Howie Roseman has never been one to lay all his cards on the green felt. Following the pomp and circumstance of another stressful cut-down day, the suddenly serious general manager kept smiles at a minimum while wearing a camouflaged-colored t-shirt as he explained what went into setting the Eagles’ final 53-man roster.
With head coach Nick Sirianni at his side, Roseman sounded like a tired magician with at least one more trick up his sleepless sleeve. The main takeaway from a 20-minute press conference? The roster is very much a work in progress.
“We’ll see what happens here in the next 24 hours. We’ve got a lot of uncertainty,” Roseman told reporters. “We’ve got a lot of work here to do, too, as a staff with all the players that are available. Any upgrade, even incrementally, that helps the team we’re looking for here. So, we’ll get right back up and get back to work.”
Perhaps the biggest question mark punctuates James Bradberry. The Eagles transitioned the former cornerback to safety at training camp, then reportedly attempted to trade him. For now, the one-time Pro Bowler remains slotted as Reed Blankenship‘s backup on the depth chart. According to Roseman, Bradberry’s presence on the roster is more than posturing.
“We say this to our players. Our word’s all we got,” Roseman said of Bradberry staying on the roster. “When we tell our players something, when we tell other teams something, we’re going to abide by that. I’d hate to get up here and be dramatic about anything about anyone on the roster because through the course of the season things come up and opportunities arise. He’s on the team because we think he can help our team.”
Eagles HC Nick Sirianni quickly added: “He’s a pro, and he’s been a pro ever since he’s come into this building. He’s led by example. He’s led with his play and guys look up to him.”
Here are some other key points Roseman addressed in the wake of announcing the Eagles’ 53-man roster:
Concerning the Eagles’ trade for WR Jahan Dotson:
“A player that we did a lot of work within the Draft, in the Draft process, really liked the player, felt like we knew him really well, brought him into the building, had exposure to him. We felt like we had a vision through the coaching staff of how he could be utilized. There was an opportunity there to get the player, obviously give up a second-day draft compensation, which is important for all of us, but we felt like it was worthwhile based on what we knew, what we thought that we needed, and made the trade.”
Concerning the Eagles’ backup center spot which remains vacant:
“I think the first part about it, and we talked about this a little bit today, we’re incomplete right now. We’re at 53, but we really view it as a 70-man roster. We’ve got to go through that here in the next 24 hours to get some players back. We don’t know how that’s going to go. We feel like we’re prepared for whatever the scenarios are on that.”
(Editor’s note: Roseman didn’t rule out Eagles OL Landon Dickerson being used in that capacity if push came to shove).
On keeping zero undrafted rookies on the Eagles’ roster:
“I was thinking we should do a deli takeout thing, where people get numbers because it’s really become a competition that maybe coach likes, but I feel bad. I actually do feel bad when people get shut down. Yeah, we approached — as we talked about, we approached the futures a little bit differently this year based on the quality and the quantity in the draft that we thought. We were a little bit more aggressive in the futures market, and we knew that the undrafted market would be different just for this year.”
On the expectations for Eagles LB Nolan Smith:
“I think Nolan’s got unique get-off speed and motor. I think, when you look at the guys that have that, they can be disruptive. They can be productive. I think for us, like the guy is going to give you everything he’s got, and he’s got tools in his body to do it. He’s still a developing player.”
Concerning Eagles DT Thomas Booker making the final cut:
“Tremendous work ethic. Obviously an incredibly smart guy, a Stanford guy. He’s got all the tools in his body. Just an incredible tribute to him and how hard he worked. When you see his tape and his get-off, and his ability to play with leverage, to play with power, to affect the quarterback, to be disruptive around the quarterback in the backfield. To us, it was clear the guy deserved to be on the team.”
Eagles HC Nick Sirianni Sends Emotional Message Out to Family of Ravens Coach
Nick Sirianni had one final message before he dismissed everyone on cut-down day. The ever-intense head coach seemed to get a bit emotional, seizing the opportunity to heap praise and prayers on a respected peer who died too soon.
Ravens offensive line coach Joe D’Alessandris — “the embodiment of an old-school football coach, combined with the empathy and caring of a modern teacher of football,” per WBAL-TV in Baltimore — was 70 years old. Sirianni and D’Alessandris shared the sideline together during previous stints with the Chiefs and Chargers. He will be deeply missed.
“Our hearts and prayers go out to his three daughters and his grandkids,” Sirianni said. “As I get to read a little bit about Joe more, obviously knowing him and reading some of the articles that are coming out on him, everybody says the same thing. He really made you feel special. That’s the thing that keeps coming up on Joe D. He’d make you feel special about yourself. He’d make your family feel special about them. It is so as advertised. Joe D was a great, great, great man.”
Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
