Roseman explains why Eagles didn't give out any in-season extensions

[time2rock]

 

Roseman explains why Eagles didn't give out any in-season extensions

Eagles GM Howie Roseman explains why he didn't pull off any in-season extensions this year.

By Dave Zangaro • Published February 4, 2025

 

NEW ORLEANS — The Eagles could lose some key free agents this offseason and they noticeably didn’t give out any extensions during the 2024 season.

That was by design.

Eagles general manager Howie Roseman on Monday night at the Super Bowl Opening Night explained that the Eagles didn’t extend any of their pending free agents this season for the same reason they didn’t extend anyone during the last Super Bowl season in 2022.

"Once you start doing that, it’s almost like, are you picking favorites?” Roseman said. "And the other guys start saying, ‘What about me?’ And they start playing for themselves as opposed to the team.

"Now, we’ve seen that probably costs you money in the long run as you’re doing it. But when you have an opportunity to compete for a championship, it’s worth that sacrifice I think.”

There are several notable free agents the Eagles aren’t going to want to lose this offseason. Zack Baun, Mekhi Becton, Milton Williams, Josh Sweat, Isaiah Rodgers, Kenny Gainwell and more are all set to hit the open market in March when the new league year begins.

With guys like Baun and Becton, who proved themselves at new positions after signing one-year deals, the price tag has only gone up throughout the 2024 season. Roseman knows that and he’ll have his work cut out for him in the offseason.

The Eagles signed Baun to a one-year, $3.5 million contract in March and expected him to be a special teams ace and perhaps a rotational edge rusher. Instead, he’s turned into an All-Pro and the best linebacker in the NFL. The Eagles definitely need to re-sign him but it’s going to take a lot more money now than it would have in October.

The same can be said, to a lesser degree, about Becton. The Eagles didn’t even sign him until after the draft and there were plenty of people who considered the former first-rounder a bust. Even if Becton was just a backup swing tackle this season, that would have been OK. But Becton became a full-time starting right guard and is likely going to get a multi-year deal from someone this offseason.

There’s no doubt that Baun and Becton and even Williams did enough this year to earn a lot more money than you would have expected at the beginning of the season.

Roseman understands that, but he’s willing to live with it.

Because the vibes around the 2024 Eagles have been so good and the locker room has been so strong that Roseman didn’t want to do anything that might negatively affect it.

Even if there are some obvious drawbacks to this approach.

"I’ll do anything for a championship,” Roseman said. "So if that’s the trade-off and maybe we lose a player, I won’t like that, but I’ll take it.”

https://www.nbcsportsphiladelphia.com/nfl/philadelphia-eagles/howie-roseman-super-bowl-extensions-zack-baun-mekhi-becton-opening-night-free-agency/646832/

[PoconoDon]

Howie has to keep salary cap flexibility for when he does the Miles Garret trade.

[time2rock]

16 hours ago, PoconoDon said:

Howie has to keep salary cap flexibility for when he does the Miles Garret trade.

That would be a huge addition at arguably our biggest position of need.  I hope he can find a way to pull it off.

[Breeze 44]

It makes sense..also depending on outcome of Sunday..things change perspective wise..A win brings change in Graham does reire,,Slay you try to move or make a June 1st cut...

DG do you restructure or ride out the last year...Howie has big decisions this off season..Let the season play out and move from there.

[LacesOut]

If they win this SB, I could care less about the Off-Season and who gets re-signed. Get another Lombardi and worry about that crap later!!

[time2rock]

Incredibly smart strategy by Howie.  Why chance disrupting team chemistry by handing extensions to certain players while they clearly were playing super tight knit football and on a mission.  **Knock on wood** but hopefully another win today and then can take care of all of that sometime between tomorrow and March 12th when the new league year starts.  

[UK_EaglesFan89]

It makes a lot of sense to take that approach. Don’t upset team chemistry when you have such an opportunity to go and win the Super Bowl. Let’s just hope pays off today because the likelihood is we are going to miss out on bringing some of those guys back. But win today and that rush was definitely worth it.