Sportsnaut
Since Howie Roseman was promoted to general manager in 2010, the Philadelphia Eagles have reached the playoffs in nine out of 15 seasons. Sporting a 7-2 record and a first-place stance in the NFC East, the Eagles are on track to reach the postseason again.
Over the years, thanks to his profound success in helping the Eagles win two Super Bowls under his watch, Roseman has developed a reputation for being one of the NFL’s best general managers. His teams are frequently competing for a playoff spot, and it seems like they’re always coming away with multiple steals in the annual NFL Draft, which isn’t always easy when you’re picking in the bottom third of each round.
With the Eagles once again on track to finish with a pick somewhere in the 20s (or 30s), Roseman will once again have to get creative to uncover hidden gems throughout the draft process. But they might be on track to get some outside help.
The Eagles recently swung a trade for former Dolphins first-round pick Jaelan Phillips, who’s set for free agency at the end of the season. If Phillips leaves, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler believes the Eagles would be in a position to receive a “strong” compensatory draft pick.
Compensatory draft picks involve a complicated formula that factors in a free agent signee’s contributions, weighed against a team’s free agency losses. If the Eagles don’t sign many expensive free agents who make a major impact, then they very well could receive one of the best compensatory draft picks the league hands out on an annual basis.
For the record, the highest compensatory pick a team can receive is a third-round selection, but that’s the exact price Philadelphia paid to acquire him from Miami. In other words, they may end up borrowing a productive pass-rusher without giving up more than a few draft slots in exchange.
Related: NFL Report Card: Grading All Teams Before NFL Week 11
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