Philadelphia Eagles: Passing on Justin Jefferson could lead to some firings

The decision to not draft Justin Jefferson could ultimately lead to Philadelphia Eagles front office members losing their jobs.

Whether you want to admit it or not, the decision to pass on Justin Jefferson for Jalen Reagor was undoubtedly incorrect. Jefferson has quickly established himself as one of the best receivers in all of football, while the Philadelphia Eagles have yet to see their first-round rookie catch five passes in a game.

It’s entirely possible that Reagor is a good football player with a high ceiling, who has simply been held back by one of the worst offenses in the NFL. However, even taking that into consideration, it’s impossible to ignore what Jefferson has already accomplished with the Vikings. He’s logged four 100+ yard receiving games, and his route running looks unbelievably crisp.

I don’t blame you for not wanting to jump ship on Reagor quite yet, but there’s also nothing wrong with making the obvious conclusion that Jefferson was/is the better player. For what it’s worth, it seems like people in the Eagles organization feel the same way…

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This type of report isn’t particularly surprising, as it was revealed earlier this year that a majority of the Eagles scouts felt Jefferson was the superior player. Howie Roseman, in junction with the team’s offensive coaching staff, was under the impression that Reagor better fit the team’s scheme. They drafted the former TCU wideout based on his perceived deep threat/YAC ability, however, neither has really been on display through 12 weeks of football.

Jefferson on the other hand has excelled at every facet of the game, dominating via short, medium, and deep routes, while operating on both the outside and in the slot. Plenty of draft projections sold the idea that Jefferson was exclusively an inside pass-catcher, a narrative that was quickly squashed just a few games into the former LSU receiver’s career.

When it comes to the Philadelphia Eagles, this isn’t the first time that the team has misjudged a draft pick. They’ve repeatedly whiffed on selections, in early rounds and late rounds alike. The team has gotten abysmal production out of rookies under Howie Roseman’s supervision, and it’s led to the team having to overpay for aging, overrated free agents like Javon Hargrave.

The above mentioned “internal riff” could be some of the team’s scouts playing the “I told ya so game”, or it could be some of the offensive coaching staff members voicing their frustration with the situation. While the staff did reportedly vouch for Reagor due to his initially perceived “scheme fit”, it’s ultimately Howie Roseman’s job to draft players, and he drafted wrong.

With all that in mind, it continues to build the vibe that people will get fired this offseason. While I’m not 100% sold on the idea that Roseman will be axed this spring (albeit I hope he does), switching up the chain of command to remove him from draft decisions would make a ton of sense. His repeated whiffs clearly aren’t sitting well with people around the NovaCare Complex, and owner Jeffrey Lurie definitely has taken notice.

Imagine how much money Lurie would’ve made via “Eagles Justin Jefferson” jerseys! That type of stuff matters to an owner, I can promise you that.