Jeff Lurie hasn’t even contemplated firing Howie Roseman, per report

[Road to Victory]

https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/eagles/report-jeff-lurie-hasnt-even-contemplated-firing-howie-roseman

Jeff Lurie hasn’t even contemplated firing Howie Roseman, per report

Dave Zangaro

 

Some bad news for Eagles fans who have assigned most of the blame for this miserable season on Howie Roseman.

He isn’t going anywhere, according to a new report.

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Paul Domowitch, citing sources close to owner Jeff Lurie, firing Roseman is "not even something Lurie has contemplated.” 

This comes a week after former team president Joe Banner told the Inquirer that there was less than a 10% chance of Roseman leaving.

An anonymous league executive told the Inquirer that Lurie likes to be surrounded with those he can trust and "there’s nobody else there that can be that to him at the moment other than Howie.”

While Roseman’s job appears safe, the article claims the future of head coach Doug Pederson has not yet been determined. Earlier this week, Jason Kelce gave a pretty strong defense of his head coach.

Of course, when you look at the roster of this year’s team, it’s easy to point blame at Roseman. This team has suffered injuries, sure, but the talent is not there either. And you can just look at his recent drafts as the reason why.

And then there are the other blemishes like guaranteeing Alshon Jeffery’s contract or the frequent miss rate on free agents since the Super Bowl season.

But there was that Super Bowl season and that wasn’t all that long ago. Roseman deserves every bit of credit for putting together that roster. And it wasn’t long before that when he finally won a power struggle over Chip Kelly, surviving his year away from personnel decisions.

Roseman, 45, has been with the Eagles for two decades and has worked his way up to his current role as executive vice president and general manager. He and Lurie have grown extremely close over the last 20 years.

This quote from an anonymous Eagles employee from the Inquirer story is quite telling:

"He does have a blind spot when it comes to Howie,” said one current member of the organization. "I’m not saying he deserves to be fired for the way this season has gone. I mean, we did win a Super Bowl three years ago and have made the playoffs three straight years. So he probably deserves a little slack. But there’s no question that Jeffrey looks at Howie through a different lens than he does everybody else.”

Because of recent draft history, maybe there’s a chance the Eagles will bring in another personnel voice. Remember, when Roseman was reinstated back into power in 2016, one of the stipulations from Lurie was that Roseman find a top personnel mind, which eventually ended up being Joe Douglas. But Douglas has since moved on to the Jets and Andy Weidl was promoted to that post from within. Still, it would be Roseman with final say.

While Roseman has always been a master at the salary can and contracts, he has a spotty record when it comes to player evaluation, which also happens to be his favorite part of the job. So it’s tricky.

And the Eagles are in a precarious salary cap situation next year and Roseman has likely been working years ahead on how to solve it.

A few weeks ago, I interviewed ESPN’s Louis Riddick, who used to work for the Eagles. He seems to have an icy relationship with Roseman, so maybe take it with a grain of salt, but he’s a respected guy in the football world who clearly put a lot of blame on Roseman. Riddick, by the way, interviewed for two GM positions just this week.

"If this team ultimately doesn’t win, this isn’t just a Doug Pederson problem,” Riddick said to NBC Sports Philadelphia. "Let’s just go back and look at the past 5-7 drafts. Tell me where the impact players are. Tell me where the Pro Bowlers are. Tell me where the guys are that are making the difference around Carson (Wentz).”

[Road to Victory]

The news no Eagle fan wants to hear.

[time2rock]

Even though many of us (myself included) wanted Howie gone, I thought the odds were slim Lurie would fire him.  The next best thing at this point is for Lurie to give Howie a directive to bring in another seasoned talent evaluator and hand over personnel duties (to include full control over the draft) and move Howie into a different role.  Strip him of the GM title in the process of giving him what appears to be a promotion and new title.  

[Rob331]

Would we want Howie's head if we were 8 and 5 at this point?

