Inside the Eagles' 'Tricky' Cut To 53

Eagles GM Howie Roseman has to navigate different agendas to serve two masters when building a roster.

Eagles GM Howie Roseman / John McMullen/Eagles on SI

PHILADELPHIA - Howie Roseman’s messaging for the first incarnation of the 2024 Eagles roster was to preach patience in a society where that is often in short supply.

“Where’s the backup center,” was a popular refrain coming from those rifling through Philadelphia’s initial 53-man roster, followed quickly by “Two tight ends?”

“I think the first part about it, and we talked about this a little bit today, we're incomplete right now,” the Eagles’ GM said. “We're at 53, but we really view it as a 70-man roster (53 plus the 16-man practice squad that can begin to be assembled on Wednesday, and an international player exemption). “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.”

Roseman has been doing this long enough to always have contingencies in place, though.

“We feel like we're prepared for whatever the scenarios are on that,” said Roseman. “As we sit here, things look probably a little more incomplete than they will look in the next 24 hours. … You hope to get some guys back. You also have contingency plans in case you don't.”

For obvious reasons, Roseman didn’t want to get into specifics but luring veteran Nick Gates back could be a part of the answer at backup center or it might be sixth-round pick Dylan McMahon, who will have to pass through waivers.

At tight end, E.J. Jenkins should be back on the PS and a reunion with Jack Stoll could be in the cards after the Nebraska product was released by the New York Giants.

Roseman dodged when asked about Pro Bowl left guard Landon Dickerson’s ability to play center if needed.

“Without getting into any specifics, because it's probably part of our game planning and part of our roster management, but there are other guys on the roster who have done it and done it at a high level,” he admitted. 

In the end roster management is a difficult balancing act.

“These are hard decisions,” Roseman assessed, “and you're really trying to balance the opportunities you have this year as a football team and also trying to protect the future of the team and of the organization.”

That sparked a back-and-forth between Roseman and head coach Nick Sirianni.

“At the end of the day, our jobs are different,” Roseman said. “I think that's one of the things that we respect about each other is that I have a different job than Coach. Our scouts have a different job than the assistant coaches, and that's understandable.

“But at the end of the day, we're all trying to win. We're trying to win as much as we possibly can this year and then go back and do it again next year and the year after that.”

Sirianni chimed in by admitting the coaches can get selfish.

“if you ask [Defensive Ends/Outside Linebackers Coach] Jeremiah Washburn, he's going to keep eight guys at that position. Sometimes -- we're selfish,” Sirianni relented. “They want to keep their guys because they've worked so hard with it.”

Roseman then took back the baton.

“And I think it's easy to accuse front office guys of wanting to have their draft picks and have guys like that,” the GM said.

And that’s where Roseman’s experience factors into the equation.

“I think, because I've been doing this long enough, I try to really balance it and try to make sure that we're doing the right things to make sure the coaches have everything they need to win as many games as possible and that we're also developing players, so we don't go into next year with 25 free agents and having to replace a ton of guys,” Roseman explained. 

“But it's tricky.”

MORE NFL: Initial Thoughts For The Eagles' Initial 53