Howie Roseman explains why the Eagles paused search for a personnel executive
The Eagles paused their search for a personnel executive this week, and Howie Roseman explained Wednesday that they will wait for more candidates to become available after the draft.
Roseman, the team's executive vice president of football operations, said the Eagles "met a bunch of candidates." There is typically more movement for personnel positions after the draft, and the team will expand their search at that point.
"Just by the nature of the time of year, teams aren't necessarily going to be so aligned with [a comprehensive search]," Roseman said. "We're looking at this as a long-term decision for us – not just a five-month decision. The candidates we looked at were good, but we also want to make sure we're looking at all the good candidates that are available."
In the short term, the Eagles are preparing for free agency and the draft with senior director of player personnel Tom Donahoe overseeing the personnel department. Donahoe, 68, is a former general manager in Buffalo. Roseman said Donahoe attended both the Senior Bowl and the East-West Shrine Game.
The Eagles don't have a college scouting director. They have 18 people in their scouting department.
"We have a very large scouting staff in college and pro," Roseman said. "Obviously, Tom's been running the personnel department. He's been diligent about it. . . . He obviously has tremendous experience. We have people who are very experienced. I think that's a different question than what we're looking for from a personnel executive and for the long-term."
Owner Jeffrey Lurie would not explain the team's power structure or who would be held accountable for decisions until the hire is made. Now, the Eagles will need to wait - and Roseman appears in charge.
Is Cox next?
The Eagles committed $85.5 million in guaranteed money during the last two weeks, but the next young player they need to extend could be the most expensive of all: Fletcher Cox.
"He definitely had a big influence on my decision," Vinny Curry said. "I'm pretty sure they'll get that done. Fletch, he's going to be here no matter what."
Curry is close with Cox. He said the two speak daily. Cox, 25, is coming off a Pro Bowl season and could be in line to become one of the highest-paid defensive players in the NFL. He is under contract through the 2016 season, but he is eligible for an extension.
"Obviously we want Fletcher Cox here," Roseman said. "He's a tremendous player, tremendous person. But at the same time, these all don't happen as quickly as you'd like. Without getting into specifics because we want to be respectful of him, but obviously, we want Fletcher Cox here and we want him here for an extremely long time. We'd love for him not only to start his career but finish his career as an Eagle."
The Bradford decision
The Eagles would also need to carve out significant salary for quarterback Sam Bradford if they want to bring him back. Roseman would not go into the specifics of the Bradford decision, but said "everything is positive about Sam." He also said the Eagles have the salary cap space make such moves.
"We have the flexibility to sign other players," Roseman said. "Obviously, there's a limitation to how much we can do, the totality of it. But we still have room."
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