Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
For better or worse, Birds belong to Roseman
One day the Eagles will be Carson Wentz’s team. Until then, it’s going to be awkward. The Eagles insist Sam Bradford still is their starting quarterback. He doesn’t even want to be part of the team, judging by his trade demand.
So the Eagles are … Doug Pederson’s team? That’s also tough to visualize. Privately it seems there’s almost as much sentiment in the locker room for the Eagles to be Jim Schwartz’s team. He’s the defensive coordinator.
Let’s be honest, right now the Eagles are Howie Roseman’s team.
Roseman’s stamp is all over the franchise, starting with those trades that not only ridded the roster of a lot of Chip Kelly guys, but netted something for them.
Roseman’s dramatic deals moved the Eagles up the draft board to the second overall pick. Kelly’s inability to trade up to the second selection in the previous draft after basically kicking Roseman to another wing of the NovaCare Complex was the reason he was canned. Kelly would still be here if he got Marcus Mariota.
But back to the new reality, which is
the Eagles are Howie Roseman’s team.
Roseman extended the contracts of a handful of young, ascending talents. He inked a group of underthe-radar free agents the Eagles are counting on, including massive guard Ron Brooks.
Roseman also infuriated Bradford by signing the veteran to a lucrative, yet short-term contract and, while the ink was drying, trading five picks to move up the draft board for Wentz.
The Eagles were supposed to be Bradford’s team this year. In essence they were his for one minicamp.
Totally strange, people. We don’t know what Roseman’s real title is yet. Yet we know this is his team.
The Eagles haven’t had an identity crisis like this during the Jeffrey Lurie era.
When Lurie bought the club in 1994, it was Randall Cunningham’s team, maybe even Rich Kotite’s team.
Then it became Ray Rhodes’ team.
Five years later, they were Andy Reid’s team, who made them Donovan McNabb’s team, and then almost but not quite Terrell Owens’ team.
When McNabb was traded, the Eagles turned into Kevin Kolb’s team, if only for one start. The Birds quickly became competitive again as Michael Vick’s team, hallelujah.
Then the Eagles were Reid’s team again, except for the 2011 season when they were Joe Banner’s team, per the architect of the Dream Team, the boldest free agent signing initiative in the history of the NFL (at least following a post-lockout season).
The Birds became Reid’s team again, Big Red promoting offensive line coach Juan Castillo to defensive coordinator, bringing in Jim Washburn to fight with Marty Mornhinweg, and finally finishing
with his most disappointing season ever.
Next the Eagles were Kelly’s team. Protein shakes, loud music, uptempo offense and practices, arranged locker room seating, open competition, back-to-back 10-win seasons, the works.
Even Kelly didn’t think it was a good idea for the Eagles to be Nick Foles’ team, so he shipped the young man coming off the season with 27 touchdown passes and two interceptions — plus a second-round pick — to the Rams for Bradford.
Last year the Eagles were truly Bradford’s team for only a handful of the quarterback’s 14 starts. Bradford’s players-only meeting in full gear in the shower and his last game were epic. And, well, he didn’t turn the ball over in the upset of the Rob Gronkowskiless Patriots at Foxborough.
If the Eagles are right about Wentz, he’ll be the next face of the franchise going forward. Maybe even this season if Bradford is traded or hurt, the latter of which has been an issue.
Until then, the Eagles are stuck between a rock and a hard place.
There was no doubt Roseman had the hammer during the draft, as he held court for the media availabilities.
Pederson played second fiddle, and not badly, as he was looked content to stand on the edge while Roseman discussed the selections and philosophy.
Pederson has input into, but not control over the 53man roster, a dramatic departure from Kelly, who had total say over personnel. That’s why those Eagles were Kelly’s team, and these Birds are Roseman’s.
In the NFC East, the Dallas Cowboys are Tony Romo and Jerry Jones’ team. Washington is Kirk Cousins’ and Jay Gruden’s team. The New York Giants, who used to be Eli Manning and Tom Coughlin’s team, are just Manning’s team, no disrespect to Ben McAdoo or whatever his name is.
The Eagles, well, they’re a team in transition.
Howie Roseman’s team.