Howie Roseman could have given any answer under the sun as context clues as to why the Philadelphia Eagles won’t be taking a running back with the 10th overall selection in the 2023 Draft on Thursday.
Except that’s not what the top executive did.
Speaking to reporters in his pre-draft press conference, Roseman solidified his stance that the Eagles would be looking to take the best prospect available, not just the one who fits a team need.
“The most important thing, especially at 10, is getting a unique player,” Roseman explained. “There are so few unique players that if we pick by position and not talent, it’s not a good pick. We’re being as open-minded as possible.”
That’s a far cry from saying that the team won’t be taking a devalued position like a running back with a top selection.
Now even though the speculation will grow on the Eagles potentially taking Bijan Robinson – the top running back prospect since Adrian Peterson – context must always be given when discussing the Philadelphia Eagles and their front office. Later on in the presser, Roseman explained that “no one knows what we’re going to do” as a way to deter people from thinking about potential scenarios of the team going down.
Even former minds in the Eagles front office like Daniel Jeremiah have since responded to Roseman’s enticing quote saying on ESPN “I worked in [the Eagles] organization for two years … and if there’s such thing as less than a zero percent chance that it happens, that is the case there in Philadelphia.”
As always, context matters in the NFL. Roseman keeping his options close to the chest ahead of the draft allows the team with two picks within the first 30 selections the opportunity to be flexible.
Bijan would be great for the Eagles…
Still, a player like Bijan Robinson comes along once every decade it seems. The Longhorn’s standout ran for over 1,500 yards his senior season and has over 500 carries through three college seasons. His blend of pass-catching ability and pass-blocking prowess could allow the Eagles a chance to have one of the dominant backs in football on their team for the next five years.
So was Roseman blowing smoke where there wasn’t a fire to excite the fans on the possibility of Robinson? Or are the Eagles seriously interested in bucking the trend they’ve had for the last 40 years? Was Roseman even talking about Robinson during this quote – or was he talking about a potential defensive tackle stalwart that is expected to drop to them on Thursday?
We’ll find out each answer on Day 1 of the NFL Draft.
