Why keeping Howie makes sense, even though he drives us crazy

 

 

 

Reuben Frank

EAGLES INSIDER

Three more years of Howie Roseman means three more years of "FIRE HOWIE” tweets, three more years of holding your breath on draft day, three more years of driving ourselves batty thinking about the insanity of JJAW instead of D.K. Metcalf and Jalen Reagor instead of Justin Jefferson.

It also most likely means three more years of success, and that’s the Howie Roseman dichotomy.

He drives you crazy, but the teams he builds win.

Since 2010 – minus 2015, when Chip Kelly served as GM – the Eagles are 93-83-1, and that .528 winning percentage is 9th-best in the NFL and 4th-best in the NFC, behind the Packers, Saints and Cowboys. 

Since Howie became GM, the Eagles have reached the playoffs six out of 11 seasons, and only seven teams have gotten to the playoffs more – the Patriots, Packers, Chiefs, Seahawks, Steelers, Saints and Ravens. Only the Patriots have won more Super Bowls.

Over the last five years, only the Chiefs have reached the postseason more often and for all their success they’ve won exactly as many Super Bowls as the Eagles.

The Eagles won a Super Bowl with a backup quarterback, reached the playoffs with a rookie coach and got a 1st-round pick for a whiny quarterback who didn’t want to be here anymore.

There’s a lot to like about this franchise, and Roseman has a lot to do with it.

There’s a lot that makes you crazy about this franchise, and Roseman has a lot to do with that as well.

The important thing to remember is every GM has highs and lows, ups and downs. Every GM has embarrassing draft picks, free agent signings that were disasters, roster decisions they deeply regret.

It’s so easy to be narrowly focused on the Eagles that we lose sight of that.

And for all the hand-wringing we’ve all done about Howie whiffing on Jefferson, have you noticed that for all of Jefferson’s catches and yards and touchdowns the Vikings haven’t been to the playoffs since drafting him?

That’s why you have to look at the big picture, and the reality is Roseman’s track record is better than most.

It’s just that the misses have been so spectacular. Danny Watkins, Marcus Smith, Andre Dillard and Reagor in the first round … you can’t defend that.

But for every high-profile 1st-round miss, there’s been a Dallas Goedert or Landon Dickerson in the 2nd round, a Nick Foles or Milton Williams in the 3rd round, Josh Sweat and Avonte Maddox in the same 4th round. 

Guys like Jason Kelce, Big V, Kenny Gainwell, Jordan Mailata, Quez Watkins and Jalen Mills in the 5th round on.

And when you factor in the trades – where Roseman’s record is remarkable – and salary cap management and smart signings to retain the Eagles’ own players, the needle keeps moving up.

And you can’t ignore that Roseman has been a big part of coaching searches that delivered the Eagles Chip Kelly, Doug Pederson and Nick Sirianni. One was Coach of the Year his first year (before losing his way when he tried to replace Howie), one won a Super Bowl his second year and won just made the playoffs in his first year with a first-time quarterback and a roster in transition.

It’s been more than 12 years since Jeff Lurie first named Roseman GM, and this contract runs through 2025. It’s a safe bet Roseman will be GM here as long as Lurie owns the team, maybe longer depending what Lurie’s son Julian wants to do once he takes over the franchise.

Roseman delivered the first Lombardy Trophy to the NovaCare Complex and has given Lurie a team that’s almost always competitive, almost always in the hunt. 

Next month the Eagles will be the sixth team since 1960 with three top-20 draft picks and a chance to add a tremendous amount of young talent to a roster that already has a promising supply. One of the picks came courtesy of a trade down with the Dolphins that ultimately brought DeVonta Smith to the Eagles, the other courtesy of the Colts, who Howie fleeced in exchange for Carson Wentz.

No GM gets every move right. No GM hits on every 1st-round pick. No GM has a perfect track record.

Find me one who does and I'd be happy to replace Howie with him. That guy doesn't exist.

Keeping Roseman through 2025 (at least) pretty much guarantees two things: 1) He’s going to continue to infuriate you and frustrate you and anger you several times over the next few years, and 2) The Eagles are going to keep winning.

https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/eagles/why-keeping-eagles-gm-howie-roseman-makes-sense-even-though-he-drives-us-crazy

While Robb is pretty much right, I found it pretty ridiculous to include the latter (bolded) part of the below statement.  

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Since Howie became GM, the Eagles have reached the playoffs six out of 11 seasons, and only seven teams have gotten to the playoffs more – the Patriots, Packers, Chiefs, Seahawks, Steelers, Saints and Ravens. Only the Patriots have won more Super Bowls.

 

I've said in another thread... Howie is not the worst GM and he's not the best. And it is why the Eagles for the most part have been average with him as GM and we will continue to be average. He's incapable of building a roster to challenge year in and year out. He's capable of building a roster to make the play offs but not to be a top seed. Outside of 1 year. 

25 minutes ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

I've said in another thread... Howie is not the worst GM and he's not the best. And it is why the Eagles for the most part have been average with him as GM and we will continue to be average. He's incapable of building a roster to challenge year in and year out. He's capable of building a roster to make the play offs but not to be a top seed. Outside of 1 year. 

He has a golden opportunity to do something special with a cap that is finally getting back into shape and a lot of premium draft picks at his disposal.  If in 3 years (when he new deal runs out) we find ourselves still a borderline playoff team at best and many of those high picks turn out to be busts, then hopefully Lurie finally realizes he isn’t the guy anymore.  But something tells me (gut feeling) he is going to do a decent job getting the team into a better position and we’ll move into the top 3 or 4 in the conference but not better than that.  I do hope I am wrong on the latter and he builds us a contender.  Although a 3 or 4 seed is worthy of contention as well.  After all this year’s Super Bowl was played by two 4 seeds.  

If he can get us a franchise QB within the next 12-15 months, all is forgiven. If he can’t, then it’s past time he be shown the door.

He built the team that brought us the ultimate glory, and we will always be indebted to him for that, but there comes a time when even that isn’t good enough.

9 hours ago, time2rock said:

He has a golden opportunity to do something special with a cap that is finally getting back into shape and a lot of premium draft picks at his disposal.  If in 3 years (when he new deal runs out) we find ourselves still a borderline playoff team at best and many of those high picks turn out to be busts, then hopefully Lurie finally realizes he isn’t the guy anymore.  But something tells me (gut feeling) he is going to do a decent job getting the team into a better position and we’ll move into the top 3 or 4 in the conference but not better than that.  I do hope I am wrong on the latter and he builds us a contender.  Although a 3 or 4 seed is worthy of contention as well.  After all this year’s Super Bowl was played by two 4 seeds.  

We've been a borderline team pretty much his entire reign. 2017 was the exception and the outlier. We are not a bad team with Howie as GM but we are not a top team either. We hover around that mid range area competing for the play offs but ultimately not making it very far. Yes he has a golden opportunity here but his draft record (and where they are drafting) suggests at best he'll end competent starters.

Everyone's praise about Howie is that he's great with the cap but as we've seen this past week so are a lot of GMs

Now we already know his drafting is suspect so I don't understand the love of his medocrity .. Also, Roobs takes over the years have been getting worse, he's almost unbearable.

9 hours ago, Breeze 44 said:

Everyone's praise about Howie is that he's great with the cap but as we've seen this past week so are a lot of GMs

Now we already know his drafting is suspect so I don't understand the love of his medocrity .. Also, Roobs takes over the years have been getting worse, he's almost unbearable.

Yep yep yep. People want to say he's great with the cap but ultimately a lot of teams in the NFL are very good with the cap. And actually as much credit should go to Lurie on that front.