Eagles general manager Howie Roseman made a promise to fans: to do everything in his power to keep the Super Bowl window open as long as possible.
To keep the Super Bowl window open, Roseman admitted at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis that he will have to get creative with the roster and managing the salary cap.
The first shoe to drop was Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay, just weeks after winning his first Super Bowl.
Yes, the Eagles will free up a little more than $4.3 million dollars by officially releasing Slay, but drafting young talent and hitting on those picks is always the best and cheapest long-term option.
While Cleveland Browns star Myles Garrett remains a possibility, despite the Browns publicly saying they have no interest in trading him, the best long-term and fiscally friendly options are in the NFL Draft.
Just look at last year and the production from rookies Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. They are also the future, making it easier for Roseman to shed salary with Slay.
With the 32nd overall pick to end the first round of the 2025 NFL draft, the options are endless and unpredictable. Plus, many can argue for different needs coming off their second Super Bowl in eight years.
“I wouldn’t rule anything out with Howie,” NFL Network Draft Analyst Daniel Jeremiah said during a conference call prior to the NFL Combine.
It’s a point spot on, and history has shown Roseman’s rapid-fire maneuvering in the draft.
Coming into the 2024 NFL Draft last year in Detroit, the Eagles had the MOST 1st round NFL Draft trades since 2010, with a whopping 24 trades. The Eagles had traded their original first-round draft pick in five of six years, including each of the last three years between 2021 and 2023, which landed them game changers in DT Jalen Carter 2023, DT Jordan Davis 2022 and WR DeVonta Smith 2021.
While the Eagles did not make a trade in the first round last year, Roseman was still wheeling and dealing with eight trades on days 2 and 3 combined.
Eagles Trades at 2024 NFL Draft Last Year Alone
- Traded 2024 2nd-round picks (Nos. 50, 53) and 2024 5th-round pick (No. 161) to Commanders for 2024 2nd-round pick (No. 40), 2024 3rd-round pick (No. 78), and 2024 5th-round pick (No. 152)
- Traded 2024 3rd-round pick (No. 78) to Texans for 2024 3rd-round pick (No. 86) and 2024 4th-round pick (No. 123)
- Traded 2024 3rd-round pick (No. 86) to 49ers for 2024 3rd-round pick (No. 94) and 2024 4th-round pick (No. 132)
- Traded 2024 4th-round pick (No. 120) to Dolphins for 2025 3rd-round pick
- Traded 2024 4th-round pick (No. 123) to Texans for 2024 4th-round pick (No. 127) and 2025 5th-round pick
- Traded 2024 4th-round pick (No. 132) and 2024 6th-round pick (No. 210) to Lions for 2024 5th-round pick (No. 164), 2024 6th-round pick (No. 201), and 2025 4th-round pick
- Traded 2024 5th-round pick (No. 164) and 2024 6th-round pick (No. 201) to Colts for 2024 5th-round pick (No. 155)
- Traded 2024 5th-round pick (No. 171) to Jets for 2024 6th-round picks (Nos. 185, 190)
What Will Howie Roseman Do in the 2025 NFL Draft?
As Roseman and the Eagles build their draft board, it’s impossible to know what may happen and who may fall in front of them that aligns with their draft board and grades, but Jeremiah believes moving up is not as likely as moving back, at least at this time.
“I could easily see them sliding back. I think there’s a lot of value in day 2 in this year’s draft class. That would be more likely,” Jeremiah said.
Will the Eagles address a specific need or just go for the best player, regardless of the position and regardless of the reaction?
LSU star tight end Mason Taylor, who drew oohs and ahhs, during the combine would be a “home run” pick at 32 overall even though the Eagles have Dallas Goedert, who remains extremely productive despite playing in a career-low ten regular season games during their Super Bowl winning season and catching his fewest passes since his rookie year in 2018.
“Mason Taylor of LSU would be a home run pick who is just a real steady, reliable, dependable guy who jumped on the scene with the game-winner against Bama his freshman year,” Jeremiah said. “Obviously it's a football family with Jason Taylor there, but he's an impressive kid who had a great Senior Bowl. I don't know how far into the second round he would make it.”
Taylor is arguably the best tight end in LSU history. He had 129 catches for 1,308 yards and 6 TDs and finished his LSU career with receptions in 28 straight games.
If the Eagles can not sign pending free agents Zack Baun, Mekhi Becton, or Josh Sweat, it could open the door for a few potential players the Eagles will target.
“If I’m looking at the interior offensive line, you know, there’s some interest—to me the no-brainer would be Grey Zabel if he was there from North Dakota State. He has the versatility. I think that’s one of the underrated aspects of what the Eagles have done,” Jeremiah said. “Everybody talks about how big and physical they are, but look at the number of guys on that offensive line that have cross-trained at different positions. You mentioned Becton from a tackle to a guard. Landon Dickerson can play any of those spots. Jurgens plays guard, plays center. Lane, if you needed him to, could kick over to the left in a heartbeat.”
Zabel certainly impressed at the combine, tying the third-highest vertical leap at the NFL Combine for an offensive lineman ever.
“Zabel to me out of North Dakota State, he has got legit five-position flex. I think he is better off inside. Becton, I think he is plug-and-play year one at the guard spot. So I like him a lot,” Jeremiah added.
While LSU guard Miles Frazier is not believed to be a first-round prospect, if the Eagles were to move back and or address their offensive line on day 2 of the draft, Frazier could be a great pickup to blend in with arguably the best offensive line in the NFL.
“Miles Frazier sticks out when you get into day 2 from LSU. He’s got size. Over 6’5”, 324 pounds. I just think he knows how to play. He’s played some outside as well, but he’s definitely going to be a guard. He’s got some power, some torque, and some turn to him. So that one would be a match there,” Jeremiah said.
As far as potentially replacing Baun, or even adding depth at the linebacker position, Alabama’s Jihaad Campbell is at the top of the board among players in that position.
“When you look at linebackers, it’s not a great off-the-ball linebacker year. Howie, he’s not going to take a linebacker in the first round, but if somehow Jihaad Campbell were to be there—I can’t imagine he would—but he’s a rangy, versatile, athletic dude who can help you all over the ball. He can run like crazy. He’s got a bunch of up side as a rusher too. That would be one,” Jeremiah said.
Other potential linebackers that could be a good fit are Cody Simons out of Ohio State, Jeffrey Bassa from Oregon, and Barrett Carter from Clemson. These are linebackers likely to go in the third-round range.
Since Philadelphia does not have a glaring specific need at this point, it’s crucial that they draft the best impact player and not reach, especially when they don’t have to with their nucleus locked up and under contract.