Why one GM says Eagles’ Howie Roseman is the NFL’s best general manager
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman has had an interesting week.
Last Thursday, Roseman was preparing for a crucial draft in which he would attempt to re-tool the Eagles’ offense into a unit that can compete for a Super Bowl next season.
This Thursday, he’s still defending his decision to draft quarterback Jalen Hurts with the No. 53 pick instead of opting for a cornerback, a linebacker, or even a second wide receiver.
While the football world is largely still scratching its head over what the Hurts pick means for Carson Wentz and for the Eagles’ future, at least one key decision maker in the NFL thinks Roseman had a great weekend.
Browns general manager Andrew Berry, who worked alongside Roseman last season as the Eagles’ VP of football operations in his only year with the organization, Should Philly fans be criticizing GM Howie Roseman after the Eagles' 2020 Draft? @PSchrags & @KyleBrandt discuss. pic.twitter.com/KXx6XDm7mf
Berry had nothing but good things to say:
With Howie, I’ve said it before: I think he’s the best general manager, currently, in the sport. Very well-rounded skillset. I’ve taken a lot from in him, in terms of my approach to free agency, trades, general aggression with roster building, contract management, and then just overall people management and philosophy.
Is Berry biased because of his close relationship with Roseman? It’s certainly possible. And, yes, I know listening to the person in charge of the Browns isn’t a very good way to become a smart football fan.
But Berry has spent the last decade working in and around the NFL, which means he’s not exactly new to the league and the people who are in charge.
Roseman has taken a lot of flack for investing valuable a resource at a position that didn’t represent need for the Eagles this offseason, but Roseman has doubled down in media appearances since Friday, trying to sell the pick as both a win-now move and a security blanket for the franchise.
An interesting point was raised by The Ringer’s Kevin Clark this week, about Roseman daring to re-tool his team on the fly instead of waiting for it to fall apart and rebuild.
Clark likened Roseman’s apparent re-tooling, among others in the NFL, to one of the greatest soccer managers of all-time, Sir Alex Ferguson from Manchester United, who viewed his team as needing to change after four years.
Here’s Ferguson, who won 13 league titles at Manchester United, on always looking ahead:
Although I was always trying to disprove it, I believe that the cycle of a successful team lasts maybe four years, and then some change is needed. So we tried to visualize the team three or four years ahead and make decisions accordingly.
Only time, and likely results, will tell if Roseman was multiple steps ahead of the league by picking Hurts, or if the selection will feel like a waste of a second-round pick.
But Berry clearly believes Roseman has a plan, and it sounds like Roseman’s approach is influencing the next generation of GMs.
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