Can't blame him for 40% of the offensive line starters going down before the season even started. 

Can't blame him for Johnson and Driscoll gong down. 

Maybe blame him for bringing back Peters, but wasn't that what the entire city and media was lobbying for.

Can we blame Howie that Peters and Lurie have a relationship that has made Peters a prima donna?

Can't blame him for the loss that's on the kicker. 

Cant blame him for Wentz' regression. 

Maybe we can blame him for DeSean disappointing again, but weren't we all on board when he was resigned. 

Can't blame him for Pederson's aversion to playing and developing young players - watch other teams, their rookies play.

Can't blame him for Ertz having an awful year when he's on the field. 

Can't blame him for Reagor going down. 

When premium draft picks that were highly rated by consensus throughout the league and draft community don't pan out is it the GM's fault of the coaching staff's?

Why has everyone forgotten their love affair with Joe Douglas who was primarily responsible for the 2018 and 2019 drafts - i.e. JJAW instead of Metcalf

Is it Howie fault Pederson has hired terrible offensive coaches like Press Taylor

[D-Shiznit]

Lurie was never going to fire a GM/HC combo that won him his only SB 3 years ago, and have been in the playoffs every year for the past 3 years. It's gonna take at least two more years like this before Lurie makes wholesale changes.

[UK_EaglesFan89]

5 hours ago, D-Shiznit said:

Lurie was never going to fire a GM/HC combo that won him his only SB 3 years ago, and have been in the playoffs every year for the past 3 years. It's gonna take at least two more years like this beofre Lurie makes wholesale changes.

That's such a scary reality. I mean I agree that things likely don't change this year (and they may not next either) but man that's a scary prospect. 

[eglz1]

3 hours ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

That's such a scary reality. I mean I agree that things likely don't change this year (and they may not next either) but man that's a scary prospect. 

I too would not be surprised to see Lurie write this year off give Howie another year or two of real life Madden.

[birdman#12]

32 minutes ago, Eldereagle1 said:

Roseman’s continued employment in his current role will be a definitive act of indifference by Lurie towards both the city of Philadelphia and every Eagles fan who has invested far more emotional capital into this team than Lurie’s money could ever buy. If that’s the way he plays it, I hope his bottom line suffers irrevocable damage. I’ll certainly do my part to assure I contribute to that loss of support, ratings, and revenue.

Don't let the door hit you in the a--.......go root for the cowpies or something.

Such a stupid post.....

[birdman#12]

On 12/27/2020 at 3:38 AM, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

That's such a scary reality. I mean I agree that things likely don't change this year (and they may not next either) but man that's a scary prospect. 

Why would you want Lurie to act like the owner of the browns or jets?  Where year after year they change HC's and GMs, only to suck year after year?

Changes may be needed but firing the HC and GM without considering the other factors as to why the team has struggled is idiotic.  It would be a knee jerk reaction that philly fans and media are known for but would be a disaster for the franchise.  

They hired John Dorsey for some reason......probably for player evaluation, which is a good step.  Pedersen needs to show he can evolve and get a creative offensive mind to be the OC and help him develop game plans like they did when Reich was here......Schwartz needs players to make the defense better.  You can only do so much with 3rd and 4th string DBs and a weak linebacker corps.  Firing Schwartz for always trying to get the most out of a patchwork group of players is stupid too.

Nobody denies change is needed.....but intelligent, effective change.....not some overhaul like bad organizations constantly do.  Bringing in a new GM with a difficult salary cap situation, a QB issue, big questions about the injury rate, and big decisions on some vets is a recipe for a guy a guy to fail.  

And Lurie is too involved as an owner to ignore it.  He's proven that in the past.  Roseman and Pedersen will be grilled and expected to come up with those changes that will put the eagles in a competitive position next year.......Lurie LOVED being in the spotlight during the super bowl run and celebration.....he wants to get back there.

