Howie Roseman is not just a good general manager (GM). Nor is he just a great one. He is generational.
Why a potential Philadelphia Eagles dynasty starts upstairs:
Roseman’s Boldness Pays Off in Super Bowl LIX
There’s nothing radical or new about this. Roseman has perfected the art of boldness, and it has blessed him with his second Super Bowl. Let’s just focus on that game itself:
The first touchdown was scored by Jalen Hurts, who Roseman drafted in the second round despite recently giving a massive extension to Carson Wentz. It was not a popular move.
The second was scored by Cooper DeJean. The Eagles traded up to get him, which wasn’t universally popular (they gave up the 50th, 53rd, and 161st picks to land 40, 78, and 152).
The third touchdown was scored by A.J. Brown, which was a more embraced acquisition, but he did cost Roseman a first-round pick.
DeVonta Smith scored next (and last), who was acquired via trade-up in 2021.
Getting away from touchdowns, Saquon Barkley set the full-season rushing yards record (2,504) in that Super Bowl. He was a big-name free agent that Roseman was able to scoop up.
This is just one game. But Roseman showed what a bold (and competent) GM can do. Trust in your intuition, and you will be rewarded.
Roseman’s 2024 Offseason
The 2024 offseason is a perfect example of what makes Roseman great.
He went for high upside, throwing money at positions of need. His most expensive free-agent move was bringing in Bryce Huff, who was inactive for the Super Bowl. Wow, that’s a miss—it must’ve been a miserable offseason.
Of course, we know that’s not true. Roseman brought in Barkley, the Offensive Player of the Year, and Zack Baun, who finished fifth in Defensive Player of the Year voting. Also, it’s generally a good sign when the offensive coordinator you bring in gets a head-coaching job immediately. Better yet, Kellen Moore was arguably not even the best coordinator on the team—that’s Vic Fangio’s badge to wear.
Nobody is perfect. Some GMs fear that reality, but Roseman embraces it. He doesn’t care.
Even considering the blatant miss on Huff, Roseman had maybe the best offseason in NFL history. Or, at least the salary cap era.
Roseman Is Never Complacent
Exemplified by many of the moves above, Roseman is never complacent. Some teams, like the Pittsburgh Steelers on the other half of the state, are defined by complacency. Imagine how frustrating having zero playoff wins in the same span Roseman and the Eagles won two Super Bowls—that’s why you should be aggressive.
Even this offseason, we know that Myles Garrett could be on the table. Regardless of price, adding one of the greatest defensive players of the 2020s who is still in his prime just months after hoisting the Lombardi Trophy would be ridiculous.
That’s peak Roseman.
You don’t get GMs like Roseman very often.
The good news: he’s only two years older than Tom Brady, who was young enough to beat Hurts in a playoff game.
PHOTO: NYTimes
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