Philadelphia Eagles GM Howie Roseman Striking Gold
By Tom Aresco
Not too long ago, the Philadelphia Eagles were sinking into a state of turmoil, but Howie Roseman stuck his hand into the pit of quicksand and retracted gold.
When head coach Chip Kelly was given full control of player personnel, many fans rejoiced because it was Roseman who was bumped from that spot. Roseman has taken heat for a number of moves; the brunt of the criticism comes from a few first-round draft selections that did not pan out.
Former head coach Andy Reid’s need to win immediately at the end of his run may have thrown Roseman’s duties for a loop, while Kelly’s misconception of how the NFL Draft works made it tough for Roseman to function. Now that Roseman is working with a head coach with great patience and a willingness to delegate tasks in Doug Pederson, he is comfortably building the roster.
So far, it has been blatantly obvious that Roseman has worked closely with defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz to fix the defense. They’ve jettisoned a few misfits, and they’ve collected a few of Schwartz’ former Buffalo Bills. Cornerbacks Leodis McKelvin and Ron Brooks will come into Philadelphia as reliable defensive backs who are willing to leave it all on the line when their numbers are called. Linebacker Nigel Bradham had his best season as a pro under Schwartz in 2014, and at the tender age of 26, he could be poised for a breakout year.
Although the Walter Thurmond experiment worked out very well in Philadelphia last season, Schwartz was ready to move in a different direction. The whispers of bringing in another physical safety were proven true when the Eagles signed former St. Louis Ram Rodney McLeod. McLeod has great range, instincts and physicality. He’s not a former Bill, but he fits the bill in the Jim Schwartz scheme.
On the offensive side of the ball, Roseman knew that the line needed some work. Offensive guard Brandon Brooks was signed to come in and start immediately, as he’d done with the Houston Texans for the past three seasons. Brooks is a monster at 6’5″, 343; he can pave running lanes and hold his own in pass protection as well. As another 26-year old, Brooks looks to take his career to the next level in Philadelphia.
Eagles
This was just the beginning of the free agency period, but prior to all of this there were some moves that helped immensely. Roseman made sure that he extended key pieces to set the Eagles up for a favorable offseason. Strengthening the framework of the roster internally allowed the Eagles to zero in on their targets once free agency opened.
Roseman’s signature seal on this offseason thus far were the two trades that he made. The Eagles sent cornerback Byron Maxwell, linebacker Kiko Alonso and the 13th overall selection in the draft to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for the 8th overall selection. The five-spot jump seemingly condenses the entire process of evaluating talent in round one, and aids staying true to the draft board.
The second trade was that of running back DeMarco Murray, who was sent to the Tennessee Titans in a fourth-round pick swap. The Eagles are going to be very active in rounds three and four this year, and they need to hit on these mid-round selections. Getting rid of the gaudy contracts that Murray and Maxwell carried helped pay the contracts of the aforementioned free agent acquisitions, so it worked out from every angle.
The Philadelphia Eagles went from an era in which Chip Kelly ridded the team of talent for nothing, to dumping overpriced underachievers for great value. This is Roseman’s time to shine and he has taken full advantage of the opportunity. The draft is the next step in the process, and it should be one of those edge-of-your-seat moments when the Eagles come up to pick. Stay tuned!