Eagles' major roster flaw was completely ignored by Howie Roseman this offseason

Sometimes in sports, people have to take significant risks to see if it pays off for them. Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman took a swing at a new approach, and so far, it's been a ground out to the shortstop, but with two more batters coming up to bat in the inning, it could still be a home run with some adjustments.

During the offseason, the Eagles noticeably lost a ton of veteran talent on defense. They let go of cornerbacks Darius Slay and James Bradberry while trading away safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the Houston Texans. Philly also let Josh Sweat and Milton Williams sign elsewhere in free agency.

The biggest loss to the Eagles, though? Brandon Graham retiring from football. The heart and beat of Philadelphia's defense for over a decade was gone.

It was a gut punch feeling similar to what happened when Jason Kelce retired in the 2024 offseason. The Eagles had lost their leader on defense.

So what's the difference between Kelce leaving versus Graham leaving? Jalen Hurts stepped up to the plate to be the leader on offense. The Eagles are still waiting for someone to take over that spot on defense.

One piece of liquid evidence shows Roseman might have made a mistake

This offseason was all about getting younger and seeing what the team had to offer. At the same time, it was about saving money in preparation for significant contract extensions for guys like Jalen Carter, Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, and Reed Blankenship.

Sure, there were some veterans signed to the Eagles like cornerback Adoree' Jackson and edge rushers Josh Uche and Azeez Ojulari. The problem is they are short term solutions on one-year deals.

Fast forwarding to the Eagles' 24-20 close win against the Dallas Cowboys, one play in and a spit into the game, Jalen Carter was sent to the locker room early by the referees with an ejection. All smiles for Carter as he went to the tunnel, not realizing the magnitude of what his actions caused.

The end result was four consecutive scoring drives by the Cowboys and 20 points in the first half. Sure, the Eagles' defense was able to stop the bleeding, but if it hadn't been for a Zach Baun chase down of Cowboys running back and former Eagles Miles Sanders with a forced fumble by Jihaad Campbell and Byron Young, the damage could have been way worse.

Carter did apologize after the game and seemed remorseful in his actions, but was it too little, too late in the general public's eyes? All that was talked about on Friday was Carter's character issues stemming from his connection to a fatal car accident back in Georgia that took the lives of two people. He was charged with reckless driving and speed racing, which he pleaded no contest to. Carter was given a 12-month probation, fined $1,000, and ordered to do 80 hours of community service.

Most fans probably forgot about that. No one had been bringing it up over the last two years until Carter stepped out of line once. What's the point in this?

The difference between the 2023/2024 Eagles teams and the 2025 Eagles team is simple: a lack of veteran leadership and accountability on defense early on. Carter had Graham, Sweat, Williams, and Slay there to keep players in line. Has anyone seen that lately in this team?

What's the simple solution to the leadership issue in Philadelphia?

Philly named eight captains to the team, and only two of them were on defense: Baun and Blankenship. Slay has publicly stated that during the offseason, if he were to leave the Eagles, Blankenship would be the player he sees as the next leader of the team.

This presents a huge opportunity for Baun and Blankenship to step up and show that they can be the leaders. They should take time before the Week 2 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs to pull Carter to the side and give him the big brother moment he needs. Perhaps even the man Carter considers his big brother, Jordan Davis, can do the same himself.

Baun and Blankenship are taking ownership of the Eagles' defensive player leadership team for the first time, so it will be a gradual process to get there.

One thing fans should realize, though, is that the Eagles' roster had a grand total of six players who were age 30 or older before the Cowboys games. How many were on defense? One, Ogbo Okoronkwo, was inactive for the game. So, who was the oldest on defense in the game? Jackson at age 29.

The point of that last paragraph is that Roseman tried to get younger and save money, and it has backfired on the Eagles so far. He was able to remedy that problem with Friday's incredible news of the team signing three-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Za'Darius Smith.

A brilliant move by Roseman to add a 32-year-old defender with a great resume to prove he knows what he's doing. It's not only a signal to the edge rushers to get better, but it's a signal to the rest of the defense that it's time to mature up and get more disciplined.

The defense had seven penalties for over 100 yards, two of which came from personal foul calls on Nolan Smith Jr., Carter, smiling after making the biggest mistake on the field as an NFL player. That's a sign of a unit that needs some maturity and accountability.

Yes, it's just one game, but it's okay to hold this unit accountable and call out the problems before they become worse. Another Lombardi Trophy in Philly is everyone's goal, and that should happen if the Eagles can address these issues, which they seem to be heading in the right direction.