And it's simply not true that the eagles are devoid of talent.  They have some good young talent, some good veteran talent and they need to continue to add depth.  They have an opportunity with picking early in each round, have some trade opportunities and some good talent coming off IR.

Their biggest problem is trying to figure out the injury rate and what to do about it.

[UK_EaglesFan89]

1 hour ago, birdman#12 said:

And it's simply not true that the eagles are devoid of talent.  They have some good young talent, some good veteran talent and they need to continue to add depth.  They have an opportunity with picking early in each round, have some trade opportunities and some good talent coming off IR.

I agree with a lot of what you've said but I do not agree with this. 

This roster is devoid of talent and that's as a result of Howie. He doesn't draft well and as a result this roster has aged and doesn't have the young talent ready to step in. 

I mean what potentially elite young players do they have? Sanders but he's a RB going on to his third year next year. Goedert but he's yet to truly break out and be a top 5 TE in the NFL. Who else? There's nobody else. 2 of their best players on defense are 30+ and nearing the end of their careers. They have major issues across the secondary and their best corner is in the latter years of his career.

This team is a bad team. It's flawed across the board and that's mostly due to Howie and how he's constructed this roster. I can't feel too much sympathy for him with some of the injuries when he created the issue. I mean he decided to cut both Jones and Douglas. He decided to go in to the year with Slay, Maddox and James as the outside corners. 

[birdman#12]

59 minutes ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

I agree with a lot of what you've said but I do not agree with this. 

This roster is devoid of talent and that's as a result of Howie. He doesn't draft well and as a result this roster has aged and doesn't have the young talent ready to step in. 

I mean what potentially elite young players do they have? Sanders but he's a RB going on to his third year next year. Goedert but he's yet to truly break out and be a top 5 TE in the NFL. Who else? There's nobody else. 2 of their best players on defense are 30+ and nearing the end of their careers. They have major issues across the secondary and their best corner is in the latter years of his career.

This team is a bad team. It's flawed across the board and that's mostly due to Howie and how he's constructed this roster. I can't feel too much sympathy for him with some of the injuries when he created the issue. I mean he decided to cut both Jones and Douglas. He decided to go in to the year with Slay, Maddox and James as the outside corners. 

You get too hung up on the "elite" nonsense.  You should focus on productive young players and players who are showing development.......

And having productive, developing young players is only ONE facet of super bowl contenders.  And that facet is mostly influenced by the head coach and the coaching staff.  Pedersen is a Reid apostle and is very slow to give young players playing time and opportunities.  How do you know if it's a lack of talent or a lack of playing time/development? 

The answer is you don't.  You look at stats and you say things like "the eye test"........Pedersen played jason peters and alshon jeffrey and took away important snaps for young players.  He doesn't utilize Sanders, Reagor, Hightower, Watkins and Hundley nearly enough.  All those guys have speed and elusiveness and NEED playing time.....sh--, even JJAW hasn't been given anywhere near the playing time for a 2nd round pick to make any contribution......so is it the drafting, or the coaching philosophy?  

And defensively is even worse.  And having 10 guys who are 26 or younger on IR hinders their development even thought they only played in very limited times. 

No one denies the eagles need changes and additional talent....but what good is talent if they aren't given enough opportunities?

[UK_EaglesFan89]

13 hours ago, birdman#12 said:

You get too hung up on the "elite" nonsense.  You should focus on productive young players and players who are showing development.......

Ok let's focus on productive young players then. Sanders and Goedert. Mailata perhaps but he's still got a way to go. Sweat for sure but he's got to be managed and limited due to his knee issue. What other young productive players do we have? 

Reagor? OK fine but he hasn't looked special. Hightower has looked about what you'd expect from a late round pick. Watkins has flashed the last 2 weeks but showed very little before that. That's about your lot on offense. 

