What on Earth is Howie Roseman Up To?
April 23rd, 2021
Howie Roseman, general manager of the Philadelphia Eagles, needs to pump the brakes for a little while and actually think about what he is trying to do. Ever since winning the super bowl in 2018, Howie Roseman has made mistake after mistake in trying to build another championship team. Whether or not you want to blame the lack of success on Carson Wentz is up to you. People on his side will tell you he had an uphill climb with random, gruesome, and unlucky injuries. He was never given a fair shake after Nick Foles led the Eagles to the promised land, and he was doomed to fail when the coach and front office clearly created a divide. His detractors will just point out his enigmatic stats over the last few years. His inability to read the situation and protect the football was costly time and time again. No matter who he was throwing to, whether practice squad wide receivers or all pro receivers, he never had the “it” factor that was once promised.
In Howie’s defense it wasn’t all his fault, at first. The divide was evident when Nick Foles not only led the team to the super bowl but also when he took over the following season. It was clear that Foles had a lot in the tank and the locker room was divided into two camps. Eventually the Eagles decided to move forward with Wentz, paying him handsomely, and letting Nick Foles walk graciously into free agency. Even then the locker room still had its detractors, primarily veteran wide-out Alshon Jeffrey. Coach Doug Pederson was also more of a Foles fan but I guess you can’t really blame him considering the fact that he brought the city a super bowl. This was only the beginning of the end for Carson Wentz.
The Eagles, seemingly, felt very comfortable handing over the keys to their star quarterback. This was his team and he didn’t have anyone behind him trying to take his job. He eventually fell victim to a concussion against the Seahawks in the playoffs, which led to veteran backup Josh McCown to enter the game and to try and emulate what Nick Foles once did. He was unsuccessful and the Eagles were bounced out, leading many to ask why the Eagles didn’t have a better backup option.
Against the wishes of his pro scouts, Howie Roseman tried pulling a rabbit out of his hat when he decided to draft quarterback Jalen Hurts in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft. This wasn’t the only time he went against his pro scouts. In the first round of that very same draft, the scouts wanted Justin Jefferson but Howie felt differently and selected Jalen Reagor. It was a questionable call to say the least and, at least for the time being, it looks like a blown call considering Jefferson was runner-up for offensive rookie of the year. Also hurts to think what the Eagles offense would look like with an explosive talent like that.
It was understood that the Eagles were looking to build around Carson Wentz by getting him more weapons, especially after the season they just had with a bunch of practice squad wide receivers. The pro scouts wanted linebacker Justin Chinn but Howie, on his own merit again, decided it was time to fill the backup QB spot with a very high draft pick. It was not a move that went over well with Carson Wentz and it showed during the season. After every loss or after every interception, the camera would pan over to Jalen Hurts questioning when he will finally get his chance to usurp Wentz.
At the end of the season, the Eagles finally decided to hand over the starting job to Jalen Hurts. It was definitely in the cards considering all the buzz around the Eagles quarterback controversy. The season ended with everyone assured that Hurts would return as QB1 and that Wentz was most likely going to be dealt. The hurdle for this plan was Wentz’ mammoth contract and the looming dead cap space hit.
Howie Roseman finally found a suitor for his disgruntled quarterback and he shipped him off to the Indianapolis Colts to be reunited with Frank Reich. In return the Eagles got a decent package of draft picks but for the 2021 season, they were to have 34 million in dead cap from his contract. No matter where you stood in the Carson Wentz debate, I think everyone could agree that it was best to move on, even if it meant having to eat a sizeable amount of money in the short term.
You would think with Wentz finally gone that Hurts was the main man under centre, but come on, this is Howie Roseman we’re talking about. Not too long after the trade, the Eagles were surprisingly involved in trade rumours for the suddenly available Deshaun Watson and Russell Wilson. The idea of having an elite quarterback in their prime is very tantalizing but the Eagles have to realize that the package they have to build to get a player of that caliber is only going to muddy their future. The rumours didn’t stop there either. Before trading down in the upcoming draft with the Miami Dolphins, the Eagles kicked the tires on a possible deal to move up for the third selection in the hopes of drafting another quarterback. When they realized they didn’t have a chance at drafting Zach Wilson, they decided to add more draft capital by moving down to 12th.
Just a few days ago it was announced that the Eagles starting quarterback position is still up in the air and that Jalen Hurts is in competition with Joe Flacco. Now it’s somewhat understandable that there is a bit of concern in regards to Hurts’ game. He didn’t look all that great throwing the football but the circumstances surrounding his starts and the eerie dark cloud that was hanging over the Eagles could’ve played a part in that. This was supposed to be his chance to take over, get an offense built around him, and be able to potentially get a few new weapons especially with that 6th pick in the draft. Moving down in the draft doesn’t fully take that chance away but you’re not getting the electrifying Ja’Marr Chase or Kyle Pitts and you’ll be lucky if Devonta Smith drops that low.
Trading Carson Wentz was supposed to signal a new era for the Philadelphia Eagles. It was supposed to signal trust from the front office with new coach Nick Sirianni. It was also supposed to allow Jalen Hurts to feel free to take charge and lead the Eagles how he saw fit. Not saying that can’t still happen but announcing that Joe Flacco is in competition for the starting job, especially with how poor he’s been over the last few years isn’t a good sign. Then the rumours come out that you’re willing to swing for the fences on Russell Wilson or Deshaun Watson. Then even more rumours come out that you almost traded up in the draft to select another young quarterback. Howie has mismanaged the situation completely, allowing for the possibility of another quarterback controversy.
All he needs to do is allow this season to unfold and play as is. This Eagles team, no matter how you slice it, isn’t ready to contend just yet. Yes, they are in a very weak division but even if they come out of it, they aren’t going to make a lot of noise. This is his opportunity to let his young quarterback find his rhythm, get comfortable at the pro level, and be able to find his voice on and off the field. Trying to muddy things up by trading for his successor, just as you traded his predecessor, is a terrible way to show faith.
I’m all for the idea of trying to find “your guy”; the right guy that you believe will lead your franchise to the promised land. But wasn’t Hurts supposed to be that “guy”? You were the one who went out of his way to draft Hurts in the first place, why abandon ship already? Why not add a stud wide receiver who can make Hurts better, instead of trying to draft his potential successor? You supposedly showed faith in him by jetting out Carson Wentz without a second thought. You supposedly showed faith in him by getting a new coach that he can get even more familiar with and create an offense around him. Why ruin that by trying to gut the future and the present at the same time with these nonsensical rumours in regards to Watson or Wilson? The package for either player would require several first round picks, Hurts himself, and a few key roster pieces to equate for the large contracts. Is that really going to be worth it when Watson has no one to throw to? Is it really going to be worth it when you’re paying Wilson close to 40 million dollars just to get sacked 60 times?
Howie, do the right thing and just back off for a little bit. Don’t overthink the situation by telling yourself you’re a contender. You need to understand what your team is and what your team looks like. You have 11 picks in the upcoming draft, take this as a rebuilding opportunity and do it as best as you can. Jalen Hurts is still young, extremely talented, and he has a lot to prove. Allow him to thrive by giving him the proper environment that best suits his abilities. Adding another quarterback through the draft is going to make it a 4th straight year with a quarterback controversy and at that point, the blame should be squarely placed on you and no one else.
