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Howie Roseman: Eagles WR Alshon Jeffery wants to come back and prove his worth

The general manager seems to be setting the stage for Jeffery to return in 2020. He says Jeffery wants that too.

Eagles wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, being carted off the field after suffering a Lisfranc injury, might not be done here after all.
Eagles wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, being carted off the field after suffering a Lisfranc injury, might not be done here after all.Read moreYONG KIM / Staff Photographer
    by Les Bowen
    Published 

The Eagles weren’t able to make a big move in free agency at wide receiver, their most talked-about position. That might mean they won’t be releasing 30-year-old veteran Alshon Jeffery, who became a source of controversy after anonymous ESPN quotes critical of quarterback Carson Wentz were said to come from him.

Eagles general manager Howie Roseman spoke as if Jeffery will remain an Eagle, when Roseman held a wide-ranging conference call with reporters Thursday. In addition to the Wentz controversy, Jeffery looked markedly slower in 2019, and suffered a season-ending Lisfranc injury in a Dec. 9 victory over the Giants. In 10 games last season, he caught 43 passes for 490 yards and four touchdowns.

“We do feel like we have some talent at the wide receiver position,” Roseman said, when asked about the lack of an addition there, which makes it almost a given that the Eagles will have to take a wideout in the first round of the April 23-25 draft. “Obviously, the elephant in the room is Alshon. Alshon’s got to get healthy. That’s the No. 1 priority for us and for him. He understands, he knows what’s being said about him. He understands that he’s got a lot to prove and he’s anxious to do that. So he’s not living in a bubble, he understands that.”

An an interview with the Eagles’ website Thursday, Roseman went into more detail: “He has told me on multiple occasions, including recently, how much he wants to win for our fans and for our city. He has had those same conversations with other people in the building.”

If the Eagles were to release Jeffery, even with a post-June 1 designation, they would incur a $13 million dead cap charge over each of the next two years. It is unlikely Jeffery can be healthy before September, but given the coronavirus situation, it is far from clear that the season will start in September. Jeffery’s contract and his injury status make a trade difficult.

There has been much speculation about the relationship between Wentz and Jeffery. Some of the moves the Eagles have made this offseason have been interpreted as helping tighten Wentz’s authority as the main voice in the locker room; keeping Jeffery around might undercut those moves. But Wentz has never said that he is unwilling to play with Jeffery.

Roseman touched on many topics Thursday. Look for more to come on Inquirer.com.