Alshon Jeffery isn't concerned with not signing a long-term deal with the Eagles.
The 27-year-old receiver was viewed as the prize of the free-agent receiver crop but signed just a one-year deal.
Jeffery is a man of few words but said all the right things in his introductory press conference Friday. When asked in several different ways about his one-year deal, Jeffery continued to avert the question and mention his excitement to be here.
"I really don't think about that," Jeffery said of not getting a long-term contract. "I'm just focusing on playing football. Whatever happens after the season happens. Right now I'm just one day at a time."
Jeffery certainly seems like a perfect fit for the Eagles on the field. A second-round pick by the Bears in 2012, the 6-foot-4 wideout has been to a Pro Bowl and recorded two 1,000-yard seasons. The Eagles haven't had a receiver reach the 1,000 mark since Jeremy Maclin's final season with the team in 2014.
De facto GM Howie Roseman braced Eagles fans for the possibility that the team wasn't going to make a splash in free agency. Instead, Roseman went out and signed the top receiver on the market to fix a glaring need.
According to Roseman, Jeffery was a player the team had targeted all along. It was just a matter of getting him at the right price.
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"Well, I wouldn't necessarily say it was something that we wanted," Roseman said of the one-year deal. "But from our perspective, it was a win-win situation, and when you have guys on one-year deals, you still have options. I mean, you have tags at your disposal. You have exclusive negotiating rights before free agency.
"For us, we thought it was a great opportunity to get a player who's extremely talented and has something to prove and wanted to be here."
Jeffery is essentially on an expensive one-year tryout. The Eagles' cap situation is tight, but Jeffery has shown the ability to be an elite pass catcher. And as Roseman mentioned, if Jeffery plays well, the team will have options in the offseason.
With that said, Jeffery does come with a certain level of risk. His numbers have dipped, and he's missed time the last two seasons because of injuries and a PED suspension. Jeffery was contrite when asked about his misstep that cost him four games last season.
"[I'm] just focusing on what I put in my body," Jeffery said. "Just being more careful. I'm past that. I'm going to have the right [people], like everyone around me, we're going to be on the same page. From the team standpoint, whatever happens, I'm pretty sure that's not going to happen again."
Joined by vice president of player personnel Joe Douglas, Roseman said he understood the risk but was comfortable with a deal for Jeffery.
"Joe was with [Jeffery] in Chicago," Roseman said. "Dwayne Joseph, our pro director, was with him in Chicago. Our wide receiver coach [Mike Groh] was with him in Chicago. [Running backs coach] Duce Staley, we all know about him in South Carolina. We had a lot of information on him, and he wanted to be here, which is always a good thing to have, and he was excited about the direction we were going in."
Jeffery said that Groh wasn't a factor in him choosing the Eagles but that he was glad to be back with him. Jeffery enjoyed his best seasons under Groh in 2013 and 2014. In those two seasons, Jeffery caught a combined 174 passes for 2,554 yards and 17 touchdowns.
In the last two seasons, Jeffery has found the end zone only six times, but he could give the Eagles' red zone offense a much needed shot in the arm. When asked about his favorite routes that have led to success in that department, Jeffery didn't mince words.
"There's a only a few routes you can run," Jeffery said.
When pressed further, Jeffery, as he did during the entire presser, put it simply.
"Just throw it up."