Getty Philadelphia Eagles GM Howie Roseman.
It’s hard to find too much fault with the Philadelphia Eagles’ front office right now. General manager Howie Roseman was able to turn the corner on a failed experiment at quarterback (Carson Wentz) and parlay it into the future of the franchise (Jalen Hurts). The result? Two Super Bowl appearances in five years.
However, there was a time when the franchise was getting lambasted for passing on Lamar Jackson in 2018. The Eagles sent the 32nd overall pick to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for No. 52 and No. 125, plus a 2019 second-rounder. Philadelphia also threw in the 132nd overall pick that year to close the deal.
One year later, Jackson went on to become only the second player in NFL history (Tom Brady is the other one) to win the MVP award unanimously. The Eagles whiffed on the trade, right? Not exactly. Here are the pieces that Roseman ultimately got back in the deal: Miles Sanders, Dallas Goedert and Avonte Maddox.
The Eagles-Ravens trade from last year is complete.
Eagles ultimately received Dallas Goedert, Avonte Maddox, Miles Sanders
Ravens received Lamar Jackson, Jaleel Scott
Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay included the trade in a list of “Re-Grading the 6 Most Impactful NFL Trades of the Last 10 Years.” The Ravens received an A grade; the Eagles got a B grade.
Kay wrote: “While the Eagles may have once regretted trading down after floundering through some lean years without a quarterback of Jackson’s caliber, the team did get some useful pieces in return. … Jackson’s impact on the Ravens has certainly been more noticeable, but the Eagles didn’t fare too poorly in this deal either, making this one relatively close to an even for both sides.”
Jackson, of course, recently inked a five-year contract extension worth $260 million to make him the highest-paid player in football. The Ravens quarterback stole the title from Jalen Hurts after the Eagles signed him to a $255 million deal.
A.J. Brown Trade Gets Top Mention, Too
The blockbuster trade for A.J. Brown last offseason got top billing on Bleacher Report’s list. The Tennessee Titans were between a rock and a hard place with Brown who wanted more money than the franchise was willing to shell out for their Pro Bowl receiver.
So, in a stunning move to open the 2022 draft, the Eagles sent pick No. 18 and pick No. 101 to Tennessee in exchange for Brown. The Titans chose Treylon Burks with the first-rounder acquired in the deal. For now, it looks like grand larceny for Philadelphia.
Brown’s presence was immediately felt in an Eagles receiving corps that had been amongst the league’s weakest in the years leading up to his arrival. Brown joined forces with fellow wideout DeVonta Smith—the team’s first-round pick in 2021—and rising star quarterback Jalen Hurts to have his best season yet, tallying up career highs in receptions (88), targets (145), yardage (1,496) and touchdowns (11) on the way to his first All-Pro nod.
Do the #Eagles have the best receiving duo in the NFL?
A.J. Brown: 88 Rec. 1,496 Yds. 11 Tds.
DeVonta Smith: 95 Rec. 1,196 Yds. 7 Tds.
Dallas Goedert Running WR Routes
Dallas Goedert has long talked about his desire to be one of the best tight ends in football. He was well on his way to his first Pro Bowl last season before a shoulder injury shut him down for a few games. He’ll get there.
In the meantime, Goedert revealed that he prefers to study wide receivers and the techniques they use to beat defensive backs rather than what traditional tight ends do. He is constantly trying to improve his route-running skills by looking at some of the best guys in the business.
“I’m not really watching tight ends run routes,” Goedert told reporters, via Eagles Today. “I’m watching Julio Jones, Keenan Allen, I get the benefit of watching A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith first-hand every day, who are just phenomenal receivers who seem like they can get open at ease.”
Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert said he’s been spending extra time after minicamp practices working with wide receivers A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Greg Ward with an emphasis on fine tuning the intricacies of their route running