Dave Uram
You can follow Dave Uram on Twitter (@MrUram).
You’re probably thinking, “Oh, here goes Uram again! What a shock he’s going after Howie Roseman. Doesn’t this loser have someone else to complain about?”
The truth is … I do. If Bryan Colangelo doesn’t handle the Sixers’ big man log jam correctly and trade Jahlil Okafor, Joel Embiid won’t reach his maximum effectiveness.
If Ron Hextall doesn’t add another scorer to the Flyers, they won’t reach their highest potential.
If Matt Klentak doesn’t bring in a prolific bat to the Phillies sooner rather than later, the Phils will continue to be mediocre to bad.
Not only that, but my original intention for this week’s column was to praise Embiid and deem him the future of Philadelphia sports.
But, “My Fave,” Howie Roseman, broke his silence and spoke to the media for the first time in a while, and as expected, managed to annoy me.
How Shocking!
What bothered me the most about his half hour press conference Wednesday was his theme of patience. Roseman never used that word, but his message suggested he’s not on the hot seat to make something happen.
If you’ve read prior columns or heard me on WIP or Fox 29, I’ve said on numerous occasions if the Eagles don’t win a playoff game next season, Roseman must FINALLY be let go after over a decade in the personnel department, heading into his seventh year as the head of that branch of the franchise.
Roseman wasn’t able to provide a timetable on how long it would take before the Birds become perennial. How are you supposed to trust him as a fan if he can’t give an estimate as to how long his plan needs for the Eagles to be competitive in an acceptable manner?
I know the de facto general manager said multiple times that 10-6 and just making the playoffs isn’t good enough. I loved that.
I know he didn’t echo Doug Pederson’s message of being “close,” which I also loved.
Preaching patience though is that last thing this fanbase, which is nearing 60 years without a championship, needs.
The second aspect of Roseman’s press conference that bugged me was his repeated jabs at Chip Kelly. To remind you, I loathed Kelly at the end. To this day, I consider him only worthy of a position in the collegiate ranks.
However, Roseman is the one who hired Kelly. Roseman is the one who couldn’t get along with Kelly, which led to Kelly’s power play and roster implosion. Roseman is the one who traded away some of Kelly’s acquisitions prematurely.
DeMarco Murray, Kiko Alonso and Byron Maxwell had good seasons. Even though those moves were made to acquire Carson Wentz, they could’ve come in handy even if it meant not drafting Wentz, who I think is great.
But don’t forget, there’s a kid on the NFC East Champion Dallas Cowboys named Dak Prescott, who the Eagles could’ve picked in Round 3. Also, there’s a running back on Dallas named Ezekiel Elliot, who the Birds also could’ve selected in the first round if they only moved up to number eight by trading Alonso and Maxwell.
Furthermore, Roseman’s logic behind dealing former second-round pick Eric Rowe to the Patriots for a conditional fourth round pick is illogical. Roseman felt Rowe should go after one season because he knew they weren’t going to extend the corner, despite the fact he didn’t need to make that decision for another three years. It was very foolish to give up on a second-round pick that easily, even if it was Jim Schwartz’s idea to shove Rowe out the door. Who knows? It was a bad deal either way.
The final part of Roseman’s 30-minute chat that caused concern is the fact he’s responsible for the Eagles draft selections. Vice President of Player Personnel Joe Douglas will make the draft board, but Roseman suggested he has the final say. Hopefully that pick isn’t another Danny Watkins or Marcus Smith. It would be wise for Douglas to run the entire draft for at least this year.
So, I’m not critical of Roseman on a regular basis because it’s easy. I question him because it doesn’t appear he has a sense of urgency to fix the Eagles sooner rather than later after eight years without a playoff win.
I admire Roseman’s desire to be great for a long time, but the moves this offseason can’t be for 2018 and beyond. The Birds need to win a playoff game next season.
That should be “The NEW Gold Standard.”