Howie Roseman discusses Jalen Hurts, Marcus Mariota, and more at the NFL’s league meetings

PHOENIX — Sporting a navy blazer with white sneakers, Howie Roseman took his seat near the center of the front row on Monday morning, when a majority of the NFL’s general managers gathered for their annual photo at the entrance of the Arizona Biltmore resort, the site of this year’s league meetings.

Roseman exchanged pleasantries with a mix of chief decision-makers from across the NFL, and he posed for additional photos with some familiar faces, including former Eagles coordinators Jonathan Gannon and Shane Steichen, who parlayed the team’s run to the Super Bowl into head coaching jobs.

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In addition to Roseman, the Eagles’ contingent featured coach Nick Sirianni and team owner Jeffrey Lurie, both of whom are scheduled to speak to reporters on Tuesday.

Here are some observations from Day 1 of the league meetings.

Following the Eagles’ loss to the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII, Roseman has said on multiple occasions that the team plans to engage in conversations with quarterback Jalen Hurts regarding a long-term contract extension.

Hurts, who is entering the final year of his rookie deal, finished last season as an MVP finalist after he racked up 4,461 yards and 35 touchdowns compared to just eight turnovers (six interceptions, two fumbles lost). The third-year signal-caller joins the Cincinnati Bengals’ Joe Burrow and the Los Angeles Chargers’ Justin Herbert as part of the soon-to-be-paid franchise quarterback club.

Pressed again on this particular topic, Roseman maintained his stance on Hurts and his looming extension.

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“It’s no secret that sometime relatively soon we want to extend our quarterback,” Roseman said. “Our whole kind of roster building is going to turn a little bit here from a quarterback on a rookie deal toward hopefully a quarterback on a long-term deal. ... We want him here long-term. It’s going to be a priority for us to extend him. ...

“You have to navigate the offseason understanding that we’re not going to lose our franchise quarterback with one year left on his deal.”

Contract negotiations will continue to hover over the team throughout the offseason until it finally comes to an agreement with Hurts.

However, the Eagles recently solidified their depth at the position when they signed 29-year-old free agent Marcus Mariota. It was viewed as a necessary move, especially after the Eagles lost backup Gardner Minshew to the Indianapolis Colts in free agency.

Mariota, the 2014 Heisman Trophy winner and No. 2 pick in the 2015 draft, has appeared in 87 games (74 starts), completing 62.6% of his passes while tossing 92 touchdowns and 54 interceptions over eight seasons with the Tennessee Titans, Las Vegas Raiders, and Atlanta Falcons.

“When you look at Marcus, you’re talking about an elite athlete who has really good tools as a passer,” Roseman said. “Obviously we feel like — we’re hoping he doesn’t have to take the field other than mop-up duty. But I feel like he could run our offense if need be, if Jalen caught a cold or something, and he had to play.

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“We’re excited about him. I’ve always had a lot of respect for him as a player and as a person. We think it’s a good fit, hopefully, for both sides.”

Doug Pederson, the former Eagles and current Jacksonville Jaguars coach, also spoke at length about the importance of having a quality reserve while he discussed Hurts’ development and ascension into the league’s top tier of quarterbacks.

Hurts was selected in the second round of the 2020 draft, and Pederson served as his coach that season when he supplanted Carson Wentz as the starter in Week 13.

“We had Nick Foles in 2017, and that showed the importance of having a [good] backup quarterback,” Pederson said. “With the way Jalen is wired, the way he works, we made that decision to bring him in. I’ve followed his career from afar, nothing surprises me about him. The way he played in 2021, the improvements he made in 2022, and obviously leading the Eagles to the [Super Bowl]. That’s who he is — he’s a winner.

“He loves to work. He loves to practice. He loves his teammates. It’s no surprise for me for him to have the success he has. ... [While scouting Hurts] it was all about conversations with coaches and what you saw on tape. But what we found, listening to guys like [his college coaches] Brian Daboll, Lincoln Riley, Nick Saban — you listen to these guys, and everything they said about him is true. You see it in Jalen.

“I just appreciated his willingness to learn. His willingness to practice every single day, regardless if he was the third-string quarterback, second-string, or the starter — he took everything as a new day, a new opportunity. And you see it in his play. He just continues to show steady growth and improvement. As a coach, that’s what you want and appreciate.”

New Eagles safety Terrell Edmunds appeared in 79 of 82 potential games throughout his first five seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. After being drafted in the first round out of Virginia Tech in 2018, Edmunds has averaged 82 tackles per season, highlighted by a career-high 105 tackles in 2019.

While it remains to be seen exactly how Edmunds will fit under new defensive coordinator Sean Desai, Edmunds has had the ability to stay healthy for a majority of his career. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin acknowledged his former player on Monday.

“Football lover,” Tomlin said of Edmunds. “He’s just highly available. Very durable. Tough. We had a good experience together. I wish him nothing but the best.”