They say if you can hang in there through the tough times, marriage can be a beautiful thing. There's also something life and a good therapist can teach you. Toughing it out sometimes means you must continue getting to know your spouse. They're going to grow and change with the passing seasons. Hmmm... That sounds like life as a Philadelphia Eagles fan.
We've all fallen in and out of love with our Birds and their general manager Howie Roseman, only to realize he isn't going anywhere and we aren't either. Recent times have birthed good memories, except for Super Bowl LVII (and that collapse to end last season of course). The good news is this. We've learned this marriage can work.
Howie's going to have to be less stubborn, and we're going to need to learn patience. By the looks of things, the vibes are certainly conducive to all that occurring.
Howie Roseman's recent NFL Draft curveballs have earned him some applause from other front offices.
We like this new Howie. He has learned from past mistakes. He's become more flexible. All of those are great traits to own when you're leading an NFL franchise.
His work during the free-agency frenzy certainly caught our attention. 'Howie never spends money on linebackers'. That's what we said. He then opened the wallet to sign Saquon Barkley, Devin White, Zack Baun, Oren Burks, and Julian Okwars. Hmmm.. Guess we were wrong.
The NFL Draft really put everyone on notice though. We sat back waiting on Roseman to do what he always does, take an offensive or defensive lineman in Round 1 or Round 2 (or both). After all, that's what Howie does, right? Again, we were thrown a curveball.
Howie and the Eagles instead did something Philly hasn't done since 2002 (and only three times in the franchise's history). They took a defensive back on the NFL Draft's first night. And, they traded up to draft another with the 40th-overall selection in Round 2.
By doing so, they may have landed this draft class's top two cornerbacks. We aren't the only ones to notice this nor are we the only ones who have tipped our caps.
We've read this one a few times but decided to double back and give it a mention for any of you who may missed the news. ESPN recently crafted its take on key intel for all 32 teams after the 2024 NFL Draft. That one contains a little required reading.
This one sits behind a paywall, so we won't share too many quotes here, but here's the skinny. A top scout in the AFC heaped a healthy amount of praise on Philly's GM.
He mentions that Howie Roseman is the NFL's most aggressive general manager and marvels over the way that, during the most recent selection meeting, he wagered eight trades into an impressive-on-paper haul. Check that story out when you have a moment.
Speaking of scouts... Philly came oh so close to losing one of its top front office members recently. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that sources are telling him Eagles director of scouting Brandon Hunt interviewed on Tuesday, May 7th for the New England Patriots lead personnel job.
Eventually, the Pats settled on Eliot Wolf. They officially announced he had been named Executive Vice President of Player Personnel. Still, even though Philly won't lose a valuable staff member this time around, the league is on notice and has been for a while.
Howie is a monster, but he isn't a one-man show. His team is full of NFL execs in waiting. As long as Roseman is in town, we can resign ourselves to the knowledge that Philly will be one of the better-run, well-stocked, and aggressive franchises. That has to feel great as an Eagles fan, especially if you're a little older and remember many of the rough spells.
