ORLANDO — Most NFL general managers don't get second chances if things fail to work out the first time around.
Howie Roseman, the 2017 Sporting News NFL Executive of the Year, not only took advantage of his opportunity in Philadelphia. He built a Super Bowl winner in the process.
Immediately upon returning as Philadelphia's football czar following a one-year exodus in the waning days of the Chip Kelly era, Roseman began making the moves that helped the Eagles become last season's champs.
Most notably in 2016, Roseman:
— Ended the dysfunction that was running through the organization by insuring the personnel department and coaching staff were working in lockstep.
— Hired Doug Pederson as head coach.
— Scaled the NFL draft board to land his franchise quarterback in Carson Wentz.
MORE: Roseman voted 2017 Executive of the Year
Roseman and his staff not only continued assembling top-flight talent in 2017. They made sure the Eagles were well-stocked at key positions in case of injury.
For example, Philadelphia weathered the loss of star left tackle Jason Peters. Nigel Bradham excelled when shifting from the outside to replace injured middle linebacker Jordan Hicks. Undrafted rookie running back Corey Clement helped fill the void left by Darren Sproles' absence.
And the most notable decision of all: signing Nick Foles as Philadelphia’s backup quarterback and having faith that he could excel should anything happen to Wentz.
Howie Roseman accepts the 2017 Sporting News NFL Executive of the Year award. (Photo via Eagles)
During a one-on-one interview Monday with Sporting News at the NFL Owners Meetings, Roseman reflected on the road he took to help the Eagles soar higher than ever before in the Super Bowl era.
Looking back to the start of the 2017 offseason, how did you view Philadelphia’s roster?
Roseman: We felt like we had some holes we had to address. And we had to address them in a way that we would ensure we had those positions fixed. We have this philosophy of attacking those holes and consistently attacking them throughout the course of the season whether it was wide receiver, corner or running back.
For us, the more (talent) the better. We didn't want to have just one option at those positions. We wanted to turn a weakness into a strength.
What position developed better than what you could have reasonably expected?
Roseman: I would look at the corner position. I give a lot of credit to our coaches. It was a very young position for us. We also took a free agent in Patrick Robinson and put him in a position (at slot cornerback) to have success. In the draft, we added Sidney Jones. We knew there was a chance he wouldn't play throughout the course of the year (because of an Achilles tendon injury) so we were concerned about the depth.
But our coaches did a great job coaching those guys up, and the young players stepped up. It became an extremely competitive position and allowed us to win a lot of games.
One of the true strengths of the 2017 Eagles was depth and having players ready to step up if injuries occurred to starters. How conscious were you of that in building this roster?
Roseman: Once again, you’ve got to give a lot of credit to our coaching staff for getting guys ready to play. You lose a guy like Zach Ertz for two games and our second- and third-string tight ends (Brent Celek and Trey Burton) come in and we score 51 points against Denver and 43 against the Rams. We were very fortunate we had guys who were ready to play and step up into roles. If Fletcher Cox goes down, we had Beau Allen and Destiny Vaeao. It’s a great credit to our scouting staff for identifying guys that had value to us and the coaching staff instilling a "next man up" attitude.
What gave you confidence that Nick Foles could play well at quarterback if Carson Wentz were forced to miss time?
Roseman: We’d seen it before (from 2012 to 2014). I think one of the easier things is when you have the ability to see it in your system and environment so you don’t have to translate it and say, "Maybe this guy in our system can do this." It was there in front of us with our head coach. That was one of the moves we felt extremely confident about.
What was your team’s focus heading into the 2018 free-agent signing period?
Roseman: The most important thing is that we don't want to be resting on our laurels and thinking that we can just sprinkle some magic dust and recreate 2017. We’re trying to maintain our priorities on how we want to build the team and add competitive guys and, at the same time, keep a good locker room with more good people and good fits for us.
What update can you provide on Carson Wentz in his recovery from last year’s knee surgery?
Roseman: For us with any of the medical information, it's (late) March. We’re worried about getting guys ready for the season and the first game. It's a process. We'll just take it day by day.
What has you most excited about the 2018 Eagles?
Roseman: One, we have a huge amount of our core players coming back. We have a lot of guys who are under long-term contracts, guys who have been in our system. And we have a group of guys who were hurt last year who are superstar, Pro Bowl-caliber players.
Finally, when you look back to your year away from heading the Eagles’ football operations, what are some of the things you tried to learn if able to get a second chance in that position?
Roseman: That year off gives you great perspective. This job is all-encompassing. It’s hard to focus on anything else. It’s certainly hard to concentrate on self-improvement in the time that you’re engrossed in the job.
I had a chance to step back and realize how important the people are around you in every department. Hire the best and make sure they’re empowered and have the resources to do the right thing.
