Does Howie Roseman see Bijan Robinson as the Eagles’ final piece?

This may be the biggest about-face that we have ever seen. In the City of Brotherly Love, Howie Roseman has transformed himself from a goat to become a folk hero. We’re talking about a football town here. All eyes have been on the Philadelphia Eagles vice president/general manager, especially since the magical run in 2017 that led to the franchise’s first Super Bowl victory. It’s hard to deny that the recent results have also been impressive.

Roseman has constructed a legitimate Super Bowl contender, and he did so quickly after Philly’s 4-11-1 finish in 2020. The offense was a well-oiled machine at times. The defense could use a few playmakers now following the first spike in free agency, but they were impressive last season with the exception of their final game. It’s in Sean Desai’s unit where Howie can now focus much of his attention.

The 2023 NFL Draft approaches. That will provide some opportunity to do so. There’s just one thing.

Philly has two picks in the first round of the NFL’s annual selection meeting, and there’s a vibe around town that the Birds might be better suited to draft a running back, Bijan Robinson, with their first.

So, what’s it going to be? Is Howie Roseman going to draft Bijan Robinson with the tenth-overall selection?

So much for that theory that the Eagles don’t value running backs, huh? If you haven’t been paying attention, there’s a growing contingent in the Philly media and Eagles fan base that believes adding to an already explosive offense supersedes adding key pieces on defense.

Welcome to the Bijan Robinson train. He has never played a down of NFL football and has already landed his own fan base. There’s hope among Birds fans that the former Texas Longhorns star is Roseman’s selection at ten.

It’s believed by many that adding Robinson into the mix of an already-powerful offense could make Brian Johnson’s unit virtually unstoppable. Opposing defensive coordinators who are already having nightmares about the Eagles’ offense won’t sleep well when Philadelphia is on the schedule.

It’s hard enough stopping Jalen Hurts, Dallas Goedert, A.J. Brown, and DeVonta Smith. The task becomes almost impossible when you add a tailback of Bijan Robinson’s caliber into the mix. Keep in mind the fact that Philly is also home to one of the NFL’s best offensive lines. Here’s the point. If Bijan is available when the Eagles are on the clock at ten, Howie can’t afford to pass him up.

Much has changed in a year. Prior to last year’s Super Bowl run, Eagles fans had been waiting for a return to football’s biggest game after winning it a little over five years ago.

Hope had begun to fade. Some were beginning to believe the 2017-2018 run was the result of good fortune, that Nick Foles and company had caught lightning in a bottle. After some adversity, things have turned, and look how quickly it has happened.

Who knew? After receiving a ton of criticism for drafting Jalen Hurts while Carson Wentz was still an Eagle, that move has turned out to be one of the best decisions that Howie has made.  Everything has fallen into place.

DeVonta Smith was added in 2021. He was someone Hurts was familiar with from their days at Alabama. We saw flashes of brilliance from Hurts and Smith, but this past season, they really took off as a duo.

We saw continued growth by Dallas Goedert. A.J. Brown was added to the fold. Miles Sanders had a career year. Miles is gone now, and though there are five tailbacks on the roster, there’s a feeling that something is missing from the unit. Bijan’s addition might be a no-brainer.

We know the Eagles’ front office likes to build from the trenches. Jalen Carter has been mentioned as a possibility if he falls to ten. We have heard Nolan Smith’s name. Lines that connect to Kalijah Cancey, Lukas van Ness, and Bijan Robinson have also been drawn.

Most expect the Eagles’ defense will take a step back from what it was last season and that a ball-control offense will need to be employed. There’s another argument for Robinson.

During his final year at Texas, he amassed 1,580 rushing yards on 258 attempts. He averaged 6.1 yards per carry and scored 18 rushing touchdowns. If he is indeed Philadelphia’s selection and any of that winds up translating, no Eagles fan is going to complain.

Kenneth Gainwell is a serviceable back and showed he could take on a more important role, Bijan’s addition to a running back room that already features Rashaad Penny and Boston Scott would make this unit even more frightening. The NFL Draft nears. The hour approaches.

Last year proved that Howie Roseman could build a championship roster again, and even though the Birds fell short of sealing the deal, hope springs eternal. They could be one key piece away from sealing the deal.