Philadelphia Eagles: This is A Process Worth Trusting

Philadelphia Eagles fans should give the Roseman-Pederson tandem a chance to work.

I’m just sitting here watching the wheels go round and round
I really love to watch them roll
No longer riding on the merry-go-round
I just had to let it go. -John Lennon, Watching the Wheels

This week marked the beginning of one of the NFL’s more bizarre rituals. No, I’m not referring to the playoffs (although we all should admit that awarding a playoff berth, let alone a home game, to the winner of the AFC South is a bit strange). I speak instead of the annual trip on the coaching carousel taken by the desperate and directionless teams in the league.

Thankfully, the Philadelphia Eagles have decided to sit out this ride.

It is the time of year when yesterday’s geniuses exit the stage to mockery and ridicule while tomorrow’s visionaries assume their place on the pedestal. The names change, but the hyperbolic rhetoric remains the same. The praise that has been directed at Dave Toub, for example, sounds strikingly similar to the encomiums that Chip Kelly, Mike Shanahan, and Brian Billick inspired once upon a time.

It is also the period when we are treated to frequent Twitter updates from NFL insiders, who inform us which of the coaching candidates interviewed well and which aspiring general manager league executives are “high on.” The entire exercise is absurd, benefiting few beyond the individuals who land new jobs and the agents who successfully shepherd their clients through the process.

Need proof? Remember the insane level of excitement generated in Philadelphia by the prospect of the Eagles hiring Gus Bradley? Fans tried to track the private plane carrying Bradley as visions of a new era of “Buddy Ball” danced in their heads. All aboard the Gus Bus!

More from Philadelphia Eagles

But there is no need to dredge up the past. Eagles fans have learned to temper their expectations and to reject flavor-of-the-month candidates in favor of the patient, team-building approach that was a hallmark of the Andy Reid era. Right?

Of course not. Fifty-one seasons have now passed without the Philadelphia Eagles claiming the Lombardi Trophy. Fans are predictably unhappy with the state of the franchise. Distrust in Howie Roseman remains high. Doug Pederson did little this season to shed the skepticism that fans placed on him.

However, Eagles fans need to take a breath, close their eyes, and recall the soothing gospel that the Prophet of Palo Alto recited to his adoring disciples during his tenure as 76ers general manager: Trust the Process.

And, unlike the confidence scheme Sam Hinkie orchestrated, this is a process worthy of investment. The Eagles have found a talented young quarterback. They have young pieces on the offensive line that, with further development, can evolve into a formidable unit. The wide receiving corps needs an injection of talent, no doubt about it, and the Eagles would do well to add to their stable of running backs, too. The defense must improve, but Jim Schwartz’s scheme can work if the team bolsters its secondary.

Roseman has hired a respected personnel director in Joe Douglas, who will spearhead the team’s draft operation. The move should assuage legitimate concerns about Roseman’s ability to identify talent in the college ranks.

Ultimately, successful football franchises depend on stability. A scout’s task is made much easier if he can project the schemes the team will be employing in five years. He can then determine if a potential player will fit. Constant turnover in the front office and on the sidelines only makes this challenge more difficult.

Next: Philadelphia Eagles' Seven Round Mock Draft 1.0

So, let’s give this process a chance. If it doesn’t work out, we can always take a future spin on the coaching carousel. No doubt, a budding genius will be available. He will undoubtedly have the formula that will deliver that elusive Super Bowl victory. Or so we will convince ourselves.

Home/Philadelphia Eagles