NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
The Philadelphia Eagles are preparing for a passing of the torch on both sides of the ball. However, the defense is where major changes will come in the very near future that will define the tenure of Howie Roseman.
While he has been a part of the Eagles for over 2 decades, the last 3 seasons has definitely defined his career as a GM. As it stands now, Roseman is being regarded as a genius for his moves in Free Agency, and the Draft. But we’re about to see if that genius label is a fit or not.
With Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham set to either retire or move on possibly after this season, it’s time for young guys that Roseman handpicked in the draft and free agency to take the torch from the veterans and lead this team. The Philadelphia Eagles figured they had their new face when they drafted Carson Wentz, but he fizzled out. Now they have Jalen Hurts who just led them to an appearance in Super Bowl 57 last season and was rewarded with a huge contract.
Roseman let leading rusher Miles Sanders walk out the door to the Carolina Panthers and replaced him with DeAndre Swift and Rashaad Penny. The offense appears to be in good hands with their youth movement as these players have shown they can carry the burden. But that defense, they will be under a microscope for the next 2-3 years, and rightfully so.
If defense wins championships, the Philadelphia Eagles are retooling for the future and that may be a scary sight for the rest of the league. But it also could be a huge mistake. In every Draft, there are players who are expected to shine but never reach that level. Will the Eagles’ recent crop of picks fit into that box of busts or will they prove to be who Roseman thought they were never he selected them?
The Defense Of The Philadelphia Eagles Is Changing
What college team had the best defense in the last 2 seasons? Georgia easily held that title and Roseman took a scanner and went barcode shopping on their campus and walked away with a nice haul. Well, at least on paper that is. Jordan Davis was labeled as the best defensive player in the 2022 Draft. The same goes for Jalen Carter for 2023 and Roseman found a way to snatch both players. Then he pulled off another heist when he took Nakobe Dean last year and snagged Nolan Smith and CB Kelee Ringo. How did other GMs let this happen?
While they look good on paper, they now have to perform. Davis played well in his rookie season but he will be asked to do more this campaign and with Cox possibly leaving in 2024, Davis will become the leader of the interior. Dean will need to show that he can handle one of the most demanding positions in the NFL.
While they won’t exactly be thrown into the fire, thanks to the Philadelphia Eagles being smart and having vets in front of them, eventually, this will become their team the same way that Cox and Graham took over. And with Darius Slay not getting any younger, the Eagles may have found his replacement with Ringo.
This is the way sports work. Players get older and it’s up to the GMs to find suitable replacements. This is how teams that get on top, stay on top. Rebuilding is a word that winning teams hate to use. The Philadelphia Eagles are hoping Roseman made the right choices as the defense looks to pass the torch to the next generation.
