When it comes to the Philadelphia Eagles there’s a lot of credit to go around. Stellar drafting, solid coaching, and backfilling gaps through free agency ensured this team was capable of winning the Super Bowl.
If we go back to one pivotal moment, one nexus from which everything was made possible, it comes from an unlikely source: Trading Carson Wentz. Pushing this domino had an incredible ripple effect on the future of the Eagles, and while at the time it might have seemed simply like jettisoning an unneeded quarterback, what GM Howie Roseman did with the draft capital gained from the Wentz deal allowed him to build a roster capable of winning everything.
It’s one of the most brilliant modern examples of an executive changing the fortunes of a franchise. It’s time to appreciate what Roseman did.
Trading Carson Wentz
The decision to move Wentz wasn’t necessarily an easy one. Just one year removed from leading the Eagles to the Super Bowl, only to have Nick Foles take the credit at the last second and get Philadelphia over the line — there was pretty solid evidence that Wentz could still be the franchise QB for Philly, even after a down year that resulted in being benched.
There was no guarantee Jalen Hurts would amount to anything, and history had proven that 2nd round quarterbacks rarely ever worked.
Roseman identified the market and saw a place for Wentz in Indianapolis. With Franck Reich taking over as head coach after serving as Wentz’s mentor on the Eagles it made sense to free up his QB room, give Hurts a shot, and get what amounted to an impressive haul for Wentz — a 3rd round pick in 2021, and a 1st round pick in 2022.
This was the ball that got everything rolling.
Drafting DeVonta Smith
Roseman jumped on the Miami’s desperation at the top of the 2021 NFL Draft to gamble that the receiver-needy Dolphins wanted Jaylen Waddle and not DeVonta Smith, who he had been targeting. The Eagles traded out of the No. 6 overall pick, the Dolphins took Waddle — and Philadelphia picked up another first round pick for 2022.
In the 2021 draft the Eagles used the 3rd round pick acquired from the Colts to move up with the Cowboys in the first round, jumping from No. 12 to No. 10. This allowed them to select Alabama WR DeVonta Smith, who they wanted all along, and who fell further than he should have.
Smith has been one of Philadelphia’s best, most-consistent pass catcher (especially in the Red Zone), and locking up their WR of the future was a key move.
The masterstroke of the 2022 NFL Draft
Armed with three first round picks thanks to the Colts and Dolphins, it would have been easy for the Eagles to stand pat and simply taken the best two players available. If we look at how that draft broke down, as well as the Eagles’ needs it likely would have led them to getting some good players, including standout safety Kyle Hamilton — but instead it built an organization.
The Eagles quickly identified that they wanted Georgia DT Jordan Davis, and were worried the Ravens would select him at No. 14, so they jumped in front of Baltimore, using a fourth and two fifth round picks to move up two spots.
Davis is a pivotal interior pass rusher for the Eagles, who now operate inside-out pressure as their primary disruption.
The Eagles banked on the Saints being mediocre. Roseman gambled and sent the Colts pick, and the Dolphins to New Orleans (No. 16 and No. 19) for the No. 18 pick, a third round pick, a 2023 1st round pick, and a 2023 2nd round pick — stocking the shelves even more for the future.
Then came the bombshell. The Eagles traded their No. 18 pick from the Saints, as well as the third they received in the deal and landed A.J. Brown from the Titans. In back-to-back years Roseman had found his WR of the future in DeVonta Smith, and now he’d landed one of the best receivers in the NFL to pair him with — all while amassing more draft picks for the future.
The 2023 NFL Draft
Now we’re two years removed from the Went trade and the Eagles are STILL benefitting from the deal due to how Roseman lined everything up. His gamble on the Saints being bad paid off, and the Eagles now owned the No. 10 pick in the draft from New Orleans.
Roseman used this, as well as mid-round assets to select DT Jalen Carter, also from Georgia (it was his theme). Carter was at one point being discussed as a potential No. 1 overall pick, but off-field issues caused him to fall. The Eagles were playing with house money at this point, and decided to move up to ensure they got Carter.
Of course, they also used their own draft pick on Nolan Smith out of Georgia, who has been one of the best pass rushers for the team.
So let’s break it all down
These were a lot of trades, tons of moving pieces, and some absolute brilliance. Howie Roseman fundamentally understood that by amassing a war chest he could wheel and deal in the draft like no other, and it began with the security of getting additional draft picks for Carson Wentz.
If we map out the entire trades in one big deal, here’s what the Eagles gave up, and what they got.
Eagles trade
- QB Carson Wentz
- 1st round pick
- 4th round pick
- Two 5th round picks
Eagles receive
- WR DeVonta Smith
- WR A.J. Brown
- DT Jordan Davis
- DT Jalen Carter
Howie Roseman essentially turned one first round pick and a burned out QB into four players who were critical in the Eagles winning the Super Bowl. Two of his most-important defensive players, his starting wide receivers — everything a modern contender needs came because of the Wentz trade.
So while we celebrate Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, and the rest of the Eagles this week, let’s not forget the man who made all this possible.
