Eagles Youth Movement? Howie Roseman on Why Philly Needs to Get Younger

The Philadelphia Eagles have had trouble finding playing time for younger players on a veteran-laden team.

The Philadelphia Eagles’ brass didn’t offer much at the scouting combine on Tuesday, unless you consider head coach Nick Sirianni “tripling down” on two of his core coaching beliefs – connection and accountability – as front-page stuff.

Howie Roseman did admit one failing over recent seasons, however.

As a veteran-laden team and perceived contender, the Eagles failed to get younger players involved as much as the organization would have liked. So much so, that the GM admitted that he and Sirianni had discussed that fact and came to the realization that it must change moving forward.

“I think when we look back, and Coach and I talk about it a little bit, it's okay to play some young players,” Roseman admitted. “It's okay for them to get experience and kind of see what you have.”

Over the past two seasons the Eagles’ have taken two Georgia defensive tackles at the top of the draft – Jordan Davis at No. 13 in 2022 and Jalen Carter at No. 9 overall last year. 

Nakobe Dean barely played on defense as a rookie :: John McMullen/Eagles Today

Both of those played a somewhat significant amount as rookies although Davis was hampered by an ankle injury that limited his workload to 270 snaps, including the playoffs. Carter was the runner-up for the Defensive Rookie of the Year over this past season to Houston’s Will Anderson and played a more representative 599 reps.

Back in 2022, the other premium picks were second-round offensive lineman Cam Jurgens, who essentially redshirted his rookie season as the heir apparent to All-Pro center Jason Kelce, and third-round linebacker Nakobe Dean, who played just 47 snaps as a rookie.

The 2023 draft class, featured Nolan Smith, the 30th overall pick, who was on the field for 203 snaps, and third-round picks Tyler Steen and Sydney Brown. As a backup on the offensive line, Steen got one start at right guard and 71 reps while Brown ping-ponged between safety and the slot before a torn ACL in Week 18 halted him at 334 snaps. 

Add in fourth-round cornerback Kelee Ringo, who eventually got some playing time (233 reps) due to injury and you have a group of young players still needing to get through their career start-up costs.

“Based on where some of our [veterans] were, [the rookies] had the ability to sit back and learn a little bit because of the situations that we were in,” Roseman explained.

Smith, though, probably should have been used more considering the Eagles were searching for a fourth edge rusher.

“Kind of in retrospect just seeing him certainly in the playoff game, one of the guys who played well in the playoff game, maybe giving him a little bit more time during the year and experience, we talked about that,” said Roseman. “He's got all the right tools in his body. He's got the right mentality. And at the same time, he's got to go out and show it.”

You can’t show it without a real opportunity.

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Moving forward, redshirting is probably not going to be the case any longer as the Eagles will need to find immediate contributors when it comes to their premium picks in the 2024 draft. Roseman will start the process with four picks in the top 100, including Nos. 22, 50, and 53.

“I think going forward it's going to be harder to do that,” the GM admitted. “Obviously just as you look at our team and who is making a lot of money, and we had a little bit of extra picks over the last couple years. So, I think that for us to play our young players, to develop them, I think that's something that Coach and I have talked about to not be afraid of.

“That's why you draft them. That's why you sign them. So, you have that, and you'll have a depth chart where they'll be a little bit uncomfortable about this guy necessarily hasn't shown it, but we believe in this player.”

It’s an area the Eagles have to grow in, according to Roseman.

“I think that will be an area for us to kind of maybe grow on, and I don't want to say improve because we have good players at those positions, but it's exciting, I think, in a lot of ways," he said.

It’s also an offseason sentiment, though, one that can quickly pivot on game day without the trust of the coaching staff.

“My philosophy has always been play the guys that are going to help you win the game every week,” Sirainni said. “Regardless of whether you talk about scheme, whether you talk about players, you're trying to do whatever you can to win the game, because that's the bottom line, is to win football games.

“So, whoever gives us the best chance to win a football game, that's what we'll do. Young, old, middle -- it doesn't matter. We're going to do what we need to do. I owe that to our team and our coaches and our players and our fans to play the best player that's going to help us win that week. So, we don't care who that is.”