Howie Roseman and Nick Sirianni spoke today, first time since the Carson Wentz trade.

IRONICALLY, this took place at the same time as Wentz’s introductory presser, which we’ll get to in a bit.

Roseman took the bulk of the questions, naturally, though Sirianni sounded more comfortable in his second Zoom appearance with the media. Not a high bar to clear, but seemed like there was some improvement in the public speaking/addressing reporters part of the job. And man does this guy love football. He sounds really excited when talking Xs and Os, which is cool.

Some notes, and some quotes:

  • Howie opened by thanking Doug Pederson for his time with the Eagles.
  • RE: Wentz, in his opening statement, Roseman basically said that Wentz helped win the team a Super Bowl and felt like a parting of ways was the best thing for both sides.
  • They had a lot of “honest conversations” with Wentz, and the feeling from both sides was that it was best if he moved on. They described it as a “win/win” situation that helps them reset from a cap perspective.
  • In terms of blame, Roseman said they had a terrible year, he’s “a part of that, and has to wear it as well.”
  • With Jalen Hurts, Howie talked up his passing chops, and pointed out that he’s more than just an athlete.
  • Sirianni pointed out that he had three different quarterbacks in Indianapolis, and he feels like “good offensive football is catering to your players.”
  • Roseman didn’t want to divulge what was said in any private conversations between the Eagles and Wentz.
  • On Zach Ertz, “a trade has to make sense for both sides.” Didn’t give much in his answer.

Roseman was also asked directly about Jeffrey Lurie and his reported involvement with player personnel, and had this to say:

“Jeffrey has always been involved in what we do here. He’s always been one to challenge us and ask us questions and make sure that we’re doing the right things. I don’t see how that’s changed over the last couple of years. I’m very comfortable with his role here and very appreciative of his role here.”

He also commented on the ESPN report that he was instructed by Lurie to prioritize Hurts and make him successful:

“We have not been told to do anything other than to strengthen the football team and make sure we’re doing the right things now and going forward.”

Rob Maaddi also asked about the reported altercation with Lane Johnson, which was part of Jeff McLane’s recent deep dive.

That exchange:

Maaddi: There was a report that came out last week that detailed a confrontation you had with Lane Johnson. This organization has been described as “dysfunctional,” and the word “toxic” has been used to describe the culture. How do you personally feel when you hear that? And when you self-evaluate, how do you look at your role in that environment? And do you feel – I know five years ago you looked at it and decided to make some changes – do you feel you need to change your leadership style?

Roseman: Yeah, you know I understand the story with Lane. Lane signed an extension since then. Our relationship is good. We’ve had a team that has dealt with a lot of adversity. And a building that’s dealt with a lot of adversity. We’ve always rebounded. I don’t necessarily think that’s really fair. (We’re) constantly trying to improve; if you’re not trying to improve then you’re kind of stuck in the mud. I know people who have been here for a long period of time, and the people who have left have left for better job offers. I know the kind of atmosphere we have in the building. Last year, during a pandemic, you couldn’t really connect as well, and you win four games. Was it as fun as it was in the past? No. But when I look back at our track record and some of the situations we’ve been in and how we’ve overcome that, I think that’s because you have a good building. And that’s a lot of people obviously. We have a lot of good people in this building, people who care about this team and bring a lot of positive energy. 

Interesting stuff. Good press conference.