Why pressure is ratcheted up for Eagles GM after Jalen Hurts extension

On Monday, Jalen Hurts agreed to a five-year, $255 million contract extension with the Philadelphia Eagles that will make him the highest-paid player in NFL history. The pressure will be high on Hurts to live up to that deal, but another Eagle may face even more pressure: general manager Howie Roseman. 

Per NFL Network, Hurts will make $64 million through 2024, probably limiting in the near term what the Eagles can accomplish via free agency and trades due to the salary cap. So it will be vitally important that Roseman finds talent in the draft. Talented rookies make less money than talented veterans.

"Having a quarterback on a megadeal alters how a team must roster-build," ESPN Eagles reporter Tim McManus noted. "The Eagles likely plan to lean more heavily on draft picks to fill out the roster moving forward." 

Wheeler-dealer Roseman has made outstanding trades and free-agent signings in recent years.

On the first night of the 2022 NFL Draft, he traded for Tennessee Titans star wide receiver A.J. Brown, a key component of Philadelphia's NFC Championship last season. In the 2022 offseason, he signed cornerback James Bradberry, who played well last season, and outside linebacker Haason Reddick, a Temple alum who played lights-out in 2022.

These deals paved the way for Roseman to win the Pro Football Writers Association Executive of the Year Award in 2022. Roseman also won the award in 2017, after building the roster that led to the Eagles winning their first Super Bowl. In a recent ranking, NFL.com named Roseman the best GM in the NFL.

His draft history, however, is a mixed bag.

From the 2017 draft class, no player made an impact for the Eagles last season. Some of those draftees are no longer in the league, a well-documented flub of Roseman's. 

In the 2019 draft, Roseman drafted Stanford wide receiver J.J. Arcega-Whiteside over Mississippi receiver D.K. Metcalf in the second round. Metcalf is a star with Seattle. Arcega-Whiteside, now a free agent, had 16 catches in three seasons with the Eagles.

In the 2020 draft, Roseman drafted TCU receiver Jalen Reagor with the 21st overall pick. With the next pick, the Vikings selected LSU receiver Justin Jefferson, now a superstar. Reagor, who hasn't made an impact in the NFL, and Jefferson are now teammates in Minnesota. 

For Roseman to maintain the Eagles as a powerhouse, he can't afford misses like that again in the draft.