NFL

Howie Roseman confirms Eagles will be taking a quarterback at No. 2

Glen Macnow: Now here comes the hard part with Carson Wentz…
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Time for Eagles fans to party like it’s 1999.

That’s the last time Philly had a top 2 pick in the NFL draft, and after making a blockbuster trade with the Cleveland Browns Wednesday, they are now slated to pick second-overall in next week’s draft and take their next Donovan McNabb.

Who will they choose? Howie Roseman narrowed it down to two names. Carson Wentz or Jared Goff. Both quarterbacks. He wouldn’t confirm which they wanted more, saying the Birds were comfortable with both candidates.

“It’s like vanilla or chocolate,” Roseman told the media Wednesday.”It’s like Pepperoni Pizza or sausage. What do you like better? They are not the same guy they are unique in so many ways and both have some really great traits.”

There had been speculation about the trade for several days from several reliable sources, and when the dust settled it appeared quite a haul had been sent to Cleveland.

Philly will part with the following:

Their first (No. 8 overall) in 2016

One of their thirds (No. 77 overall) in 2016

Their fourth (No. 100 overall) in 2016

Their first in 2017

Their secondin 2018

Philly receives the following:

Cleveland’s first (No. 2 overall)

Cleveland’s fourth in 2017

“It’s a tough pill to swallow we understand,” Roseman said of the steep price.”It’s a good job by the Browns congratulations to them.”

It seems peculiar, due to all the money they have committed — and guaranteed –to Sam Bradford and Chase Daniel short term that Philly wants to add a quarterback. But the team is looking long term and thinks this is the year to make a move.

“These are young guys and the National Football League is a big jump from any level,” Roseman said of the two players, almost locks to go 1 and 2 overall.”That’s one of the things we looked at, neither guy has to come in and play this year or even next year.”

Both Wentz, from North Dakota State and Goff, from Cal, have impressed all offseason long and climbed up mock drafts. Roseman claims that he and Jeffrey Luriediscussed the trade and their draft intent with Bradford and that the Eagles presumptive starter “took it like a pro.

Their ability to take Wentz(who appears to be a slight favorite)will depend on what the Rams do — a team that also paid a high price to move to No. 1 (from Tennessee). Assumptions are that they will take Goff first.

“We are going to invest in quarterbacks,” Roseman said in a press conference Wednesday.”Whenyou go back and you study — we had time to do that — we asked ‘whatare the keys to winning and being championship caliber over a long time?’And it’s quarterbacks. For us, we have a unique situation where we have a head coach, our offensive coordinator our quarterbacks coach who are very comfortable with quarterbacks.

“When we went andresearched with the QB classes will look like going forward its a daunting proposition.”

It certainly appears that Howie Roseman has a plan. The Eagles started the offseason with No. 13, but were able to swap selections with Miami when they traded Kiko Alonso and Byron Maxwell down south.

“Sometimes you have to put your money where your mouth is,” Roseman said.