Howie: The New Hinkie

In the NFL, there is no offseason and boy, did Howie Roseman get the memo. In an offseason where the Eagles are strapped for cash, a few of our favorite guys may be hitting the road. It was presumed that every move we made this spring would be a cost cutter including the forever raging debate on whether to trade Nick Foles and how much he is worth. Then, big balls Howie rolled in.

The Eagles acquiring Bennett is an eye popping move to say the least and for no shortage of reasons. It bolsters a D-line that will have inevitable turnover (RIP in peace, Vinny Curry), we added salary to a cap we’re already over and apparently we spurned the Patriots in the process. Personally, I hate the move. I hate Michael Bennett. He’s known to have a “large personality”, which is code for “he’s an asshole” and I think he’s the worst thing that could happen to a locker room that seemed to have struck the perfect chemical balance. Despite what my heart says, it is evident that the Eagles got better today and Howie Roseman once again won a trade by a large margin. After getting a first and fourth round pick for Sam Bradford, getting Jay Ajayi for a fourth, and Now Bennett for a fifth and Marcus Johnson, you gotta wonder if the league is tired of getting fleeced by Howie 2.0
Not too long ago, just down the way from the NovaCare complex, another shrewd front office leader by the name of Samuel Hinkie used to have his respective league wrapped around his finger. His maniacle tanking plot coupled with his sharp-witted trade tactics ended up costing him his job and I’m still waiting for a Howie level return. Even so, the two men have a lot in common when it comes handling business.
You may say this is a reach, seeing as Hinkie stockpiled draft picks while Howie is ready and willing to sling them for the right deal. But, when making this comparison, it’s important to remember what Hinkie really stood for. It was never about losing a shit ton of games on purpose and stacking up a bunch of 2nd round picks to be used on European stash aways. The Process was always about OPTIMIZING VALUE. In a top heavy, star driven league like the NBA, draft picks and cap space were the most valuable thing a team could obtain. It kept them flexible and drove up their chances to draft a star:

In a different kind of league driven by positional depth, Howie optimized the value of his draft picks by dealing later picks for established players. Aside from the Bennett deal today, the most prominent example of a deal like this is the mid-season Ajayi trade. While he never became a workhorse, I’ll take that 5.8 yards per carry over some 4th round pick from some middling Power 5 school. This may sound crazy but which would you rather have: Ajayi, Legarette Blount at $1.25 million a year, and an undrafted Corey Clement OR Leveon Bell for at least $14.5 million a year? Howie has done a phenomenal job with that scenario at multiple positions. The Eagles aren’t stuck in “how do we get out of paying a washed Dez Bryant $16 million this year?” situation but still have at least four, possibly more, valuable assets at receiver. He’s what Hinkie would have been if Hinkie got the chance to finish the job.
This move could totally backfire after one Michael Bennett post-game interview but for now, what a damn move. When it’s all said and done, how many 5th round picks from the past decade do we remember? What we will remember is Bennett lining up inside, Brandon Graham lining up on the outside, and the duo meeting at the quarterback. Howie Roseman, you are forgiven for drafting Marcus Smith.

By Aidan Powers | March 8, 2018