General manager Howie Roseman was back at the NovaCare Complex on Thursday after spending the early part of the week at the NFL Owners Meetings in Florida. He took some time to talk with WIP's Reuben Frank and Rob Ellis to preview what could be in store for the Eagles with the NFL Draft set to kick off in just 28 days.
Before looking ahead, Roseman took one last look at the 2011 season and what he and the team learned going through the 8-8 campaign. Roseman explained how important it was for the organization to review what they did to prevent it from happening in the future.
"We want to get the taste out of our mouth from last season and put forward a heck of a team and a heck of an effort in 2012," Roseman said. "We're excited about the draft, and we're continuing to evaluate players that are in the free agent market and (whoever) may be available via trade, and in the draft."
The Eagles made it a priority to take care of their own players and have accomplished that this offseason by re-signing Trent Cole, Todd Herremans, DeSean Jackson and Evan Mathis. Roseman also engineered the trade to bring two-time Pro Bowl middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans over from Houston.
Reports emerged from the NFL Owners Meetings that teams have contacted the Eagles regarding the availability of one of their Pro Bowl cornerbacks in a trade. Derrick Gunn of Comcast SportsNet reported Wednesday evening that a trade to send Asante Samuel to Tennessee could be imminent. A report surfaced on Thursday from Detroit that the Lions are also interested in Samuel after reportedly trying to acquire him last offseason.
"Those calls are constantly ongoing and we'll see what develops," Roseman said of the trade possibilities.
Head coach Andy Reid told reporters at the NFL Owners Meetings that the team will begin working with running back LeSean McCoy on a long-term contract extension. Roseman praised McCoy's agent Drew Rosenhaus during the interview on WIP. Roseman and Rosenhaus have already worked out the deals for Jackson and Mathis this offseason.
"There's no problem dealing with Drew. He's a dealmaker. He wants to get solid deals for his players. He wants to keep them in the same place that they're in, so that's not a concern at all," Roseman said. "In terms of LeSean McCoy, you're talking about an important player for the Philadelphia Eagles. A player that we've made no secret that we want to keep here, that we enjoy being part of this team, being part of this city. We drafted him, we want to keep our drafted players, and we'll work toward that."
Roseman will leave no stone unturned in this time of player acquisition in his attempt to build the best possible roster to compete for a title.
"We have an obligation to the fans and Philadelphia to put a championship caliber team on the field," Roseman said.
Make sure to follow us on Twitter @EaglesInsider
