Los Philadelphia Eagles they are in the Super Bowl for the first time in five years and seek to win the second championship ring in franchise history. Some familiar faces within the organization and on the field remain, but a lot has changed since their 41-33 win over Tom Brady and the Patriots.
in that match, Nick Foles he started at quarterback in place of an injured Carson Wentz, while Doug Pederson roamed the sideline. Jay Ajayi was the team’s top running back, while Alshon Jeffery, Torrey Smith and Zach Ertz made up its receiving corps. In 2023, none of them are part of the organization.
In fact, the Eagles have undergone an overhaul under executive Howie Roseman. The 47-year-old executive has long been considered one of the NFL’s top scouts. and has put together a team-building masterclass heading into this season.
Roseman spent the better part of three years accumulating depth and talent to build a quality roster. He hasn’t been afraid to make big moves; in fact, he has been one of the most aggressive executives in the NFL when it comes to making trades.
How exactly did the Eagles build their team for Super Bowl 57? The Sporting News Check out the biggest moves Roseman and the team made to get to the biggest stage in the NFL.
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The transfer of Darius Slay
One of Roseman’s first big deals as he built the team was the acquisition of Darius Slay. Philadelphia needed a true No. 1 cornerback because of Ronald Darby’s struggles to stay healthy. They got Slay for the relatively cheap price of third- and fifth-round picks in the 2020 Draft.
Slay has proven to be exactly what the Eagles needed at that position. He has recorded seven interceptions in his three years with the team and is a two-time Pro Bowler. He has been the first key player in the success of the secondary.
The Detroit Lions didn’t come off too badly from the trade. They packaged the picks to move up and select Pro Bowl guard Jonah Jackson. Still, Slay’s impact on Philadelphia’s defense has been immense, and his importance as a star player cannot be overstated.
The choice of Jalen Hurts
The Eagles’ first two picks in the 2020 Draft were heavily scrutinized at the time they were made. Your decision to Picking receiver Jalen Reagor over Justin Jefferson in the first round was unequivocally wrong. But his decision to choose Jalen Hurts even after giving Carson Wentz an extension it turned out to be pure genius.
Hurts was originally expected to be a backup that would come in on certain plays to take advantage of his mobility. But Wentz quickly began to back off and the Eagles saw an opportunity to push Hurts to the starting lineup for a test at the end of the 2020 season.
Hurts struggled with his accuracy at times, but he showed enough for the Eagles to believe he could start. He repaid that faith two years later with a total of 35 regular-season touchdowns, being named an Associated Press Second-Team All-Pro and leading the team to the Super Bowl.
Roseman, therefore, was unequivocally correct in hiring Hurts even after paying Wentz a lot of money. In fact, he was able to undo the damage done by Wentz’s extension shortly after he signed it.
The transfer of Carson Wentz
The Eagles’ decision to trade Carson Wentz was arguably the biggest move to catalyze the team. Wentz suffered a lot during the 2020 season: he led the NFL with 15 interceptions in just 12 games.
Roseman and company quickly suspected it wasn’t just a blip on the radar with Wentz. So they traded him to the Colts for a 2021 third-round pick and a 2022 first-round pick. That allowed the Eagles to pass Hurts on as a starter and, more importantly, readjust your salary cap to open up plenty of space for the 2022 offseason.
Wentz endured an up-and-down season in his only year with the Colts before being traded to the Commanders. Meanwhile, the Eagles used the third-round pick they acquired to trade for catcher DeVonta Smith and turned the 2022 first-round pick (No. 16 overall) into the 10th overall pick in the 2023 Draft via the Saints.
Clearly, the Eagles came out on top with this trade. It has helped them add a couple of key assets to your current campus.
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The hiring of Haason Reddick
As mentioned, part of the reason the Wentz trade was such a big deal is that it opened up a lot of cap space starting in the 2022 offseason. That freed up the Eagles to chase some fat fish in free agency. They got one of the best pressurers in Haason Reddick.
