Howie Roseman: The 'zig-zag' man of the NFL

Legendary wrestler Roddy Piper once said, "Just when they think they got the answers, I change the questions." The same applies to Eagles general manager Howie Roseman, who seems hell-bent on changing the team’s narrative in 2024.

Consider what he’s done at running back. After years of avoiding big name, big money ball carriers, Roseman cut on a dime to give former Giant Saquon Barkley a three-year, $37M contract. It was a move no one saw coming, as he told Adam Schein of Mad Dog Sports Radio.

"From our perspective, you get to a situation where you kind of try to find, is something being undervalued? Is there a way to zig when everyone's zagging? Or I don't know if it's the opposite, and you're freakin' zagging when zigging. But I think that it's hard to find difference-making players and people, and it's hard to find them for a cost.”

Collectively, running backs D’Andre Swift, Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott cost the team just over $5M last season. Swift’s 1,049 yards were fifth-most in the NFL, but Roseman opted to bring in Barkley rather than re-sign Swift, who signed a three-year-$24M deal with Chicago.

Then there’s the matter of cornerback. Roseman was two years removed from working as an intern the last time Philadelphia drafted a first-round cornerback in 2002. After finishing 2023 with the league’s 31st-ranked secondary, most figured the Eagles would take a cornerback in the 2024 NFL Draft, just not in the first round.

But Roseman did them one better by taking Toledo's Quinyon Mitchell at No. 22 and trading up for Iowa’s Cooper DeJean in the second round. Somehow, Roseman convinced the Commanders, the only team with worse secondary stats than Philadelphia, to trade out of the No. 40 spot and let the Eagles have DeJean. 

Finally, there’s the matter of Roseman’s penchant towards big name schools in recent drafts. For better or worse, Philadelphia’s defense is loaded with Georgia Bulldogs like defensive tackles Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis, linebackers Nakobe Dean and Nolan Smith as well as cornerback Kelee Ringo.

Given recent history, Roseman seemed ready to select Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold over Mitchell with the team’s first pick. He didn’t and kept the small school train rolling by drafting safety-turned-linebacker Jalyx Hunt from Houston Christian and N.C. State guard Dylan McMahon in later rounds.

Of course time will tell if his moves work out. If not, expect Roseman to come off the top rope with a zag to the NFL’s zig.