Howie Roseman gave an illuminating press conference last week. It offered some much-needed positivity to a fanbase that hasn’t been looking for it and provided clarity when others were searching for it.
The Eagles GM joined Nick Sirianni and spoke to the media earlier this week. They offered the blueprint for how to get the Eagles back to the Super Bowl with the talent on the roster. More importantly, the defense of QB, Jalen Hurts, was more than just affirmation he’d return in 2022.
It was a definitive statement and backing.
And it was the right move for the future of the franchise.
Past Precedent
A lot of Philadelphia reporters have been quick to compare Roseman’s comments towards Hurts, to the ones he made about Wentz 365 days ago.
Here is why that is NOT the case, and with a huge difference.
In the press conference last year, Roseman continued to talk about the Eagles being a team in transition and needing to get younger. You don’t really do that when you’re paying your QB over $100 million. He also didn’t mention building the team around Wentz. Howie’s two statements contradicted each other very clearly and it was easy for him to backtrack.
The comments here are different because they directly show a clear and concise message about the future of the Eagles: the draft picks and cap space will be used to put talent around Hurts to get the most out of his abilities.
It’s a night and day difference. Even if fans and reporters don’t want to connect the dots, the Roseman of last year is saying something completely different to the one we see now. The common denominator is Hurts.
Howie (and team) wants stability
The Eagles have had six different “franchise QB’s” over the last 11 years. Whether it’s McNabb, Foles, Vick or Wentz, the Eagles are notorious for putting their chips in on a player, and then abruptly pulling the plug for another option.
The instability has caused some issues over the years so it’s clear Howie and the team is looking for some stability at the position.
It’s clear Hurts has done enough to earn another year as the starting QB in 2022. It’s important that Roseman and the front office saw it too. They understand a 23-year-old QB is not the same as a 29-year-old. Especially if the younger man has shown development. With the same staff coaching him up, it’s only going to improve Hurts and his skillset.
Stability will only help this franchise.
The future is bright
Roseman and Sirianni see what the positive fans see. That the future for this franchise is very bright.
With three first-round picks at their disposal, the Eagles can be one of the more flexible teams in the next two drafts.
That also means the judgment of Jalen Hurts is not complete and it’s not fair to evaluate him based on his first full year as a starter. No matter the limitations Hurts showed this year, it doesn’t mean he can’t grow into one of the brightest stars in the NFL.
Nick Sirianni sees it. Jeffrey Lurie sees it. And it’s clear now that Howie Roseman sees it as well.
The future of the Philadelphia Eagles is extremely bright.
Photo by John Jones/Icon Sportswire
