In the midst of the offseason, the Philadelphia Eagles shocked the league and dominated the headlines by trading safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the Houston Texans for offensive guard Kenyon Green and a fifth-round pick.
This was a decision that scratched many heads, as Gardner-Johnson was a key piece of the Eagles' defense that held the Kansas City Chiefs to 22 points in their Super Bowl LVIII win.
Philadelphia Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson
Philadelphia Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson
© Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
At the NFL annual meetings, Eagles general manager Howie Roseman made more sense of the decision, noting how many high-value players they have on the roster.
"We got eight guys who are making $15 million or more — we have from the 2022 to 2024 drafts, we have eight starters who are on the Super Bowl team, none of those guys have long-term contracts," Roseman said.
"In those drafts, probably have five or six players that will be competing for starting jobs."
Juggling a roster with several players on long-term contracts and several who are not, Roseman wanted to avoid a situation where he would need to part with 20 guys in one offseason.
"We've been very fortunate to be aggressive in keeping our guys and signing guys in free agency, and it's also got to align with the draft and having young players," Roseman said.
On Tuesday, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio confirmed Roseman's statements, stating that he agreed with the final decision.
Roseman was likely aiming to avoid a contract dispute with Gardner-Johnson in preparation for paying his younger players. Cam Jurgens, Jordan Davis, Nakobe Dean, Nolan Smith, Jalen Carter, Quinyon Mitchell, and Cooper DeJean are all on rookie contracts. Carter is also projected to reset the defensive tackle market next year.
The Eagles also made extending Zach Baun, Saquon Barkley and Lane Johnson their top priorities, each of which requiring a pretty penny.
Philadelphia also let several other key contributors walk due to financial constraints, including Milton Williams, Josh Sweat and Isaiah Rodgers.
Roseman also admitted that he was too sentimental toward retaining players after the Super Bowl LII win, and he didn't want to make the same mistake again.
The Eagles' aim was to maintain a strong foundation, and Gardner-Johnson fell victim to the process. Regardless, Gardner-Johnson joins an incredible secondary unit in Houston consisting of Derek Stingley Jr. and Kamari Lassiter.