” Roseman told reporters. “And I think this was more about the opportunity to really put the pieces of the puzzle together for this team at that position and kind of moving forward. It’s not to give up on the season in any way, shape or form. I’m certainly not thinking about anything going south.”
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Roseman Gushes Over Tyree Jackson
One reason why Roseman feels so confident moving forward has to do with a 6-foot-7, 249-pound former quarterback. Tyree Jackson was enjoying a breakout training camp until a back injury – an unfortunate bone fracture suffered during a joint practice on August 17 – forced him onto injured reserve.
But Jackson’s potential is undeniable, and his strong showing this summer helped expedite Ertz’s departure, according to Roseman. He was supposed to miss eight to 10 weeks, so Jackson is now coming up on his window to return.
“I think some of the circumstances that changed was getting the chance to see Tyree Jackson,” Roseman said, “and wanted to see him in games as he comes back over the next couple of weeks.”
Dallas Goedert will be the immediate starter, but he hasn’t been the most reliable player over the years – injuries, bar fights, COVID-19 – and Roseman knows there are no hometown discounts. Goedert is pushing for a multi-year deal in the range of $70 million.
“There’s going to be no discount on Dallas Goedert,” Roseman said. “So, we know that, so we want to get as much information and give him as much opportunity to take over that and see him in that role as much as possible, as opposed to guessing on it.”
The smarter financial move may be to roll the dice on the “young guys” on the roster, undrafted free agents like Jackson, Jack Stoll, and Noah Togiai.
“We want to make sure that we’re going into next year knowing as much as we could. If he’s going to look like he did during training camp, like, that’s going to be a player for us,” Roseman said of Jackson. “But he’s got to show it in games.
“And this is an opportunity for him to come back and for us to see that. We don’t think that’s just a shot in the dark. We think this guy’s got some traits. So, we want to see that, and Jack [Stoll] and Noah [Togiai] are two guys we’ve been high on.”
Eagles Scouted Tay Gowan Prior to NFL Draft
Tay Gowan wasn’t a household name in Philadelphia prior to the Ertz trade. Now everyone is Googling his college highlight-reel tape and pointing out how fast the kid from Central Florida is.
According to Roseman, the Eagles scouted him extensively and were high on him heading into the 2021 NFL draft. Gowan went 223rd overall to Arizona, one pick before the Eagles took LSU safety JaCoby Stevens in the sixth round.
“He’s a guy we spent a lot of time with in the draft process. He was somebody that we would have considered with our sixth-round pick,” Roseman said. “He was in a group of names. He went right before we picked and he’s a long corner. He’s got tremendous speed.”
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