Eagles general manager Howie Roseman praised for salary cap mastery

Two theories that are seemingly in direct opposition to one another can both be accurate. It’s been easy to make arguments that suggest it would be wise for the Philadelphia Eagles and their vice president/general manager Howie Roseman to go their separate ways. It’s just as easy to argue that many of the traits we’ve seen that have led to the flaws in his approach to doing business can still be seen from time to time are still present.

Though his job is much more involved than managing the salary cap and making draft picks, that’s what he’s often judged on. He’s done a tremendous job of screwing up both tasks on occasion.

Here are a couple of things that you also have to admit, and here’s where it seems that we’ve contradicted the first two statements. It can be argued that, if the Birds were to move on from Howie, they’d have a hard time finding someone that’s better. One can also state that, while some bad contracts and draft picks have hung over this organization and handcuffed it, Howie’s more recent moves prove he’s learning from his mistakes.

Say what you will. Sure it’s hard to forget that he’s often cleaning up messes that he made, but look at the past two offseasons. He’s been pretty impressive. That’s a fact that isn’t lost on anyone.

Pro Football Network labels Howie Roseman as ‘the NFL’s most creative general manager’.

Howie Roseman has two things working for him. One, he has the support of the Eagles Chairman/CEO Jeffrey Lurie. The second thing is this. There may not be a better general manager at digging himself out of a hole, even if that hole is one he dug for himself.

No one finagles the NFL’s salary cap like good old Howie. It’s for that reason that, in a recent ranking of pro football’s best front offices, Philadelphia’s leadership structure earns a top-five finish at number three. Here’s how Dallas Robinson, the writer of this one, explains that decision.

"Sticking it out in Philadelphia (with various titles and responsibilities) through the Andy Reid, Chip Kelly, Doug Pederson, and now Nick Sirianni eras, Roseman is the NFL’s most creative general manager from a salary cap perspective. The optionality he creates through various financial levers gives the Eagles maximum roster flexibility.Roseman is clearly conscious of positional value. He drafted Jalen Hurts in the second round, with Carson Wentz still on Philadelphia’s roster. And you’ll hardly ever see him invest significant cap space or draft capital in non-critical positions like linebacker, safety, or running back. This offseason, Roseman managed to acquire 24-year-old A.J. Brown at a cheaper cost than rival teams paid for older receivers like Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill."

Roseman and the Eagles’ front office land behind that of the Buffalo Bills and the Baltimore Ravens. The Los Angeles Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers round out the rest of the top five. The Green Bay Packers, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Cincinnati Bengals, and Cleveland Browns round out the top ten.

Sure, we’ve all criticized the decision-making and the draft picks at some point. Yes, the Alshon Jeffery and Nelson Agholor deals blew up in his face as did the decision to bring DeSean Jackson back. Yes, he still emotionally overpays for aging and/or declining players.

You can’t tell Howie Roseman’s tale without acknowledging the way he handled the Carson Wentz exit or what he acquired for his team in the process. You can’t ignore that he’s put together two straight solid drafts and found some diamonds in the latter rounds of some others (Jordan Mailata, Quez Watkins).

Howie seems to have turned a corner, and he’s a better version of himself. The criticism will come as will the mistakes. Some of it will be warranted, but he’s earned our trust. The Philadelphia Eagles won’t become perennial contenders overnight, but they’re headed in the right direction.

Patience will be key, but as of right now, Howie has earned the right to see this thing through. Let’s just see where this train takes us. Wherever it goes, we can be certain of something. The trip will be fun.