Eagles’ Howie Roseman expresses regret for losing DeSean Jackson, others

It was sort of like “Back to the Future” for the Eagles in 2016, bringing back former assistant and backup quarterbackDoug Pederson and returning to an Andy Reid-like scheme and strategy.

Eagles Executive Vice President of Football Operation Howie Rosemandoubled down on that comparison Wednesday when he addressed the media.

“It seems like a long time ago we were leading the National Football League in 20-plus plays, and I don’t have a DeLorean time machine to go back in time and get some of those guys back,” Roseman said when asked about the team’s need to bolster its wide recievers.”We have a young group. We have a young room. They need to continue to grow, and it’s one of the things, among others, that we need to look at.”

In 2013 (or in 2014), under then first-year head coach Chip Kelly, the Eagles’ offense took the NFL by storm, as career years from DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin and LeSean McCoy propelled Philly to an NFC East crown and the second best offense in football.

But Kelly, who jockied player personnel control from Roseman, send that trio packing either via trade, free agency or simply cutting them.

Now back in command, Roseman is piecing the team back together. And the most important part of that, he says, is having a long-term starting quarterback.

“We sat down and we said ‘if we can come out of this offseason,'” Roseman said of the team’s strategy this offseason,'”and sit here next season at this time and feel like we had a permanent answer at that position, we’re going in the right direction.'”

The Eagles made a slew of trades that netted them Carson Wentzat No. 2 in last year’s draft, and the team seems to have its centerpieces in the 24-year-old Wentz and 26-year-old Fletcher Cox.

Next they need complimentary pieces — particularly ones Wentz can throw to.

Is impending free agentJackson a viable target? Roseman’stime machine remark insinuated perhaps he does long for the days of the Eagles as a vertical threat. But when asked, Roseman simply replied: “I cannot talk about any player who is under contract for another team.”

Roseman continued,”Nobody is a free agent until February after the combine.”

That gives the Eagles andEagles Vice President of Player PersonnelJoe Douglas about two months to figure out a plan. Stay tuned.