If you think you have a handle on which NFL coaches and general managers know what they’re doing, just wait a few months. Brian Daboll, the 2022 Coach of the Year, and the Giants lost eight of their first 10 games in 2023. The 2021 winner was Mike Vrabel, who was fired by the Titans after a 6-11 season in 2023. Kevin Stefanski took home the 2020 and 2023 awards, but his Browns went 15-19 in between, and there was a meaningful subset of Cleveland fans who wanted him fired. Judging coaches is difficult.
Judging general managers might be even tougher. Leaving team owners such as Jerry Jones who can’t be fired aside, the median tenure for the league’s active GM is three years. One simple rule for new GMs entering their jobs is “three and one”: executives can probably expect to get three drafts and/or one change at quarterback. There are exceptions on both ends of the spectrum, but if a GM hasn’t shown signs of progress across three drafts or whiffs when changing the quarterback, it’s a surprise if he gets to keep his job.
One general manager new hires might want to emulate — at least in terms of performance — is Howie Roseman. During his time as Eagles general manager and executive vice president of football operations, which began in 2010, his teams have been to two Super Bowls, winning one. They’ve made eight trips to the playoffs in 13 years. He landed a franchise quarterback in Carson Wentz, and even before that relationship went south, drafted another one in Jalen Hurts.
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At other times, Roseman has been seen as a problem…
Jump to a section:How Roseman’s executive career almost ended earlyThe disastrous 2020 season, and what happened nextIs Roseman actually good at finding value in the draft?How the NFL has evolved in Roseman’s imageSo … is Roseman a great general manager?
While Roseman was technically named general manager in 2010, the Florida graduate didn’t immediately have the sort of power he would wield later during his time with the organization…
…in a brutally honest exercise. There’s no better example of those swings than Roseman and his performance with the Eagles over the last few years.
The disaster of 2020
After the Super Bowl win in 2017, Roseman was lauded as the PFWA’s Executive of the Year…
…in the draft, both factors have to be considered. And frankly, given that virtually every study conducted on the draft shows us…
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And on the flip side, consider Brad Holmes, who has rightfully been lauded for his work rebuilding the Lions…
With more than a decade of drafts under his belt now, probably the most accurate thing to say about Roseman is…
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…even the most legendary of football minds have been found wanting at times. Baltimore’s Ozzie Newsome…
Some of the things the Eagles have focused on during Roseman’s tenure — dating back to the work done by Reid and Banner…
…executives are fit for running football operations. Instead, despite concerns from fans that Roseman wasn’t fit for the job…
So … is Roseman a great general manager?
Sometimes? The most accurate thing to say is Roseman is a good general manager with spectacularly high peaks and low valleys. While he has undoubtedly learned from whatever mistakes or disappointments have occurred during his tenure…
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…it’s important to understand that as we think about the league and its coaches and general managers. It’s too easy and simplistic to rely on what we saw most recently as the only evidence of what a front office is capable of doing…
