Who else is exhausted after the last two days? I can’t tell if I’ve had more cups of coffee than the Eagles have made headlines, but it’s very close either way. Free agency has been an absolute rollercoaster up to this point and there’s a lot we’ve already learned about this Eagles team.
Howie Roseman should never be doubted
I’ll admit that I was skeptical. The opening day of legal tampering dealt the Eagles some cruel blows, with several defensive players all signing new deals elsewhere. Marcus Epps, T.J Edwards, and rumors of both James Bradberry and Darius Slay also being shipped off didn’t exactly paint a pretty picture.
When Jason Kelce was given a $14M contract, I was notably apprehensive. Kelce is probably the greatest center of all time and still playing like it. He deserved the money, but it could’ve been spent on positions that were bleeding profusely, and it’s not like there wasn’t a second-round pick waiting in the wings.
Fast forward 48 hours and Brandon Graham, Darius Slay, Fletcher Cox, James Bradberry all put pen to paper to remain in Philadelphia.
In short – never doubt Howie Roseman. There’s no such thing as an isolated move without there being a careful and calculated approach from the GM. It’s easy to get lost in the heat of the moment, but if you just zoom out and remain patient, things become a lot clearer.
Maybe the window wasn’t short-term after all…
The Eagles were hyper-aggressive last season and it made total sense. They had the easiest schedule in football and an opportunity to bring in some big names on prove-it deals, getting them enough production to make a run, while retaining draft capital to develop players. Most of those players have now left…or have they?
Fletcher Cox is back at defensive tackle, BG is back at defensive end, and both starting corners have returned. Sure, there is a hole at safety and a couple of other spots could use some replenishment such as linebacker, but the Birds have more than enough ammo to not only fill them, but find some impact players to do so.
This Super Bowl window is far from closed, ladies and gentlemen.
Leadership matters
The Eagles have placed a real emphasis on leadership over the past few years. Most of their draft picks have either come from big-time SEC schools, have been team captains, or have an affiliation to a current player on the team. That culture is probably what spurred the likes of Fletcher Cox to take a paycut and remain in Philadelphia, and Jason Kelce spoke at length to Rich Eisen about that very thing.
It might feel like the Eagles (Bradberry aside) are just bringing back familiar faces, but they’re all vocal leaders in the locker room and if we’re being honest, this is a very young team that’s only going to get younger due to the draft capital they have at the ready. Having such experienced and accomplished players on hand to mentor those talents is a huge asset to have.
Photo by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire
