To say that the 2020 season was a bad one for Howie Roseman would be an understatement.
The franchise quarterback he paid too early (and too much) played terrible and then forced his way off the team. The receiver he drafted in the first round was a bust. The left tackle he drafted in the first round the year before was hurt. The team he built to that Super Bowl just three seasons earlier won just four games. He was nearly fired (again).
The house was burned down, many Eagles fans pointed out all offseason. Roseman was to blame.
Well, as we all saw on Sunday, perhaps the house wasn't as burned down as everyone thought.
For all of the criticism he has taken about his draft record, everywhere where you looked on Sunday in the team's 32-6 win over the Atlanta Falcons there was a controversial Roseman draft pick playing well and contributing to the win.
The team's first touchdown was caught by DeVonta Smith, the receiver Roseman traded up for in the 2021 NFL Draft to get (while also landing a first-round pick in 2022). Smith looked every bit the part of a No. 1 receiver, catching six of the eight passes thrown his way for a total of 71 yards. He not only caught the first touchdown of the game, but he caught a 19-yard pass on 3rd-and-9 in the fourth quarter that kept an Eagles' drive alive and allowed them to kill more time off the clock.
The team's last touchdown was also scored by a receiver Roseman drafted in the first round, Jalen Reagor. Reagor didn't have the impact on the game that Smith did, but he did score his first legit, impressive offensive touchdown of his career. One of the most promising part of Reagor's game when he was drafted out of TCU was his ability to make plays after the catch. Reagor did just that against the Falcons, taking a short pass and going 23 yards for a game-sealing touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Between those two touchdowns, the first by Smith and the last by Reagor, a number of late-round picks by Roseman stood out.
The team's starting left tackle, Jordan Mailata, had the best game of all the team's linemen on offense. Mailata not only kept the pressure of off Hurts from the left side, but he also had a key block on Reagor's touchdown to help spring him free. Mailata might not completely wipe away the Andre Dillard miss in the eyes of the fans, but the left tackle is becoming one of the best value draft picks in recent NFL Draft history, as Roseman scouted him as prospect that had never played football and correctly took a gamble that he could. Now, the team has a new franchise left tackle, something they have badly needed the last few years.
Another one of Roseman's late-round picks, Kenny Gainwell, also had a strong showing Sunday. The running back had 10 touches, only five fewer than Miles Sanders, a surprising development considering it was his first game in the NFL. Gainwell has clearly earned the trust of the coaches, as the Eagles employed a backfield-by-committee approach, even using the rookie on a fourth-down attempt. Gainwell scored the touchdown to put the Eagles up 29-6, and after one game, it looks like Roseman might have found a steal in the fifth-round.
On defense, key free-agent signings like Eric Wilson, Anthony Harris and Steven Nelson helped hold the Falcons to just six points. Javon Hargrave, a player that looked like a free-agent miss by Roseman in 2020, finished with two sacks. Coming off of a dominant training camp, it looks like Hargrave is set for a big 2021 season, and will be closer to the player Roseman thought he was getting when he signed him.
But as impressive as those players were, the most important victory for Roseman on Sunday was who lined up under center.
Roseman's decision to draft Jalen Hurts in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft was one of the most controversial draft picks in Philadelphia sports history. The ramifications of it were huge, and at the time, it seemed impossible to justify. Even now it is fair to wonder if the reasoning behind it, if it truly was to have him be the backup, was smart.
The bottom line, no matter how controversial or flawed at the time, is that the pick might have changed the course of the franchise for the better.
Hurts was outstanding on Sunday, looking every bit the part of the team's next franchise quarterback. He looked great in the pocket, he made big plays on big downs, he extended plays with his legs and kept the offense moving throughout the game. At just 23-years old, it is foolish to look at Hurts as anything other than an outstanding quarterback prospect that has a very bright future. Compare Hurts to how things seem to be going with the team's old quarterback in Indianapolis, and the decision to draft Hurts looks even better — and the team's future looks even brighter.
It is worth pointing out, however, that Roseman's team winning maybe shouldn't be that surprising. Roseman entered this season with one of the better resumes in the NFL among current general managers. He is one of seven current general managers that have one a Super Bowl. Only nine general managers (with more than 2 seasons of experience) have a better overall record.
Considering how ugly 2020 was, however, it is safe to say it is going to take more than one game for Roseman to get back into the good graces of the fans. Fair or not (and it is more on the unfair side), Roseman has become public enemy No. 1 in Philadelphia right now.
Sunday, however, was a big step in the right direction — and it felt like it could be the beginning of Roseman returning back to the general manager all fans were happy to have just two short seasons ago.
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!
