Getty Eagles head coach Doug Pederson and GM Howie Roseman are both taking heat for the franchise's struggles.
The blame game is a dangerous one that usually ends with more losers than winners. And trying to point the finger at just one person in the Philadelphia Eagles’ organization for their 3-8-1 record has proven troublesome. Let’s start in the front office, though.
The decision to select J.J. Arcega-Whiteside over DK Metcalf last year looks like a disastrous move right now, as does passing on Justin Jefferson and Jeremy Chinn in this year’s draft. Time will tell on Jalen Reagor’s legacy. Remember, he missed a large chunk of the season due to injury. And the choice to take Jalen Hurts in the second round — a move which incited an instant quarterback controversy — was perplexing, to say the least.
On Thursday, ESPN analyst and NFL insider Louis Riddick shared his thoughts on the Eagles’ struggles. While he didn’t mention Eagles GM Howie Roseman by name, his comments seem to lay the blame at his feet. The growing debate in Philly has been whether to hold Roseman accountable or head coach Doug Pederson. It doesn’t seem fair to let Roseman off the hook, especially considering Pederson can only do so much with the personnel he was given.
“Doug needs to do this. He has to do something. He is fighting for his job,” Riddick told SportsRadio 94WIP about Pederson naming Hurts the starter. “Although we all know this, this is an organizational fail. The team has not been set up right. There have been numerous, numerous personnel missteps.”
It should be noted that Riddick is openly lobbying for a job. The Philly native has been linked to the vacant Atlanta Falcons GM job while being rumored to be a possible candidate for the Eagles should they part ways with Roseman.
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Former Eagles President Chimes In on GM Job
It’s no secret Roseman is beloved in the front office. He has a strong personal relationship with team owner Jeffery Lurie, including reportedly choosing him over his boyfriend friend in a previous “power struggle.” That man was Joe Banner.
The former Eagles president keeps tight tabs on the organization and does a weekly question-and-answer session with the Philadelphia Inquirer. Banner, who hasn’t worked for the Eagles since 2012, chimed in with his opinion on the situation in Philly and Roseman’s job security.
Citing no inside information other than knowing “how Jeff thinks,” Banner doesn’t see any wholesale changes coming in the front office structure. He wrote:
I know how much confidence he has in Howie. I know, in his mind, he’ll view Howie’s 8-10-year record, including winning a Super Bowl rather than the last couple of years. I think he has tremendous trust in Howie. And I’d be very surprised if there was a move there. I don’t think there’s even a 10% chance of it happening. So obviously I’ll be very wrong if it does. But I don’t think I will be.
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