The 6-4, 255-pounder caught 76 passes for 971 yards and eight touchdowns in 2009, and all three numbers still stand as career bests. In recent years, Celek has embraced a role that's required him to serve more as a blocker, allowing 25-year-old Zach Ertz, who signed a five-year extension himself on Monday, to settle into a role as a premier target in the passing game. The 31-year-old tight end isn't sure what the future holds for him in terms of a role within new head coach Doug Pederson's West Coast/hybrid scheme, but whatever the Eagles want him to do he's ready to contribute.

"I'm so happy for (Zach), and I'm happy for our whole tight end group, the fact that we can stay together and play another year," he said. "Whether I'm playing tight end, playing special teams, whatever it is, I'm going to do everything I can to be the best that I can."

Because of limitations set forth in the league's Collective Bargaining Agreement with the NFL Players Association, team coaching staffs can't communicate with their players about on-field matters until later in the offseason. But despite that, Celek has a leg up in terms of preparing to play in Coach Pederson's system, having worked within it from 2007-12. Andy Reid was the Eagles' head coach then, with Pederson serving as the team's offensive quality control coach and later as its quarterbacks coach over the final four seasons of Reid's tenure in Philadelphia.

But it's not just Celek's understanding of Pederson's terminology and schematic wrinkles that will help him next season. He also feels that he and the rookie head coach have already established the foundation for a great working relationship.

"I knew Doug quite well," Celek said of his relationship with Pederson during his first stint as a coach with the Eagles. "I would talk to him a lot about scheme and what he was thinking, because he was a quarterback in the league. He totally understands everything a player goes through, the X's and O's, what players are thinking on certain plays against certain coverages. I like Doug a lot. I think he's going to be a great leader for us, and he definitely understands football."

As the Eagles look to rebound from a disappointing 2015 season, Celek remains confident about the state of the team moving forward. Since arriving in Philadelphia in 2007, he's experienced just two playoff victories, both of which came in his sophomore season, and above all else, the veteran tight end wants to be able to say he helped bring the ultimate prize to the city before he hangs up his cleats for good.