Philadelphia Eagles: Howie Roseman is prioritizing playmakers
After fortifying an aging core with over-the-hill vets, Howie Roseman sounds committed to prioritizing adding playmakers to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2020.
There were a lot of ways to characterize the Philadelphia Eagles in 2019, injury-prone, disappointing, overly reliant on old players, but exciting was not one of them.
Sure, the team had a few dynamic playmakers to hang their helmets on, like Miles Sanders, Boston Scott, and, um, DeSean Jackson for like six quarters, but for the most part, the team was built to be steady, plotting, and reliable.
It all started in free agency, where the team didn’t add a single external player on a long-term contract. Okay, technically that isn’t true, as the Birds technically signed L.J. Fort to a three-year deal worth $4.9 million, but he was waived four games into the regular season and didn’t make an in-game impact until he signed with the Baltimore Ravens and started the final eight games of the season at inside linebacker.
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That would be fine, of course, if the Eagles had reloaded the cupboard with premium young talent with their five 2019 draft picks. Unfortunately, they didn’t. Whether Howie Roseman drafted for need or BPA is anyone’s guess, I’d wager a little bit of both, but when the dust settled, and the UDFA process started, the Eagles were left with a developmental left tackle, a should-have-been Rookie of the Year franchise runningback, a slow wide receiver who plays his position like a power forward, a depth defensive end without an elite trait, and a ‘pro-style’ quarterback who spent his rookie season on the Dallas Cowboys practice squad.
The Eagles also technically added Hassan Ridgeway using a sixth-round pick, if you want to factor his seven games as a rotational defensive tackle into the mix.
So needless to say, as the Eagles turn their attention to 2020, both in free agency and at the NFL Combine, adding some electricity to both sides of the field has to be a priority, right? Well, fortunately, Roseman actually agrees.
While sitting down with Mike Florio and Chris Simms of NBC Sports, Roseman dished on all things Eagles, from Malcolm Jenkins‘ contract situation to Carson Wentz‘s draft workouts, to his combine dinner plans, but the anecdote that caught my ear was his comments on fortifying the roster with playmakers moving forward.
Everything I’ve said so far, lines I’ve heard over and over from Eagles fans the world over for the past nine months or so, yeah, it would appear Roseman agrees.
Granted, Roseman still played his cards close to his vest, failing to mention which positions he has a specific eye on, but it’s not hard to elaborate based on the Eagles’ needs going into the offseason.
Could Roseman have his sights on a sideline-to-sideline linebacker, the position grouping he’s more or less ignored over his tenure atop the team’s power structure? How about a premium defensive end to supercharge Jim Schwartz‘s edge-rushing assault? My goodness, could the team finally, finally finish their decade-long search for an All-Pro cornerback and draft the next Assante Samuel?
Or better yet, why not make every fan in the 215 happy and draft what we’ve all been desperately asking for: A Power 5 conference wide receiver.
Like any receiver with a first-round grade. Sure, some may prefer CeeDee Lamb, or Jerry Jeudy, or Tee Higgins (I guess) or my personal favorite, Henry Ruggs III, but I feel fairly confident in saying that any wide receiver with number one potential is worth the 21st overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. After last season, any player who can catch the ball, go downfield, and/or make a play will do.
dark. Next. Jason Peters’ time has passed
Now which players the Philadelphia Eagles target with their ten draft picks is very much still up in the air, though we will have a better idea of which players they are at least interested in based on their combine interviews, it’s encouraging to at least know that Howie Roseman sees his team’s deficiencies and has a plan to address them with young, exciting talent. I’d take that over the Zach Browns of the world any day.