Eagles coaching and front office decisions that already look like home runs

It takes a lot to build an NFL team. Ingenuity, long hours, and hard work are necessary. Great owners and general managers lead to consistency. Check all of those boxes for the Philadelphia Eagles. They continue to be one of the model franchises.

Birds fans are fortunate to have Jeffrey Lurie and Howie Roseman. If only we could get them to lead the 76ers and Flyers.

Until then, we'll keep our fingers crossed. Maybe one day we'll wake up and live in a twilight zone where they run all of Philly's sports franchises.

Thankfully, there isn't much to complain about with the football team. Top-tier leadership has led to the hiring of great executives. Philly's scouts and coaches have gotten the job done, and we've seen genius moves made, most of which are beginning to pay dividends.

Here are six recent decisions the Eagles have made that already appear to be home runs.

Okay, Bryce Huff isn't that good, and drafting Ainias Smith may have been a mistake. It happens. No team nails every decision.

But, the Birds are turning the corner. They're 7-2 with eight games remaining. Five will be played in the friendly confines of Lincoln Financial Field.

There was concern early, but that has settled some. The recent blowout win in Arlington has raised the spirits of much of the fan base.

Great decisions during the offseason now look like genius ideas. Here are a half-dozen that immediately come to mind.

Philly finally spending the coins on a running back.

It seems like it was only 12 months ago when we thought Philly would never invest heavy coins in the tailback position. No, wait. It was!

Philly threw us a curveball. They added Saquon Barkley by way of a three-year, $37.75 million deal. Best believe he's been worth every penny.

Saquon's addition has catapulted what was already an impressive Eagles offense to even greater heights. He has our vote for the NFL Offensive Player of the Year trophy.

Some asked questions like the following... What if Saquon has lost a step? Maybe they should have asked another... What if he hasn't?

Drafting Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean

Most would have been happy had the Eagles drafted Quinyon Mitchell OR Cooper DeJean last April. We would have never dreamed in March that they'd wind up with both of them.

We didn't think it was possible to add Q, nor did we think Coop would be on the board by the time Philly made its second-round selection.

It took some doing. Howie traded up. We lucked up. The Birds landed two of the best DBs in the draft.

They've won our respect. Both play like seasoned veterans, and the best part is both can get even better.

Signing Zack Baun this offseason

Some believe losing T.J. Edwards was the biggest loss of the offseason. He may have been, but Zack Baun might be an even better player.

He leads Philly in total tackles (87), solo tackles (55), and forced fumbles after nine games. He's been a revelation.

Baun has turned in two sacks, four tackles for loss, two pass breakups, and a fumble recovery. He's guaranteed nothing past this season.

He's earned an extension. We've seen Philly pay a running back. Might we see them dish out cash for a linebacker? You won't hear us complain if this is the guy they invest in.

Giving up on Devin White

Devin White was brought in as one of those low-risk, high-reward signings last March. The numbers... one year, $4 million with $3.5 million guaranteed. Philly had given up on him by the preseason. They tried exploring a trade but couldn't find any takers. He was released by October 8th.

Again, every signing won't pay off, but credit Philly for recognizing this early. White was outplayed by Nakobe Dean and Zack Baun in camp and the preseason.

Credit the coaching staff and leadership for being proactive on this one. We're just glad they decided to move off of him quickly rather than tarrying.

Inserting Cooper DeJean into starting lineup, moving Avonte Maddox to safety

Cooper DeJean's early progress was stymied by an offseason injury. He missed the preseason games. He only saw the field for eight snaps between Weeks 1-4.

Things picked up in Week 6 as he was inserted into the starting lineup. Things have really taken off from there.

Avonte Maddox is Philly's most experienced slot corner, but he has also battled injury. The wear and tear has seemingly caught up with him.

So, Philly moved him to safety. That has seemingly worked for both players. DeJean's star continues to rise, and Maddox plays fairly well as a role player.

Hiring Vic Fangio and Kellen Moore

Having talent is one thing. Getting the best out of players is another, and after several weeks, Philly's assistants have found a groove. Kellen Moore and Vic Fangio were two of the more sought-after coordinators in the game, and Philly brought both of them in.

With the way teams manage workloads during camp and the preseason, it's hard for coaches to truly know what they have in all of their players. Credit Fangio and Moore for figuring it out. They've truly learned what works for their players, and we're seeing guys improve as the season wears on.

That's all you can ask for.

Bonus: Finding a way to pay A.J. Brown AND DeVonta Smith

We mentioned this earlier when they were first extended, but let us not forget we wondered if Philly could extend two elite wideouts.

Why did we ever doubt? Howie Roseman got it done, and he structured A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith's deals to keep both happy and ensure Philly some flexibility.

A.J. signed the dotted line for three years and $96 million. DeVonta gets $75 million over three years. They're in the fold until 2030 and 2029 respectively. With that, Philly can hang its hat on having one of the best WR duos in the game. They'll be keeping opposing defensive coordinators up for years.