The Philadelphia Eagles, led by formerly deposed GM Howie Roseman, have put together an interesting offseason so far. It's not interesting in the, "what are they thinking?," kind of way, but more the, "that's a surprisingly good move, I wonder what's next?," sort of thing.
Since the end of the 2015 NFL season and following Chip Kelly's ousting, Roseman and team owner Jeffrey Lurie seem to be taking the Eagles back to an older frame of mind. In most instances that'd be a bad thing. But in the here and now in Philly, it actually looks like a promising approach. Already, ascending young talents like Lane Johnson, Zach Ertz and Vinny Curry have been handed extensions. And a guy like Fletcher Cox? Well, to hear Roseman tell it, it's only a matter of time.
Roseman, speaking to reporters shortly after quarterback Sam Bradford put pen to paper on his new two-year contract, another smart move (considering the circumstances) that allows the Eagles to both win now and prepare for the future, said that while the team has checked off much of their offseason to-do list, some odds and ends remain.
Cox, a first-time Pro Bowler in 2015 and the Eagles' most exciting young player, is very much one of those ends.
"We talked about Fletch, he's still on our to-do list, there's no question about that," said Roseman. "We're not forgetting about that or him."
With Curry, Ertz, Johnson, Brent Celek, Malcolm Jenkins and now Bradford signed, and after jettisoning veteran linebacker DeMeco Ryans, the Eagles have about $18.59 million in cap space to work with. But that's before free agency and the draft, where much of the remaining space will be eaten up by rookies and veterans alike.
Cox, entering the final year of his rookie deal after the Eagles and Roseman picked up the fifth-year option, will count $7.8 million against the Philadelphia cap for 2016. It's a significant chunk of change, but there's no doubt that the figure would skyrocket should the Eagles find a way to lock him up this offseason.
And while Roseman was adamant Thursday, as he has been since reacquiring the organizational power he once lost, that Cox is very much a part of the team's future, there's really not much incentive to lock him up now.
The Eagles already control his rights for next season and, if forced, can tag him for 2017. A long-term deal is in the best interests of both sides eventually - assuming Cox's ask isn't astronomical - but it doesn't have to come now.
The Eagles know what they have in Cox. It's why Roseman said that every move the team has made this offseason has been enacted with Cox's eventual megadeal in mind. But there's no rush for Cox, the Eagles or Roseman.
At this point it's just a matter of when, not if.
