Philadephia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman is one of the best general managers in football, and the longtime architect of Philadelphia’s roster is just running laps around the rest of the league. Over the past week, Roseman has extended quarterback Jalen Hurts, landed multiple big-name players in the NFL Draft, and acquired a promising rookie back for pennies on the dollar. The Eagles made it to the Super Bowl last year, and they’ve only gotten better over the past few months.
How Howie Roseman Continues to Build the Best Team in Football
The Jalen Hurts Contract
Jalen Hurts played some insanely good football last year, and rather than wait to see if he could do it again, Howie Roseman signed his star quarterback to a long-term deal. While the contract was the highest in NFL history at the time of signing, Roseman structured the extension in such a way that the Philadelphia Eagles still have plenty of financial flexibility. According to Over the Cap, Hurts’ cap hit will not exceed $22 million until the 2026 season, by which time the salary cap will have notably increased, making the entire subject a non-issue.
Additionally, as backwards as it sounds, Roseman actually saved the Eagles a lot of money by giving Hurts that record-setting contract. At the time of signing, Lamar Jackson, Justin Herbert, and Joe Burrow were all in line for extensions, and it’s safe to assume that each quarterback will sign a higher contract than the one that signed before. We’ve already seen this come to fruition with Lamar Jackson’s own deal, so really, by embracing the fact that Hurts was going to receive a massive salary, Roseman ensured that his team can be as financially fluid as possible.
Howie Roseman Dominates the NFL Draft
The Philadelphia Eagles entered the 2023 NFL Draft with a top-10 pick, which isn’t what’s supposed to happen after you make it to the Super Bowl. However, thanks to his 2022 trade with the Saints, the Eagles were in prime position to grab an elite prospect, and that’s just what they did.
After monitoring the NFL Draft from away, Roseman saw Jalen Carter fall and swiped in at the last second. Giving up a measly fourth-round pick, Roseman moved up one spot to select arguably the best prospect in the entire class, regardless of position. There are some off-field issues with Carter, but assuming he can stay out of trouble at the NFL level, then he should help form one of the most dangerous pass rushing duos in football.
This Jalen Carter-Roger Goodell handshake 😅 pic.twitter.com/Rbxc59t5SY
— ESPN (@espn) April 28, 2023
Of course, the fun didn’t stop there, as Howie Roseman and the Eagles also added edge defender Nolan Smith later in the first round. Some people believed that Philadelphia could select Smith with the 10th-overall pick, but somehow Philadelphia got him 20 picks later. This was far from their only great selection in the 2023 NFL Draft, but it’s definitely the highlight.
Buying Low on Replacement Positions
Some people believed that Howie Roseman and the Eagles would use one of their early selections on a running back. After all, the depth chart is pretty barren, but Roseman knows that the quantity of starting-caliber running backs exceeds the demand and that a good player would come along at a reasonable price.
The Detroit Lions surprisingly invested a first-round pick in Jahmyr Gibbs, which all-but confirmed D’Andre Swift was not a part of the teams long-term plans. Roseman reached out and acquired the former second-round pick for a 2025 fourth-round pick and a swap of seventh-round selections. Swift might not be the superstar Detroit thought they were getting back in 2020, but he is good enough to start, especially behind this offensive line. Additionally, if Swift balls out and signs somewhere else next year, the Eagles will receiver a compensatory pick – quite possibly one equal in value to the selection the Eagles traded for Swift’s services.
All in all, Howie Roseman is putting on a clinic in how to maintain a competitive roster. While getting to the Super Bowl is no sure thing, it’s safe to say that, barring injury, the 2023 version of the squad will be better than the team that came one stop away from potentially winning the Super Bowl.
