Eagles news: Howie Roseman discusses Saquon Barkley signing; NFL owners make rule changes; updated depth chart

ORLANDO, Fla. — On the surface, the Eagles’ signing of running back Saquon Barkley to a three-year, $37.75 million deal with $26 million fully guaranteed is a departure from how Roseman has done business with free agents at the position in recent history.

The Eagles haven’t signed a free-agent running back to a multi-year deal since Matt Jones in 2018 (two years). DeMarco Murray, a Chip Kelly signing, preceded him with a five-year deal signed in 2015.

However, Roseman pushed back on the notion that he doesn’t sign running backs to multi-year, premium deals, especially when those running backs are “special players.” He pointed to the signings of Brian Westbrook to a five-year contract in 2005 (Roseman was the director of football administration at the time) and LeSean McCoy to a five-year extension worth up to $45 million with $20.7 guaranteed in 2012 as examples of committing substantial cap space to top running backs.

While the NFL approved three rule changes during the league's annual meeting Monday, a proposal to encourage more kickoff returns didn't get a vote.

The change, inspired by the XFL, would shift everyone but the kicker to the receiving team's territory. Owners say the move would encourage more kickoff returns while allowing players to avoid the type of high-speed collisions that led to injuries. Last year was the lowest rate of kickoff returns in NFL history, with just 22 percent returned.

Here's an explanation of how kickoffs would change under the new rule:

The NFL is adding another coaches challenge and banning hip-drop tackles, the league announced Monday.

On coaches challenges, head coaches will now be given a third challenge following a successful challenge. Previously, coaches were only give a third challenge following two successful challenges.

On hip-drop tackles, the NFL’s competition committee voted to add a 15-yard penalty due to safety reasons. A hip-drop tackle is when a defender grabs an offensive player around the waist and twists as he pulls him down, ultimately landing on his legs. 

Former Eagles wide receiver Quez Watkins is signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Monday. 

Dubbed “Fast Batman” by cornerback Darius Slay, Watkins spent four seasons with the Eagles, who drafted the speedster out of Southern Miss in the sixth round of the 2020 draft. 

After playing in every game the previous two seasons, Watkins took a step back last season, hauling in just 15 receptions and 142 yards — most of which came alongside other backups in the Eagles’ final game of the season. 

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Eagles have a Jason Kelce-sized hole to fill next season, and Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid ought to understand just how challenging it will be to replace him, both on and off the field.

Reid, who was the Eagles’ head coach from 1999-2012, drafted Kelce in the sixth round, No. 191 overall in the 2011 draft out of Cincinnati. They spent just two seasons together but remained close as Reid moved on to Kansas City and selected Kelce’s brother, Travis, in the third round, No. 63 overall in 2013.

Kelce earned the starting job in training camp in 2011 with Reid at the helm of the team, becoming a fixture on the offensive line until his retirement on March 4. Not only will the Eagles be tasked with replacing Kelce’s seven-time Pro Bowl and six-time All-Pro production on the field, but they’ll also rely on team leaders to account for his presence in the locker room.

ORLANDO, Fla. — Edge rusher Bryce Huff is ready to shoulder a heavier workload in his first season with the Eagles, according to New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh.

On Monday morning at the NFL annual meeting in Orlando, Fla., Saleh said he expects the 25-year-old Huff to see his snaps increase after serving as a situational pass rusher with the Jets. Huff, an undrafted free agent out of Memphis who signed with the Jets in 2020, never played more than 51% of the defensive snaps in a single season (2021) throughout his four years with the team.

In his 2023 breakout performance, the 6-foot-3, 255-pound Huff played 42% of the defensive snaps behind Jets edge rushers Jermaine Johnson and John Franklin-Myers and led the team with 10 sacks.

ORLANDO, Fla. — Shane Steichen didn’t work with Jalen Hurts last season, so he didn’t get to see how the Eagles quarterback reacted to his and his team’s struggles.

But the former Eagles offensive coordinator did spend two seasons with Hurts and watched him nearly win Super Bowl LVII. And Steichen said he saw nothing that would suggest he couldn’t lead despite his stoic disposition.

“He was great,” Steichen said of Hurts. “Obviously, he made a ton of plays when I was there and he did again this past season. He’s a guy that leads by example. He’s a workaholic is what he is.

The Eagles further filled out their quarterback room Saturday, agreeing to terms with Will Grier on a one-year contract.

Grier, 28, hasn’t appeared in a regular-season game since his rookie season in 2019, but spent extensive time on the Dallas Cowboys practice squad while Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore held the same title on the Dallas staff.

A third-round pick out of West Virginia in 2019, the 6-foot-1, 220-pound Grier began his career with the Carolina Panthers. He started two games to close out his rookie season for a struggling Panthers team, throwing four interceptions while completing 28 of 52 passes (53.8%) for 228 yards. The Panthers waived him at the start of the 2021 season and the Cowboys claimed him, making him their No. 3 quarterback behind Dak Prescott and Cooper Rush.