Eagles’ Howie Roseman Ranked as NFL’s Top GM
Howie Roseman has been through it all in his time with the Philadelphia Eagles. At one point, he was totally replaced by the power of former Eagles coach Chip Kelly. But now, years after regaining his General Manager power, Roseman is listed as the NFL’s top GM with the resume to back it up. Here is a look at some of Roseman’s best recent acquisitions/moves that built the 2023 NFC Champions.
2022: Acquired WR A.J. Brown for Picks No.18, No.101
This might be one of the most lop-sided trades in recent memory. The Eagles had a lot of question marks coming into the 2022 NFL Draft. The team seemed to be heading in the right direction but lacked star power on the offensive side of the ball. When it was announced that the Eagles moved out of the No. 18 overall pick and acquired A.J. Brown, every Eagles fan was put in a joyful shock. Even Jason Kelce didn’t know how to react.
In the 2023 season, Eagles fans knew Brown was a great pickup but had no idea how much he would impact this team. One could argue that Brown was the missing piece to the offense and Jalen Hurts’ major success this year. Brown racked up nearly 1,500 yards receiving while catching 11 touchdowns, both career highs. Brown’s play elevated the offense to the highest level.
This acquisition by Roseman has shown why he is the best at his job, and Brown has only been on the team for one year. Roseman’s ability to pick up players right before their prime and for a relatively cheap price is the key to the Eagles’ success.
2022: Acquired C.J. Gardner-Johnson and 2025 7th round pick for 2023 5th and 6th round picks
Looking back, it seemed like Roseman won the 2022 draft by a million. Somehow he knew the team would have the chance to compete for the Super Bowl before anybody else. Before the 2022 season, the Eagles struggled to show consistency with defensive backs and receivers. Roseman had had enough of this and decided to trade for young, established players instead of drafting unproven talent (Jalen Reagor).
Gardner-Johnson was arguably one of the best safeties in the league this season while healthy. He was the team’s best ball hawk intercepting opposing quarterbacks six times last season while making play after play for the defense. Yes, he did end up leaving the team in free agency, but that is the gamble when putting together a championship-level roster as Roseman did.
2020: Drafting Jalen Hurts in the 2nd Round
When the Eagles drafted Jalen Hurts in the second round of the 2020 draft, the sports world scrambled. It just did not make sense. But a couple of years later, it might be Roseman’s best risk taken to date. To put this “risk” in perspective, the Eagles just signed their then-franchise quarterback Carson Wentz to a mega deal worth more than $120 million. Wentz seemed to be back at his high-level self and made his first playoffs. So why would they take a quarterback in the second round?
It seems like Roseman just knows what will happen before something happens. This move at the time was considered questionable, with some calling it stupid. But Wentz fell apart and lost the job to the then-unpolished Hurts. Let’s be honest; Hurts wasn’t a home run when he took the reigns. He had a football analyst questioning his throwing ability up until the start of this season. But after Jalen Hurts nearly won league MVP and carried his team in a brutal Super Bowl loss in which he could’ve won Super Bowl MVP, I’d say it wasn’t a stupid pick.
Drafting Hurts was one of Roseman’s most confusing moves, but if Hurts keeps it up, it will be his best.
With Roseman at the helm of the Eagles organization, fans can be assured that the Birds will never be out of the picture.
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