Eagles Howie Roseman Has Contract Decisions Looming On Key Defensive Veterans

It's a big year for pair of defensive linemen whose production must improve if they want to return, and they addressed their situations.

Eagles general manager Howie Roseman / Ed Kracz/Eagles on SI

PHILADLPHIA – It’s Howie Roseman’s policy to never publicly comment on player contracts. The Eagles general manager likes to do that work behind closed doors and leave it there.

Players don’t typically comment on it, either, but two important pieces of the Eagles’ defense had something to say about their deals that will expire at the end of the season – defensive tackle Milton Williams and edge rusher Josh Sweat.

Williams is in the final year of his rookie deal. Drafted in the third round back in 2021, the Eagles have yet to offer him a new contract. He said his reps have talked to Roseman.

“I heard about (conversations) earlier on, but that ain’t my main focus right now,” he said. “I ain’t got too many details.”

Williams knows the score, though. He knows how big this season is to his future in Philly.

 “Definitely, you know what time it is,” he said. “I’m going to go out there and show what I can do.”

Dec 31, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Josh Sweat (94) in action against the Arizona Cardinals at Lincoln Financial Field. Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports / Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Sweat said he lets his representation handle the business side of the sport, an answer that most athletes give in contract years.

“I let my agent handle that with those guys,” he said. “I just want to play. I didn’t even really think about it in the offseason. I just approached the same way, just to get better. I really didn’t think about it. Just wanted to get it right and come back and play and focus on what I need to focus on.”

What Sweat needs to focus on is the same thing Williams must focus on – increasing their production. Both players’ production decreased a season ago.

Sweat appeared on his way to breaking his career-high of 11 sacks set in the 2022 Super Bowl season. He had just 43 tackles, which was his lowest total since getting 38 in 2020, and he only played in 14 games that year compared to all 17 last season.

The Eagles reportedly were willing to trade Sweat in the offseason. It was between him and Haason Redick.

“I didn’t even think about it because I can’t control that,” said Sweat about the uncertainty of his offseason. “Trade, whatever. I just went to work how I know.”

The Eagles ended up dealing Reddick, who is holding out of Jets camp looking for a new contract. Sweat, who was a fourth-round pick by the Eagles in 2018, agreed to a contract that will pay him $9.5 million this year.

Williams’ production also took a slide despite playing 99 more snaps than he did in 2022, recording just a half-sack compared to 4.0 two years ago. His total tackles went up by six but his tackles for loss decreased by six.

There are thre other key pieces to the defense that will be free agents, though they also have to earn their way with their play – linebackers Devin White ad Zack Baun, both of whom signed one-year free-agent deals in the offseason, and defensive tackle Marlon Tuipulotu.

With a young defensive tackle group, and in need of others to step up with the retirement of Fletcher Cox, Tuipulotu will likely see an increase from the 162 snaps (14 percent) he saw last year.

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