Eagles GM Howie Roseman says the decision to trade Carson Wentz was mutual, won’t rule out taking a QB early in the NFL draft

Eagles general manager Howie Roseman held his first news conference since the organization decided to trade its franchise quarterback and fire its head coach, addressing the mass turnover the Eagles have experienced this offseason.

Roseman, who spoke with reporters Thursday along with new head coach Nick Sirianni, had to remain silent on the February trade that sent Carson Wentz to the Indianapolis Colts until the deal could be finalized on Wednesday, the start of the new league year. During the news conference, the general manager said he spoke with Wentz and his agent Ryan Tollner about Wentz’s desire to be traded.

“[We had] a lot of honest conversations with him and his representative about where he was,” Roseman said. “The feeling that maybe it was best to kind of move on. We told him that it would have to work for both sides, and I think that’s what the trade is with Indy. It’s a win-win trade.”

The Eagles sent Wentz to the Colts on Feb. 18 for a 2021 third-round pick and a second-rounder in next year’s draft that becomes a first if Wentz plays at least 75% of the Colts’ offensive snaps this season, or 70% if the team makes the playoffs.

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With Wentz in Indianapolis and Jalen Hurts as the only quarterback on the Eagles roster currently under contract for next season, Roseman will have to add at least two quarterbacks whether it be through trades, free agency, or the NFL draft.

Roseman pushed back on an ESPN report that Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie has instructed the front office to build next year’s offense around Hurts, whom the team took with a second-round pick in last year’s draft.

“We have not been told to do anything other than try to strengthen the football team and make sure that we’re doing the right things moving forward,” Roseman said.

Roseman, who once again expressed a desire to be a “quarterback-driven” organization, didn’t rule out the team’s using its No. 6 overall pick on a quarterback next month.

“We’ve always tried to value that position and to have depth at that position,” Roseman said. “... We’re going to look at the free-agent market, we’re going to look at the trade market, and we’re certainly going to look at the draft to try and strengthen that position.”

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Even though Roseman didn’t rule out taking a quarterback high in the draft, a decision that would likely relegate Hurts to the backup role he had most of last season, Roseman and Sirianni praised Hurts, with the general manager saying his ability as a passer goes overlooked at times.

“When people start talking about Jalen, the first thing they go to is his athleticism and his strength as a runner. I don’t know if that’s necessarily fair,” Roseman said. “This is a guy that completed 70% of his passes at Oklahoma. He’s got a feel for the passing game. He’s got a plus arm. I think he’s going to continue to get better and better.”