Philadelphia Eagles: Howie Roseman is an evil genius

Jalen Reagor? Jalen Hurts? Philadelphia Eagles GM Howie Roseman is building a dynamic offensive powerhouse right in front of your skeptical eyes.

When the Philadelphia Eagles missed out on CeeDee Lamb in the first round Thursday night, you were mad. (The fact that he went to the Dallas Cowboys only made it worse.) Then when faced with the safe-bet LSU WR Justin Jefferson at 21, Howie Roseman chose… Jalen Reagor?? Now you’re steaming. Flash forward to last night when, “With the 53rd pick of the 2020 NFL draft, the Philadelphia Eagles select Jalen Hurts, Quarterback, Oklahoma,” you must have thought Howie Roseman was out of his freakin‘ mind!

Well, amid all your anger, rage, and complete frustration, you’re unfortunately overlooking one very vital point: Roseman is discreetly building a powerful offensive unit full of explosive playmakers that will shred defenses in MANY ways for seasons to come.

This is 2020, folks, and the NFL in 2020 is completely different from the NFL you grew up enjoying even as little as five years ago.

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Gone are the days of structured positional depth charts and one-dimensional players. In are the days where extreme athleticism, speed, and versatility are more highly regarded than ever before. Successful offenses and defenses are those predicated on innovative approaches, with players functioning in hybrid roles at numerous positions.

Count your Philadelphia Eagles as officially “all-in” on this forward-thinking style of football. And you have Roseman to thank: the evil genius fans (and some media personalities) love to hate.

So why all the criticism?

When you think back to the past two years of Eagles football, what has this team consistently lacked? Ding, ding, ding – if you answered explosiveness and creativity, you’d be right!

Witnessing the Eagles painstakingly deliberate offensive drives has been one of the most challenging and frustrating aspects of this team for the better parts of two seasons. Every time Carson Wentz dropped back to pass, you knew he was looking for Zach Ertz. The wide receivers lacked separation – DeSean Jackson‘s one healthy game aside – as the offense continued to trudge along in uninspiring fashion. How many big-play, quick-scoring drives can you truly recall?

Thanks to Roseman and this forward-thinking approach, his first two selections will inject sparks of youth AND excitement into what had become an otherwise lackluster unit.

I hear a common complaint: “Carson Wentz needs weapons; how does drafting a QB in the second round help Wentz?” First off, that’s a narrow-minded perspective. Wentz does need weapons, but the Eagles are trying to build the best collection of guys that can help a team win, and that transcends simply providing a QB with particular targets. Hurts is a team-wide weapon that can contribute in an abundance of ways, including helping Wentz.

Let me expound.

With Hurts, Doug Pederson can line him up behind center; have him in the Wild Cat formation; use him on the outside as a decoy; use him on the outside as an actual receiver; let him run the ball. (He finished his college career with 3,274 rushing yards and 43 touchdowns, after all.)

Opposing defenses will always have to account for his surroundings, which not only alleviates some immediate pressure on Wentz; it causes defensive confusion, creating more space for Miles Sanders, Jackson, Ertz, Dallas Goedert, and their first-round pick, Jalen Reagor.

The idea of having another player simultaneously on the field with Wentz, who can throw apparently has been brewing for a while inside the team’s practice facility. Check out what Press Taylor, Eagles’ Passing Game Coordinator and QB Coach, had to say last summer (courtesy of NBC Sports Philadelphia‘s Mike Mulhern):

Wentz has certainly experienced his fair share of injuries during his Eagles tenure. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a legitimate option off the bench the next time he needs to miss a few plays, or worse? I think so.

Roseman acknowledged that the Eagles organization is “quarterback developers.” Who’s to say that as Hurts develops, this pick couldn’t be parlayed into an ideal trade chip in a few years a la what the Patriots did with Jimmy Garoppolo a few years back? At the very least, he serves as quality insurance should Wentz ever fall out of Eagles’ grace.

And now onto the other Jalen, Reagor from TCU, taken in the first round.

Maybe Roseman could have tried to move ahead of the Cowboys and select the popular Lamb. (According to reports, he tried.) Keep in mind, however, that it takes two to tango, and Roseman was wise to hang onto all of his high draft assets considering his stated desire to get younger. LSU receiver Justin Jefferson, widely regarded as a “safe bet,” was on the board at 21, but Roseman passed in favor of Reagor; a move that irked many of the team’s fans.

But Roseman was smart for doing so. While I believe Justin Jefferson will have a decent NFL career as a respectable slot receiver (think Jordan Matthews), he offers very little in the form of upside. His ceiling is limited as a slot receiver considering that’s where he found the overwhelming majority of his college success. Do you really want to force a slot receiver to the outside and experience another Nelson Agholor failed experiment? I think not.

Roseman and Co. were smart to invest in an explosive, all-around weapon that can stretch the field on vertical routes, take it to the house on slants across the middle, and even line up in the backfield for carries and short screens. Oh, did I mention that Reagor is a dynamic return specialist, as well?

Reagor’s combine numbers may appear a bit underwhelming, but watch the tape of this kid. He plays faster and bigger than his numbers suggest, and I believe he can be a dynamic Tyreek Hill-type threat for Pederson and this Eagles offense.

Sure, the Eagles could have played it safe by choosing the popular choice of Jefferson over Reagor. Roseman could have played it cautiously by drafting another WR or area of need instead of choosing a QB in Hurts in round two. But rather than succumbing to the pressure of popular opinion, he chose to do what he views as best for the team long-term.

You can play it safe and be average, or you can take chances for greatness. I’m of the belief that Howie made two very calculated choices whose rewards far outweigh the current public backlash and any risk for possible failure.

Time will tell in the coming seasons, but Howie Roseman has earned the benefit of the doubt in my book, and I’m eager to watch Doug Pederson, Press Taylor, and the rest of the Eagles’ offensive minds develop fun, innovative ways for Carson Wentz and the entire offense to enjoy their two shiniest new toys.