By Art Beitchman
As the new NFL calendar year has opened with the Eagles as defending Super Bowl champions, the work continues to keep the Birds at championship levels.
It’s no easy chore.
GM Howie Roseman has gotten a majority of praise, and deservedly so. But player personnel wiz Joe Douglas, who flies under the radar, has made big contributions to the Eagles success since being hired in May 2016 from the Baltimore Ravens. He’s going unnoticed no more, as the several job offers he has attracted and rejected illustrate.
Douglas worked as a scout under Ravens HOF player and GM Ozzie Newsome before the Eagles brought him in to man the personnel department.
So far so good!
Douglas has had a big hand in constructing the current team and he’s not done yet.
Roseman needed to clear some cap space for two new players by cutting Vinny Curry who wasn’t living up to his $10M dollar contract.
Then he turned around and traded for DE Michael Bennett, a three time Pro-Bowler and signed DT Haloti Ngata to a free agent deal. Those kinds of deals make the defense stronger and saves some money a win-win!
Since Douglas’s arrival in 2016 the front office has remained active and productive in a league where the personnel changes every season as just a way of life in the competitive NFL.
With Roseman massaging the salary cap masterfully, teamed with Joe Douglas finding talented gems around the league and in the draft, the Eagles front office appears to be good hands for years to come.