On defense? What young productive players do we have? I mentioned Sweat, you can say Barnett but is he even here next year? He may be but he may not be. Singleton has looked like a decent LB, nothing more nothing less. And that's about it.

The simple truth is, Howie isn't a good GM and he's terrible at drafting. 

[birdman#12]

4 hours ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

Ok let's focus on productive young players then. Sanders and Goedert. Mailata perhaps but he's still got a way to go. Sweat for sure but he's got to be managed and limited due to his knee issue. What other young productive players do we have? 

Reagor? OK fine but he hasn't looked special. Hightower has looked about what you'd expect from a late round pick. Watkins has flashed the last 2 weeks but showed very little before that. That's about your lot on offense. 

On defense? What young productive players do we have? I mentioned Sweat, you can say Barnett but is he even here next year? He may be but he may not be. Singleton has looked like a decent LB, nothing more nothing less. And that's about it.

The simple truth is, Howie isn't a good GM and he's terrible at drafting. 

Sanders, Goedart, Wentz, Hurts, Mailata, Seumolo, Reagor, Hightower, Watkins, Driscoll, Dillard, Fulgham......

Sweat, Barnett, Edwards, Bradley, Maddox, Hargrave, Wallace, Taylor.......Oh, Sweat doesn't have a knee problem....he hasn't had a problem with his injured knee since High School, which just proves you read philly media bullsh-- too much.

One of your issues is that if a guy isn't drafted in the first or second round, you don't think they can contribute or develop. You see a guy and that's it...it's impossible for him to develop, or get any better....what you see is what you get??  LMAO......there are so many examples of this being wrong, it's ridiculous.

Yes, they need more young talent, like any other NFL team....but if Pedersen isn't developing them, what difference does it make?  It's one if the things about Pedersen that is a real problem. Pittsburgh drafted Claypool and played him immediately.....just like many of their rookies and 2nd year guys.

And how do you evaluate young WRs when the QB play is so bad?  It's because you ONL:Y look at stats....You're a stat guy who can't see the potential in anybody who isn't a first or second round draft pick, which, as I said, is ridiculous.  The importance of developing 3rd round or later players is vital in the salary cap era.  

If you look closely at the teams that win super bowls, they have PRODUCTIVE talent throughout the roster.  No team that has a league leading WR or a top rushing back wins the super bowl. KC won last year with a bunch of WRs that didn't have 800 yards receiving and a young QB on a rookie contract.  The patriots won multiple super bowls with productive talent throughout the roster but few, if any, superstars except for Brady.

And you never answer this question......if injuries shouldn't matter, why is talent important?  The eagles lost loads of defensive backs and offensive lineman.  Every skill position player missed significant time.  Should 2nd, 3rd and 4th string guys be as good as starters?  Oh, and why are so many guys on IR under 27? I thought only over 30 players go on IR?

The point is that philly fans and media look at the record and the stats and make ridiculous overreaction that the whole team has no talent and are YEARS away.  Philly fans and media scream "put in the backup", "fire the GM and HC", "lose to get a better draft pick"........just stupid reactions.  

I'm not going to argue about Roseman anymore.......he's been considered one of the top 5-6 GMs in the NFL by other team GMs and national media over the last 4-5 years.  That speaks for itself.  

 

[weko]

On 12/19/2020 at 7:14 AM, Rob331 said:

Would we want Howie's head if we were 8 and 5 at this point?

Can't blame him for 40% of the offensive line starters going down before the season even started. 

Can't blame him for Johnson and Driscoll gong down. 

Maybe blame him for bringing back Peters, but wasn't that what the entire city and media was lobbying for.

Can we blame Howie that Peters and Lurie have a relationship that has made Peters a prima donna?

Can't blame him for the loss that's on the kicker. 

Cant blame him for Wentz' regression. 

Maybe we can blame him for DeSean disappointing again, but weren't we all on board when he was resigned. 

Can't blame him for Pederson's aversion to playing and developing young players - watch other teams, their rookies play.

