Just over a month ago, the Philadelphia Eagles' fan base was in euphoria after dominating the powerhouse known as the Kansas City Chiefs. Now, just a little over a month later, many of the same fanbase is questioning the moves of the same Eagles who won the Super Bowl.
Since the start of free agency, the Philadelphia Eagles were the only NFL team not to sign an external free agent until Wednesday evening. Howie Roseman signed a one-year contract with former Green Bay Packers running back AJ Dillon.
Five years ago, many of us (me included) were tired of the past-their-prime players, continued misses in the draft, and ridiculous contracts. After the 2020 season, Howie rewrote the book and had a plan that we have seen unfold into an impressive run. Even though things are difficult now, the Eagles are making the right moves for sustainability.
WHAT THE EAGLES LOST
It is not hard to understand the fear of loss. Key components of the Vic Fangio lead defensive include linemen Milton Williams (New England) and Josh Sweat (Arizona), cornerbacks Darius Slay (Pittsburgh) and Isaiah Rodgers (Minnesota), and linebacker Oren Burks (Cincinnati) will be hard to replace.
The biggest surprise was when the Eagles traded away safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who was third in the NFL with six interceptions last season, and backup quarterback Kenny Pickett. Mehki Becton has not signed with anyone else yet.
LEARNING FROM PAST MISTAKES
After the Eagles’ Super Bowl LII victory, Howie Roseman attempted to keep the championship roster intact, allowing emotion to influence contract decisions for aging veterans. This resulted in an aging roster that slowly declined. The following three seasons, the Eagles went 22-25-1, with the 20th-best record in the NFL during that span. The Eagles' 2018 and 2019 teams finished 9-7 before bottoming out in 2020 with a catastrophic 4-11-1 record that cost Doug Pederson his job and led to the trading of their newly minted franchise quarterback, Carson Wentz.
Howie had to change philosophy and started by stockpiling draft picks, avoiding signing free agents, getting younger, trusting the kids, and leveraging the compensatory pick formula. The Eagles could have been the youngest team in 2024 if not for Darius Slay and James Bradberry.
RISK vs REWARD
Roseman's strategy hinges on young players stepping into more prominent roles while on affordable rookie contracts. Players like Kelee Ringo, Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Jalyx Hunt, Sydney Brown, Tyler Steen, and Moro Ojomo will be expected to fill the gaps left by departing veterans. Nobody knows if Brown can adequately replace C.J. Gardner-Johnson if Trotter Jr. can fill Oren Burks’ shoes until Nakobe Dean is ready, or if Ringo can take over for Slay.
The Eagles as an organization have learned to develop players better than they have in past years. Howie has stacked the draft picks for 2025 and 2026: 19 picks overall, including seven in the first three rounds. The loss of some of these players has turned into valuable draft capital. Milton Williams secured a third-rounder, Josh Sweat a fourth-rounder, and Kenny Pickett's trade added a fifth-round pick in this year’s draft.
For 2025, the Eagles currently hold single picks in the first, second, third, and fourth rounds, plus four fifth-round selections. In 2026, they have single picks in the first and second rounds, three third-rounders, two fourth-rounders, two fifth-round selections, and one pick each in the sixth and seventh rounds.
KEYS TO BEING SUCCESSFUL
The Eagles must continue their recent drafting success for this strategy to succeed. Seventeen of the 18 players Roseman has drafted in the first four rounds since 2021 have developed into key contributors, and this type of success in the draft is necessary to continue contending.
The only projected starters who will be in their 30s on opening day are Lane Johnson and Dallas Goedert, who just turned 30 in January and may not even remain with the team. Zack Baun, the oldest projected starter on defense, recently turned 28.
The Eagles’ recent run has produced a 39-12 record with two Super Bowl appearances over the last three years. While it hasn’t been easy for Eagles fans to endure, Roseman has still managed some key moves. He signed Baun, extended Saquon Barkley, accumulated draft picks, and, most of all, cleared cap space to eventually extend young key components like Jalen Carter and Cam Jurgens.
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