Howie 2.0 – No Guts, No Glory
Howie Roseman 2.0 is a force to be reckoned with and it’s hard not to like. He’s more personable in his reincarnation and more humble. And, as Bill Raftery would say, he’s got ONIONS! DOUBLE ORDER!
NFL teams can’t win without a stud QB. Is Sam Bradford that stud? Maybe, but something says he’s not the guy to build the future around. He’s older, injury-prone, and expensive.
Howie took advantage of the Eagles poor 2015 season and resulting 13th draft pick. He snookered the Dolphins into Maxwell and Kiko to get up to the #8 pick. Then, pulled off the blockbuster deal landing the Eagles the #2 pick overall.
Howie has been given a second chance at running the football personnel department of an NFL team. That’s a chance few get without having had considerable success. I love that he’s been resurrected with renewed sense of purpose and drive. He pretty much just moved all-in on Carson Wentz, if reports of the Rams taking Goff are true. Howie Roseman’s career in the NFL will most likely live or die with the success of Carson Wentz.
This is one brave-ass move by Howie. You gotta appreciate that. You don’t win in life and the NFL without taking some chances. Super Bowls aren’t won by organizations that play it safe. This is far from safe and I’m 100% on board. As Jimmy Kempski pointed out in a great Philly Voice piece today, getting a QB is only gonna get harder as teams like the Patriots, Broncos, Saints, Cowboys & Giants start looking for younger arms. Might as well strike before future bidding wars drive up the price of moving up in the draft.
Is Carson Wentz worth it? I have no clue. Anyone who says they do is full of shit, unless they work in the NFL, at NFL Films, or has gotten their hands on North Dakota game-tape. The only Carson Wentz games that 99,9% of us saw may have been the FSC Championship game and the Senior Bowl.
The Eagles gave up a lot to the Cleveland Browns for the overall #2 pick. Many are saying it’s too much. To recap, they Eagles sent five picks to the Browns. 2016 1st, 3rd, & 4th pick, 2017 1st round pick, and 2018 2nd round pick.
If Wentz becomes an elite QB, it’s a bargain. The Eagles swapped first round picks with the Browns. The Brown gave the Eagles a 2017 4th rounder in return so the 4th rounders equal out. Basically, the Eagles gave a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd round pick for a shot at a possible franchise QB. Is this a franchise-killing deal? Hardly.
Let’s put it in perspective. If Wentz turns out to be as good as Aaron Rogers, Big Ben, Joe Flacco, Russell Wilson, or Andrew Luck, then he’d be worth the past three entire drafts of the Eagles. Think about it. Here is the list of the players the Eagles have drafted in the past three drafts:
2015
Nelson Agholor
Eric Rowe
Jordan Hicks
JaCorey Shepherd
Randall Evans
Brian Mihalik
2014
Marcus Smith
Jordan Matthews
Josh Huff
Jaylen Watkins
Taylor Hart
Ed Reynolds
Beau Allen
2013
Lane Johnson
Zach Ertz
Bennie Logan
Matt Barkley
Earl Wolff
Joe Kruger
Jordan Poyer
David King
Some solid players are in that list: Jordan Hicks, Lane Johnson, Zach Ertz and Bennie Logan. Still, would the Green Bay Packers take those 21 players for Aaron Rogers? The Steelers for Big Ben? I doubt it. That’s how valuable franchise quarterbacks are.
I applaud Howie for going all-in for a QB, especially when all-in is only 3 draft picks. The move took guts. You know what they say, “No Guts, No Glory.”