For a while, after the Super Bowl and back before the draft, it didn't seem likely that Dallas Goedert would still be an Eagle.
The 30-year-old tight end was heading toward a contract year, and potential extension afterward, but the Eagles were looking at retaining as much of the young core of their championship roster as possible and needed money for contract extensions and some free agents. They needed to make sure they would have the money freed up there.
From the outside, it felt like the writing was on the wall that Goedert was on his way out of Philadelphia. Internally, he said he felt a bit of that inevitably, too.
But then the draft came and went in April. The Eagles didn't take a tight end with any of their picks, and a couple of weeks later, word broke that Goedert would be staying with the Eagles for his eighth season on a reworked deal.
He's still here – "stoked to be," he said – and now that all the springtime trade rumors have been put to rest, he's shifting his focus on that title to defend.
"There were a lot of emotions that went on through the offseason," Goedert told the local media during OTAs at the NovaCare Complex on Wednesday. "Not sure if you're gonna be here, not sure if you're not. There were sad emotions of leaving. There was the excitement of a change, seeing something different…It just kind of went back and forth. You tried to just kind of balance those…
"Seven off seasons, and this is the first time I had to deal with this," Goedert continued. "So I'm pretty lucky, but it was an interesting feeling, for sure."
That, for now, can be left in the past.
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Throughout the past couple of months of uncertainty surrounding Goedert's future, it was always clear that the Eagles would still be a better team with him than without him.
His receiving numbers were down last season, and he missed time with injury again, but in the playoffs, he was a vital safety valve for Jalen Hurts in the passing game and remained as a consistent blocker in the run game.
Grant Calcaterra has skill as a pass catcher behind Goedert on the depth chart, and the Eagles did add Kylen Granson and Harrison Bryant further down, but no combination of those names would fully make up for what Goedert brings to the field.
So, general manager Howie Roseman, in talks with Goedert's agent, Chase Callahan, found a way.
"I let them talk about it," Goedert said. "Different things that went on, possibilities of trades, possibilities of cuts, things like that. I told my agent what I thought would be best for me, certain numbers that I wanted to have. I hired my agent for a reason. I trusted his opinion on stuff, but I kind of told him what I thought I wanted, and he worked that out and got it done."
The terms of Goedert's restructured deal, per Over The Cap, guarantee him his remaining salary, but at a pay cut to do so and at a lower cap hit of just over $10.7 million.
He'll remain in a stacked offense that also features DeVonta Smith, A.J. Brown, Saquon Barkley, and Hurts as constant big-play threats, so the longer-term payoff for him could be huge.
It still might not play out entirely with the Eagles, though, but Goedert can now cross that bridge when he gets to it – hopefully after one more parade.
"Obviously, I'd love to play my entire career in Philadelphia," Goedert said. "But I'm not too worried about that.
"I'm excited to see what happens this year. Excited to put up a really good year, have a successful year with an incredible team, and, you know, let my agent handle his job and talks after the season. Like I said, I'm excited to be back. We'll play this year and I'll be the best player I can be, be the best teammate I can be, and let the rest of it work itself out."
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