It's time.
It's time to do something that's unpopular, and take a stand for what's right. It's time to say something that's not easy to do in Philadelphia. It's time to give credit where credit is due as the Eagles march toward an unlikely playoff berth.
It's time to give Howie Roseman credit.
The Eagles rebuild isn't just ahead of schedule. That was the case in mid-November. Now? Now we're looking at a team that's played like one of the best in the NFL in the second half of the season, and Roseman's fingerprints are all over a roster that has a chance to set the foundation for the next Super Bowl window in Philadelphia.
Before I rattle off all the reasons why Roseman's job status should no longer be in question and why the roster is in far better shape than anyone could have guessed in August, take the word of Eagles head coach (and Coach of the Year candidate) Nick Sirianni after Sunday's blowout win over the Giants.
"It all comes back to the types of guys that we have in that locker room," Sirianni said. "A ton of credit obviously to Howie and his staff of how they assembled this team. Howie said, 'Great job coming back from a two and five start.' I said, 'Howie, great job. Like what other first-year head coaches are in the position I'm in? We have a great offensive and defensive line."
Sirianni is right, so let's start there.
Depth, not blue-chip talent, has carried the Eagles on both lines. When the team lost Brandon Graham, Brandon Brooks and Issac Seumalo in September, it was easy to see this season falling apart. But that didn't happen because the cupboard was more stacked with quality depth than anyone anticipated.
On offense, Landon Dickerson was healthy and ready. Jack Driscoll and Nate Herbig weren't green like in 2020, and have contributed to the best run-blocking group in the NFL. Jordan Mailata was worth the time, investment and contract he earned.
Although the pass rush hasn't been vintage, the Eagles defense has mauled bad quarterbacks. Javon Hargrave and Darius Slay, Roseman's big-ticket acquisitions prior to the 2020 season, have played at Pro Bowl levels this season. Rookies like Milton Williams and Tarron Jackson have made an impact. T.J. Edwards, who the Eagles picked up as an undrafted free agent, earned playing time, a major role and a contract extension. Avonte Maddox has played the best football of his career, and will be here for years thanks to a new deal keeping the slot corner off the market.
Then, of course, there's the rebuilding of the offensive skill positions.
Roseman has spent years remaking the offense, with a priority on speed. It's finally paying dividends. No, Justin Jefferson isn't here. Neither is D.K. Metcalf. At some point, we might stop talking about it. Passing on those players (especially Jefferson in favor of Jalen Reagor) are all-time misses. There's no question about it. But is it truly handcuffing a team that's scoring close to 30 points per game over the last eight weeks? I'd argue that it is not.
That's because of the emergence of the offensive line, the polish of rookie wide receiver DeVonta Smith, the breakout of tight end Dallas Goedert and the week-to-week rise of quarterback Jalen Hurts, the most controversial of all of Roseman's picks in recent years.
Smith makes a catch or two per week that amaze, and has the kind of route-running ability, drive and work ethic that can be the backbone of an excellent career despite less-than-ideal size. Goedert has performed like a top-five tight end in the sport since Zach Ertz was dealt away. And if you can't see the potential in Hurts, you're watching the wrong sport. With Hurts at the helm, we're watching an offense tied for seventh in the NFL in yards per play. Hurts isn't a finished product, but he's cheap, has a growth mindset, and has gotten better every year since stepping on the campus of Alabama as a 17-year-old. The pick that turned so many against Roseman has the capability to lead a top-five offense by next year.
The Eagles are winning with young players. They are winning with depth. They are winning on the back of their own draft picks, especially on offense. They are winning with big-ticket offseason moves like Hargrave and Slay playing major roles. There's more of a foundation here than most would have thought before Week 1.
And the most exciting part? The whole process is ahead of schedule. The Eagles Vegas win total was at 6.5 before the year. Last year's team won four games. The franchise has three No. 1 picks at its disposal in April's draft, giving Roseman a chance to take the next five years of Eagles football in a variety of directions.
Good teams don't just win games simply by making easy first-round draft picks. If they did, the Jefferson-led Vikings wouldn't be looking up at the Eagles in the standings. Good teams win with depth, and forward-thinking moves. If you want to fire Roseman on mistakes in the first-round of the draft, knock yourself out. But the Eagles are about to win at least nine games and could make the playoffs for the fourth time in the six years since Roseman re-took his job after the 2015 season.
Sirianni is doing a really good job, and the Eagles are taking advantage of the schedule. But let's not forget to give some credit to the maligned executive that's responsible for Hurts, Smith, Dickerson, Mailata, Hargrave, Goedert, Slay, Edwards, Miles Sanders, Boston Scott, Jordan Howard and Gardner Minshew (stolen by Roseman for the small price of a sixth-round pick) all taking turns as players helping an out-of-nowhere playoff run come together.
The Eagles aren't a bad team. They are a pretty good one in the middle of rebuilding. Winning while turning over a roster is not an easy thing to accomplish. When it happens, it's the result of some pretty good work by both the front office and coaching staff. And in Philadelphia, that includes really good work out of an executive that much of the fan base wanted fired after last season.
