Eagles general manager Howie Roseman understands fans are worried about the wide receiver position. He has seen similar outrage before, like in 2017 with the cornerbacks and last offseason at running back.
When asked about obvious needs on the roster, especially early on in the offseason, Roseman almost always gives a similar answer — and he gave again it last week when talking to reporters.
"I'll stress this: I remember in past years we've gone into the draft or even past the draft and we haven't had those positions filled," Roseman said. "But our job has to be throughout the offseason and up until the trade deadline to improve the team."
Roseman is right — there is still time to improve the roster. The Eagles have a month of free agency left before the draft, they have the NFL Draft, they have the post-draft period, they have training camp and they have during the season up until the trade deadline. That is plenty of time to make plenty of moves, and in the past Roseman has been very active during all of those periods.
His track record in finding help after March, however, does not inspire much confidence.
While Roseman is always looking to improve the roster, the truth is that once the first wave of free agency is over, he has had trouble in past years finding players that have contributed in any kind of meaningful ways to his team that season. There is no denying in 2017, for almost every reason, was a smashing success. Each of Roseman's moves hit and the result was a parade down Broad Street that he earned.
Overall, however, that season has proven to be a major outlier in terms of Roseman's ability to add talent after the month of March.
Mostly, Roseman's major moves after March have been misses and haven't helped the team at all.
Last year, the players Roseman from April 1st-on that ended up contributing in some fashion were Josh McCown, Duke Riley and Rudy Ford. None made a major impact. In 2018, Roseman's best move after March was bringing back Jordan Matthews two weeks into the season. His trades for Dorial Green-Beckham Jr., Golden Tate and Genard Avery didn't help. His signings of Richard Rodgers, Markus Wheaton, Paul Worrilow, Kamar Aiken, Matt Jones, Jonathan Cyprien, Zach Brown, Blake Countess and Orlando Scandrick didn't help.
None of those players were priority-level free agent, and in general, the hit-rate on players added from April-on likely isn't super high.
That, however, is the point.
While it is great that Roseman is constantly looking to improve the roster, the reality is that he hasn't been very successful at finding diamond-in-the-rough type players in free agency or on the trade market. His trade deadline deals, outside of Jay Ajayi, haven't helped much either.
Roseman has had some success in the draft. Usually he has been able to find at least one contributing player each year. It 2016 it was Carson Wentz at No. 2 overall. In 2017 it was Derek Barnett, in 2018 it was Dallas Goedert (and Avonte Maddox), and in 2019 it was Miles Sanders. So chances are, with the 21st and 53rd pick, the Eagles will be getting a contributing player or two through the draft.
Anything is possible, but outside of help in the draft, the history shows that Roseman hasn't pulled off any season-changing trades or signings to fill a need after April. Overall, however, the reality might be that the Eagles already have the players that will have a major impact on deciding how the 2020 season plays out.
Which means chances are either the major help they need at receiver is coming through the draft or it isn't coming at all.
2016 Moves:
Signed Stefen Wisniewski (hit)
Signed T.J. Graham (miss)
Signed Ryan Quigley (miss)
Signed Ty Powell (miss)
Signed Derrick Lott (miss)
Signed McLeod Bethel-Thompson (miss)
Signed Nick Perry (miss)
Signed Stephen Tulloch (miss)
Signed Terrence Brooks (miss)
Signed Kamu Grugier-Hill (hit)
Signed Bryce Treggs (miss)
Claimed Taylor Hart (miss)
Traded for Dorial Green-Beckham (miss)
2016 NFL Draft: Carson Wentz, Isaac Seumalo, Jalen Mills
2017 Moves:
Traded for Timmy Jernigan (hit)
Signed LeGarette Blount (hit)
Signed Corey Graham (hit)
Traded for Ronald Darby (hit)
Traded for Dexter McDougle (miss)
Signed Kenjon Barner (hit)
Traded for Jay Ajayi (hit)
Signed Will Beatty (N/A)
Signed Bryan Braman (N/A)
2017 NFL Draft: Derek Barnett, Rasul Douglas, Mack Hollins
2018 Moves:
Signed Paul Worrilow (miss)
Signed Richard Rodgers (miss)
Signed Darren Sproles (miss)
Signed Markus Wheaton (miss)
Signed Matt Jones (miss)
Signed LaRoy Reynolds (hit)
Signed Kamar Aiken (miss)
Signed DeAndre Carter (hit)
Signed Corey Graham (miss)
Claimed D.J. Alexander (N/A)
Signed Jordan Matthews (hit)
Traded for Golden Tate (miss)
Claimed Cre'von LeBlanc (hit)
2018 NFL Draft: Dallas Goedert, Avonte Maddox
2019 Moves:
Signed Timmy Jernigan (miss)
Traded for Hassan Ridgeway (miss)
Signed Zach Brown (miss)
Signed Trae Elston (miss)
Claimed Blake Countess (miss)
Signed Stefen Wisniewski (miss)
Signed Darren Sproles (miss)
Signed Orlando Scandrick (miss)
Signed Jonathan Cyprien (miss)
Traded for Eli Harold (miss)
Signed Chris Worley (Miss)
Signed Josh McCown (hit)
Traded for Rudy Ford (hit)
Traded for Duke Riley (hit)
Traded for Genard Avery (miss)
Claimed Marcus Epps (miss)
Signed Jordan Matthews (miss)
Signed Jay Ajayi (miss)
Signed Elijah Holyfield (N/A)
2019 NFL Draft: 1/5 (Miles Sanders)
You can follow Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!
