Most of you know this story well. A decade ago, Philadelphia Eagles General Manager Howie Roseman was stripped of his personnel duties. That was then- head coach Chip Kelly's decision. Howie landed in the team's equipment room.
Thankfully, Howie's power was restored, and the rest, as they say, is history. Under Howie's direction, the Birds have become a model franchise, notching their third Super Bowl appearance in the last eight seasons.
The Kelly experiment ended in disaster. He was fired with one game remaining in the 2015-16 NFL season. Philly won their finale (go figure), and Roseman replaced Chip with the beloved Doug Pederson.
Howie retrieved quarterback Nick Foles and built a Super Bowl roster with throwaways like LeGarrette Blount and Patrick Robinson. The Eagles won their first Super Bowl in 2018. Foles was named MVP of the game, and the Birds have continued to build off their formula.
Roseman’s wizardry on trades, scouting draft picks, and managing the salary cap has again put the Eagles in a position to win football's biggest game.
He has delivered a masterclass in roster building. It deserves another study. Here are the most important moves in making the Birds a legitimate contender to end the Kansas City Chiefs' hopes of a dynasty.
Howie Roseman rolls the dice and signs Saquon Barkley.
When much of the NFL gave up on paying running backs in the pass-happy league, Roseman had the vision to sign former New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley. It seemed like a gamble at the time.
Barkley produced an MVP-caliber year and eventually became the first Eagle to win Offensive Player of the Year. He became only the ninth running back in NFL history to rush for over 2,000 yards while scoring electrifying highlight-reel touchdowns.
Barkley will be remembered as the face of this Eagles season and Howie's greatest find of the offseason, but it was only one piece. He also signed linebacker Zach Baun to a one-year deal. More on that later...
Roseman was also partially responsible for adding two coordinators who have elevated this roster's talent.
Howie Roseman helps add Vic Fangio and Kellen Moore.
After the nightmare that was watching the Eagles coordinators fumble around aimlessly during last season's collapse, it was a joy to see Vic Fangio and Kellen Moore's hire and watch them work this season. They got the most out of just about every player under their direction.
While no one is certain of what percentage of hiring the coordinators was Howie and Nick Sirianni's decision, both played a part. Remember when Howie discussed the process of landing great draft picks like Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean but also said “That's the same process (we use) when (searching for) coaches.”
Fangio and Moore's fingerprints will be all over the Lombardi Trophy if Philly wins it. Coaches can't win without talent though.
Now, about those great young rookies.
Howie Roseman and his staff assemble a phenomenal draft class, one consisting of two future stars and potential breakout players.
Howie Roseman set his sights on cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean during the most recent NFL Draft. It seemed impossible to land both, but it happened. Both ended the season as finalists for the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award.
Jared Verse won DROY honors, but Q and Coop have no reason to hang their heads. Plus, they have friends to help them usher in the next era of Eagles football, guys like Jalyx Hunt, Jeremiah Trotter Jr., and Will Shipley.
The Eagles have found gold in overlooked players and castoffs.
Zack Baun worked his way into an All-Pro mention and led the Eagles with 151 tackles. He also forced five fumbles en route to being named an AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year finalist.
Baun didn't win the award, but he's been invaluable. There's hope he is signed to a long-term extension. He's been the defense's version of Saquon Barkley, but he wasn't Howie's only monster addition.
The Bryce Huff experiment doesn't look like it will work, but Mekhi Becton, Oren Burks, and an addition he made last year (Isaiah Rodgers) have been slam-dunk finds. They've contributed mightily.
There are many reasons to celebrate Howie Roseman, but these might be his greatest contributions to this Eagles season. If Philly wins Super Bowl LIX, we need to discuss his potential to land in Canton.