NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
The Philadelphia Eagles aren’t in the same rebuild mode as the Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts, or even in the same breath as the Dallas Cowboys or the Baltimore Ravens. What we’re seeing for the 2026 Eagles is business as usual. What I mean by that is, this team has not missed their window; they’re just Black Friday shopping before the actual day.
With the trade of Jordan Davis to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Howie Roseman did what a real GM leading a winning franchise does; he made the tough choices that will keep his team in contention and not have to face a serious decline like the Browns. But then there is the missing piece that no one is really talking about.
Take a team like the Cowboys, who have not won a Super Bowl or even been to one in 30 years. Yes, they can look at the play on the field, but it’s also what happens off the field, in the offices of the higher-ups. In order to win in this league, you must produce, but you also must be smart about the business side of the NFL.
Roseman has had his fair shar of failures in the Draft and Free Agency, but he has always left the Eagles within striking distance. For all the praise that the Ravens and Buffalo Bills receive, when was the last time they were in a Super Bowl?
What the Philadelphia Eagles are facing now is a doomed season due to many obstacles. Their starting QB is done for the year. Saquon Barkley should be resting his injuries, but he’s on the field. Their starting wide receivers have played less than a handful of games, and that offensive line has had more changes than any we’ve seen in recent history in the league.
The Jags’ Super Bowl window is still open, and they must do whatever they can to keep it that way. The same goes for the Chicago Bears. They are the teams being mentioned as the top contenders. What the Eagles are doing is no different than what the Kansas City Chiefs have done and what the New England Patriots did during their dynasty run. If something is working, ride it out. If it’s not working, then find a way to fix it before it all falls apart, and that window closes. Roseman understands this.
He’s making moves that allows him to keep his core players and stack draft capital for the future. And not the distant future; we’re talking 4 first-round picks, 3 second-round picks, and 2 third-round picks in the next 2 seasons. And that’s not even counting what’s happening in 2029. Somehow, Roseman got back the picks he used to take the players he drafted and then traded away.
Imagine drafting Davis in the first round, keeping him for 4 years, winning a championship with him, then trading him for the same first-round pick and a second-round pick. The same goes for Cam Jurgens. And let’s not forget about the AJ Brown trade. While the season has been a disaster of sorts, the Eagles are gearing up for another run. Their window is not closed.
Fans are now in an uproar, and the media are taking their usual shots but didn’t the Chiefs go through this about 2 years ago? This is what sets these two teams apart from everyone else, even the Bills, Ravens, Cowboys, Lions, and others. In the middle of that down season, it’s what happens in the front office that decides if that decline will be 1 season or 5?
Roseman is not taking any chances. He drafted well, paid well, won, and now he’s trading his players for the same draft compensation he got them for years ago. That’s genius. Normally, that doesn’t happen: you draft a player in the 1st round, he plays for 3 years, he gets traded for like a 3rd or 4th round pick, and you move on.
This is where the success of the Eagles comes into play and the greatness of Roseman. With winning comes so much. A team like the Jaguars, who are right on the cusp of a championship, are not in the market for players to fill gaps. They are looking for players who have been to the mountaintop and have won. They need players to come into that locker room and show their new teammates what it takes to hold that Lombardi.
To get these players, you have to pony up. Howeie Rosmen knows this because he’s been on the other end of those deals. So he knew that teams like the Jaguars and Ravens were willing to do whatever they could to get over that hump. The Eagles have the players who have been at the top and are still young enough to help lead another Super Bowl parade. That’s smart drafting and negotiations.
Contenders want winners, and right now, the Eagles have them. Say what you want about AJ, but he does have a championship and Pro Bowl nods under his belt while being a member of the Eagles. Roseman has not one but a few aces up his sleeve, and he’s cashing them in at the right time. There is no way he will let the Eagles hit a decline and not be a contender for more than a season or two. He’s loaded for the next 3 years with enough draft capital that he can draft quality players or flip those picks for other players teams may want to get rid of.
A down season is not the end of the world. It’s an opportunity to take a step back, reassess the situation, and regroup. Jordan Davis and Cam Jurgens will be missed, but they did what they came to Philly to do, and that was to win. When they left, the Philadelphia Eagles got for them what they used to get them. It’s a win-win all the way around. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how you run an organization.
