After the Philadelphia Eagles won the Super Bowl in 2018, Howie Roseman and the front office gave multi-year contract extensions to aging stars that had become fan favorites during their championship run.
Two years after that, the Eagles were stuck with major cap issues and struggled to find the talent to replace the often-injured stars.
Many fans and analysts saw the fear of a repeat of that happening this offseason with 20 incoming free agents and a healthy set of cap room to keep the team in contention. And while the first day of free agency saw five Eagles leave for different teams, Howie Roseman and the front office have stayed true to their core beliefs.
And learning from their mistakes in their biggest calling card.
Howie Roseman is a changed man
After losing four free agents, Howie Roseman got to work in securing the RB position by signing Rashaad Penny to a one-year deal along with re-signing Boston Scott. Why are both such great deals? Penny is going to make just $1 million on his deal with Philly and Boston Scott is making around $2 million. The Eagles are expected to spend less than $5 million at the running back position while still maintaining top value amongst Scott, Penny, and Gainwell.
Running back wasn’t the only position that showed how times have changed in Philadelphia.
Somehow, someway, the Eagles got cornerback James Bradberry to agree on a three-year contract extension that will take him to 32-years old. The move gave Bradberry about $12 million a year, but it was significantly less than he could’ve gotten outside of Philadelphia.
In fact, Bradberry said as much when talking to multiple reporters saying “I’m dedicating myself to this team. I want to be a piece on this defense. I want to bring Philadelphia a Super Bowl title.”
Bradberry’s emergence in Philadelphia could be compared to Alshon Jeffery’s extension that was given after a one-year deal in 2017. Except the way Jeffery excelled at times was different than Bradberry. In fact, Bradberry’s extension having three years to it, allows the Eagles to stay flexible in building out the defense while they pay their franchise quarterback. Philadelphia was more patient, and got a better deal for a player that had a better season in his first year in Philly.
The Eagles won’t be done with their free agent plans. There’s still two months before the draft and four months before minicamp. That means the team has plenty of time to improve the defensive tackle, linebacker, and safety positions that have taken a hit in free agency.
This isn’t the same Howie Roseman that ran the team into the ground with holding onto players for too long. The lessons learned in 2018 have already begun to show in the early stages of the 2023 offseason.
And it’s only a matter of time before more moves are made.
Photo by John Jones/Icon Sportswire
