Some teams want the draft to be their main philosophy. Some go out and spend a lot in free agency. There are teams who prioritize offense, and those who prefer to lean on a good quarterback and invest in the defense otherwise.

With Howie Roseman, though, the strategy is everything. There isn't a single stone left unturned, and that's why he has been one of the most active and successful NFL executives of the last decade.

The last offseason, and what made it possible, was a true masterclass of how a general manager should operate. It's not a coincidence that the Philadelphia Eagles are going to the Super Bowl for the second time in three seasons, and with fairly different roster constructions.

Free agency

On the open market, it's frequent for bad or mediocre teams to give good players great contracts. Those simply don't work out. But there's a very specific way to maximize free agency: Take advantage of bad teams.

Two of the Eagles' most impactful additions were cheap free agents. Guard Mekhi Becton agreed to a one-year, $2.75 million deal. Linebacker Zack Baun signed a one-year, $3.5 million contract. They were amazing this year, which included Baun being a First-Team All-Pro and a Pro Bowler.

And that's because the New York Jets and New Orleans Saints could never understand how to use these players. Becton was mostly a tackle with the Jets, and schemes didn't favor his style. Baun played some off-ball linebacker for the Saints, but he was primarily an unsuccessful edge defender.

The other obvious one on this list is running back Saquon Barkley. This situation is different because everyone knows how talented he is, but the New York Giants still didn't have the environment to extract his real value—and that's why ultimately he was let go.

On the Eagles, a great offensive line and a solid offensive system allowed Barkley to have a career year and a historic season, which will probably end with the Offensive Player of the Year Award.

But more than that, Roseman also exploited a market inefficiency with running backs. He signed Barkley to a three-year, $39 million contract, and his $13 million yearly average is exactly the same as players like Gabe Davis, a wide receiver signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Do we need to discuss who's more valuable?

There were also some other minor additions, like C. J. Gardner-Johnson and Oren Burks, who added value to the roster.

Not everything will pan out—Devin White didn't. But the risk-reward factor is so favorable that ultimately the ones that didn't don't matter much.

Draft

Howie Roseman also grabbed two extremely impactful rookies for the defense in the draft, cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean—both made the All-Rookie Team.

With Mitchell, the Eagles took advantage of a circumstance in which a player from a premium position fell. He was 14th on the consensus big board, and Philly got him with the 22nd overall pick. Sometimes, you just let other teams make their mistakes.

The Eagles also had an extra second-round pick thanks to exploiting the Saints' crazy aggressive approach in 2022. And it all started in 2021. It's a real masterclass.

Roseman was able to get a 2022 first-rounder for trading quarterback Carson Wentz to the Indianapolis Colts. Having two firsts allowed the Eagles to make the big deal with the Saints. Philly sent both picks, numbers 16 and 19, plus a sixth-rounder, for pick number 18, a 2022 third- and seventh-rounders, a 2023 first, and a 2024 second. How is that even possible? Anyway, it was. And the Eagles used both second-rounders to move up and select DeJean.

Howie Roseman is so smart, so active, and what he does each and every offseason puts the Eagles in position to be that competitive.

Eagles hit with a bucket of cold water after clinching second Super Bowl spot in three seasons

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