Can't blame him for Ertz having an awful year when he's on the field. 

Can't blame him for Reagor going down. 

When premium draft picks that were highly rated by consensus throughout the league and draft community don't pan out is it the GM's fault of the coaching staff's?

Why has everyone forgotten their love affair with Joe Douglas who was primarily responsible for the 2018 and 2019 drafts - i.e. JJAW instead of Metcalf

Is it Howie fault Pederson has hired terrible offensive coaches like Press Taylor

We can blame him for the 2017, 2018, 2019 & 2020 drafts that all were horrible

[UK_EaglesFan89]

5 hours ago, birdman#12 said:

Sanders, Goedart, Wentz, Hurts, Mailata, Seumolo, Reagor, Hightower, Watkins, Driscoll, Dillard, Fulgham......

Sweat, Barnett, Edwards, Bradley, Maddox, Hargrave, Wallace, Taylor.......Oh, Sweat doesn't have a knee problem....he hasn't had a problem with his injured knee since High School, which just proves you read philly media bullsh-- too much.

One of your issues is that if a guy isn't drafted in the first or second round, you don't think they can contribute or develop. You see a guy and that's it...it's impossible for him to develop, or get any better....what you see is what you get??  LMAO......there are so many examples of this being wrong, it's ridiculous.

Firstly... I said Mailata and he's also got a long long way to go. Fulgham? Seriously? There's a reason he's fallen off a cliff since a good run. Reagor? I liked the pick but he's pretty much looked like just a guy. Wentz and Hurts? For a start it's really one or the other. And secondly, Wentz isn't a young talent. And right now that is a bad example to give anyway. 

I don't just look to guys drafted in the first or second round that's nonsense. Contribution is contribution no matter where it comes from. Middle and later round guys can absolutely contribute.

[wyote]

Salome says she wants John's head on a platter. If she doesn't get it, imagine the temper tantrum. 

[Rob331]

On 12/29/2020 at 8:25 AM, weko said:

We can blame him for the 2017, 2018, 2019 & 2020 drafts that all were horrible

Hmmm... seems to me people are forgetting Saint Joe Douglas and his part in a couple of those drafts.

[wyote]

This makes me happy. Not that I'm a big supporter of Howie -- I have no idea what should be done, and regardless of whether it's Howie or someone else, all I can do either way is hope they succeed -- but it's just a nice middle finger to a bunch of "fans" who couldn't stop twisting their knives in his back all season. 

. 

[birdman#12]

This team has a serious problem with developing young talent.......the vast majority of these guys are drafted about where they should have been, meaning that NFL teams have them listed about where they should be drafted.  

These kids are analyzed to death, evaluated and ranked......there are very few surprises on draft day, the surprises come when guys out play their draft slot or they go to teams that KNOW how to develop them.

Pedersen is the biggest problem with these drafts.......he's a Reid disciple and he doesn't trust young guys, is not patient with their mistakes and doesn't give them enough playing time.  He's terrible at it.  So if they're not getting developed what difference does it make who Roseman drafts?

Anybody who thinks that jefferson, metcalf or any other draft standouts would have come here and done the same thing is delusional.  

[birdman#12]

On 12/29/2020 at 1:27 PM, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

Firstly... I said Mailata and he's also got a long long way to go. Fulgham? Seriously? There's a reason he's fallen off a cliff since a good run. Reagor? I liked the pick but he's pretty much looked like just a guy. Wentz and Hurts? For a start it's really one or the other. And secondly, Wentz isn't a young talent. And right now that is a bad example to give anyway. 

I don't just look to guys drafted in the first or second round that's nonsense. Contribution is contribution no matter where it comes from. Middle and later round guys can absolutely contribute.

Fulgham was phased out of the offense for no apparent reason.  It's another example of how Pedersen screws up the young talent on this team.  And again, to try and evaluate the young receivers when the QB play was SO bad is idiotic.

