Getty Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman could have some interesting options at the trade deadline.
There was an interesting story making the rounds earlier this week involving top draft prospect Bijan Robinson. The triple-threat running back out of Texas was sitting in Howie Roseman’s office during a pre-draft visit when the Philadelphia Eagles general manager challenged him.
Well, it was more of a recruiting pitch than a challenge. Roseman asked Robinson why the Eagles should take him at pick No. 10 in this year’s draft. Robinson didn’t hesitate to sell himself in a major way, telling Roseman that he’s a “difference-maker.”
Here is a snippet of that one-on-one conversation, via ESPN’s Hallie Grossman:
Pitch me, he says. Why do I need to take you at No. 10?
The question is expected; Robinson’s rejoinder is not.
“You’re not going to get a running back,” says the most lauded running back prospect in years. “You’re going to get a difference-maker.”
It’s clear Robinson has read the writing on the wall. It isn’t so much writing as it is a billboard. A billboard with pulsating neon lights.
Howie Roseman sounds very open to drafting Bijan Robinson at No. 10
(Was asked about drafting an RB at 10)
The glowing adjectives used to describe Robinson refer to his game-changing speed, ability to block in pass protection, and reliable hands out of the backfield. He is the complete package. Problem is, teams just don’t seem to value running backs these days. For example, the Eagles haven’t selected a rusher in the first round since 1986 when they took Keith Byars.
Will the trend stop at Robinson? It certainly could. The Eagles are relying on a patchwork of options in the backfield, highlighted by Rashaad Penny and Kenny Gainwell. They pose a great potential, but nobody brings the electrifying hype of Robinson. He could be the missing ingredient needed for a Super Bowl title.
Bijan Robinson tells ESPN his main pitch to Howie in his #Eagles visit was: “You’re not going to get a runningback. You’re going to get a difference maker.”
Bijan says Howie told him it was “One hell of a pitch,” and says he was encouraged w/ how it went, but you can never know.
Howie Roseman Sounds Open to Drafting Robinson
Despite what history says about the Eagles taking a running back in the first round, don’t count it out. Robinson is a special player, and Roseman talked at great length about not limiting himself based on position. Robinson appears to be in play for the Eagles at pick No. 10.
“I think the most important thing when you’re picking in the first round, certainly when you’re picking at 10, is that you get a unique player,” Roseman told reporters on April 20. “And I think there are so few unique players in a draft that if you start picking by position and not based on the quality of the talent then you really limit yourself. So, I think the most important thing for us here is that we utilize this opportunity to get a unique player for our team.”
Bijan Robinson said the only two teams he has met with are the Eagles and Buccaneers 👀
Roseman continued: “I think if we start saying that, ‘Hey, we can only get a unique player but it’s gotta be this position, then you really narrow your options right there,’ so just trying to be as open-minded as possible about what that looks like and making sure that whoever we pick is somebody that we think can really impact the game.”
NFL Insider Says ‘Zero Percent Chance’
NFL Media’s Daniel Jeremiah worked in the Eagles’ front office as a college scout for three years before moving on work as a national draft analyst. He knows how the powers-that-be think and operate, and he doesn’t see a scenario where the Eagles draft Robinson.
Should Bijan Robinson break the mold of not drafting a RB in the top of the draft? 😯
“I worked in [the Eagles] organization for two years … and if there’s such thing as less than a zero percent chance that it happens, that is the case there in Philadelphia.” —@MoveTheSticks