Reddick was going to sign for his third team in as many years when the Eagles took over his services. It was an underrated product. He had spent the first three years of his career playing out of position at inside linebacker before generating 12.5 and 11 sacks, respectively, playing with the Cardinals and the Panthers.
Reddick didn’t get a big offer in free agency in 2021 because to many he was something of a “one-year wonder.” But Philadelphia saw that he was a dynamic pass-rusher and gave the Temple product and New Jersey native a $45 million, three-year deal.
The results? Reddick led the team with 16 sacks in the regular season and has been vital during the team’s playoff run. He’s a key piece of the Eagles’ defense, who entered the Super Bowl with a total of 78 sacks, and has helped combine pass-rush success with better coverage in the back seven.
The AJ Brown trade
If Reddick was the Eagles’ biggest defensive acquisition, then AJ Brown it was easily his major offensive acquisition to boost the run to the 2023 Super Bowl. The Eagles completed a stunning trade with the Titans on Day 1 of the 2022 Draft to land the receiver. Philadelphia received Brown in exchange for the 18th pick in the draft.
Brown showed immediate chemistry with Hurts thanks to one amistad dating from his days in high school. Brown caught 88 passes for 1,496 yards and 11 touchdowns as a perfect complement to DeVonta Smith.
The fact that Roseman wasn’t afraid to sign Brown after failing to pick Reagor was key. It could be argued that Brown and Smith are the best receiver tandem of the league, although Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins of the Bengals might have something to say about that.
In any case, Brown was a perfect fit for the Eagles and they didn’t miss the 18th pick too much. The Titans selected the catcher from Arkansas Treylon Burkswho had a solid rookie season but was, in fact, frequently compared to Brown in the pre-draft process.
The signing of James Bradberry
The Eagles took over other waste when signing James Bradberry for the 2022 season. The Giants had released him on May 9 after failing to find a trade partner for him. The Eagles picked it up nine days later to give Slay a perfect counterpart.
Bradberry provided the Eagles with one of the best cornerback duos of the league. He had 54 tackles, three interceptions and 17 passes defensed. Those numbers were good enough to earn him a second-team AP All-Pro mention.
The fact that the Eagles were able to get Bradberry — a high-quality player in a position of need — so late in free agency, without giving up any draft resources for him, was an excellent development. He helped equip the team with a top-tier secondary along with an elite pass rush. His presence is part of what makes the Eagles’ defense so tough.
The CJ Gardner-Johnson Change
CJ Gardner-Johnson also plays a role in the toughness of the unit. The all-round defensive back was acquired on Aug. 30 along with a 2025 seventh-round pick from the Saints in exchange for fifth- and sixth-round picks in the 2024 Draft.
Despite his late arrival, Gardner-Johnson quickly fit into the Eagles’ defense. He played primarily safety and slot, but has the ability to play any position in the secondary. That made him a huge threat, especially as a ballhawk.
Gardner-Johnson posted an NFL-best and career-high with six interceptions in just 12 games. His 67 tackles were also a career high. His ability to create play is well worth the Day 3 picks the team gave up to get him. Even if he leaves as a free agent after the 2023 Super Bowl, he will have made a difference.
The Howie Roseman Impact
These moves represent just a sample of the team-building undertaken by Howie Roseman. He has been aggressive at the right times and has corrected mistakes quicklyLike the trade for Brown after Reagor turned out to be a dud.
He even addressed some of his team’s weaknesses in the 2022 season. When the Eagles went through a difficult period against the run, Roseman bolstered the depth at defensive tackle by signing veterans Linval Joseph and Ndamukong Suh. They helped improve Philadelphia’s rotation, and the Eagles suddenly became less permeable.
Roseman deserves a lot of credit for turning the Eagles into a true Super Bowl contender. so quickly after his disastrous 4-11-1 season in 2020. He has once again proven his mettle as one of the NFL’s top scouts. Now, he hopes to add another Super Bowl ring to his collection.