You absolutely look at draft position.  Because you can't see how talent develops and how bad Pedersen is at developing talent.  The vast majority of these guys are drafted about where they should have been.....so why are the eagles not getting more out of them?  That's coaching.....that's development.....that's playing a kid alot and giving him opportunities.  

Wentz is 28......and something is wrong with him, more that's being told to the fans and media.  Nobody falls off like that without their being some serious issue.  But his is a special talent whether you like it or not.  Hurts has all the tools.  The fact that you said "one or the other"  is just so stupid.  You can't have too much talent.

The point is that you hate Roseman so much, you think everything is bad..........it's either just clueless or stupid.  Talent development is a grossly underrated thing with the idiot media and clueless fans....and the eagles need to get better at it at the coaching level or it doesn't matter who they draft.

[UK_EaglesFan89]

2 hours ago, birdman#12 said:

You absolutely look at draft position.  Because you can't see how talent develops and how bad Pedersen is at developing talent.  The vast majority of these guys are drafted about where they should have been.....so why are the eagles not getting more out of them?  That's coaching.....that's development.....that's playing a kid alot and giving him opportunities.  

Many actually considered Reagor a reach, Hurts a reach, JJAW I don't think was seen as a second round pick? I mean what on earth are you even saying here? I can't believe some are trying to defend Roseman. 

[Madriver]

My God we have such a golden opportunity the next year or two. 

No one in this division scares me now or in the near future. We can easily take this division back and get to another SB with smart drafting/acquisitions. Will Howie grow up enough to make that happen in 2021? I wait with bated breath...

[UK_EaglesFan89]

8 hours ago, Madriver said:

My God we have such a golden opportunity the next year or two. 

No one in this division scares me now or in the near future. We can easily take this division back and get to another SB with smart drafting/acquisitions. Will Howie grow up enough to make that happen in 2021? I wait with bated breath...

I wouldn't hold your breath. Howie is a bad talent evaluator and what this team needs right now is a good draft or two. They aren't going to get that with Howie so expect the next couple of years to be the same as the last. 

[birdman#12]

10 hours ago, Madriver said:

My God we have such a golden opportunity the next year or two. 

No one in this division scares me now or in the near future. We can easily take this division back and get to another SB with smart drafting/acquisitions. Will Howie grow up enough to make that happen in 2021? I wait with bated breath...

The eagles brought in John Dorsey, probably for talent evaluation.....which is a good move.

But my biggest concern is that Pedersen has not been good at development of young players....These guys Roseman drafted were drafted about where they were expected but it's been a slow process getting production out of them.....and that's coaching.  Pederson simply doesn't play the young guys enough, gives up too soon and doesn't have patience when they make expected mistakes.

So really, if Pedersen can't develop young players, what difference does it make who they draft?

[Eldereagle1]

On 12/28/2020 at 9:51 AM, birdman#12 said:

Don't let the door hit you in the a--.......go root for the cowpies or something.

Such a stupid post.....

Look, I've thought about my original post. And while I acknowledge that I entered into the arena of over-reaction in my post, I thought your response did the same. There is no question that fans like me are extremely frustrated by the "business as usual" approach within the front office when the evidence points to a clear need to change the way we evaluate, select, and develop talent. And when the owner appears to care less about the fans by staying the course, then it can't be a surprise when sales from season tickets, merchandise, and all the affiliate buff fall as a result of fan apathy or disgust. I've been a fan for a long time - long enough to have earned the right to walk away but also long enough to know I can't. And it is simply exasperating to contemplate the possibility of two or three seasons of celebrating a .500 record as some sort of moral victory. I appreciate your rational and intelligent posts and wish I had the same optimism, but I've been on this roller coaster long enough that I can be a negative curmudgeon at times. That doesn't make me stupid, just human -  and evidence of the fact that as I age, I am losing my filters. All the best to you in the new year.