Iggles Blitz

by Tommy Lawlor

Eagles Notebook

Posted May 5th, 2026 | 1 Comment »

There isn’t one huge story for today so let’s cover a variety of smaller topics. Things tend to settle down in May so compelling stories won’t be as easy to come by. But there is always something to discuss.

We’ll start with an AJ Brown “update”. The update is that we’re now less than a month away from the trade probably happening. As much as I hate to see him go, I’m ready for this to be done so we can move on.

I think the Eagles will also get a mid-round 2027 draft pick. Howie loves to stockpile picks so he’s got plenty of resources, for either making picks or making trades. Someone asked if the Pats might include a player in the trade. They wondered about someone who just got drafted. I don’t see that. Howie likes his roster so he’d probably rather have the picks. Also, the Pats are trying to build their roster so they can remain a Super Bowl contender. They’d rather give future picks than someone who can help them win this season.

AJ Brown recently held his football camp. He didn’t address the trade situation. We just have to wait a few more weeks.

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Good news there. The front office has lost some key pieces recently so Howie made sure to keep some important guys around. We all know Big Dom. Zach offered some insight on Ferrari and his role.

Ferrari has been with the Eagles since 2016 after joining the franchise from the league office and was promoted to assistant GM in 2022. He plays a critical role in football operations, especially with league matters and rules compliance. Ferrari played a key behind-the-scenes role in the team’s defense of the Tush Push last spring.

Look for Howie to promote some people from within or hire some new talent to help replace the guys who recently left.

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Thor Nystrom is a football writer/analyst who does a lot with the draft and also UDFAs. He rated all the UDFA classes signed by each team. The Eagles were second in the NFC. That’s not an accident. They are normally high up in his rankings. As I mentioned in my recent roster building piece, the Eagles are aggressive with UDFAs. They know there are talented players to be found. Here are some of Thor’s thoughts.

With the selection of UGA OG Micah Morris on Day 3, the Eagles upped their number of rostered Georgia Bulldogs to six – matching the number of Alabama alums. The UDFA signings of LB Deontae Lawson and OG Jaeden Roberts – the two-best prospects in Philadelphia’s crop – allowed Alabama to once again overtake Georgia in sheer numbers on Philly’s roster.

Lawson and Roberts were both top-200 prospects on my board – each has a legitimate shot to crack the Week 1 roster.

Lawson was a productive multi-year SEC starter – medical questions and a lack of pre-draft athletic testing kept him out of the draft despite legitimate tape. Lawson actually intended to declare for last year’s draft, but a torn ACL from 2024 ultimately changed those plans. Lawson didn’t miss any time in 2025, but he battled a nagging foot injury during the fall that often had him changing out of cleats into walking boots after games. He’s going to compete for a special-teams role initially.

Good stuff from Thor.

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Nothing came of this yet. Johnson began his career as a safety and then moved to CB. He started 6 games in 2024. Could be competition at either safety or corner if the Eagles bring him on.

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Someone asked me to break down the differences in Jonathan Greenard and Bryce Huff. We think Greenard will be a key addition. Huff was a huge disappointment.

Scheme fit is the real key here. Huff was terrific with the Jets. He lined up wide and just flew off the edge. He didn’t have to worry about playing the run. He was always in attack mode. That was perfect in Robert Saleh’s system.

Vic Fangio runs a very different system. He likes to play a light box. That means the edge rushers must be good run defenders. Think about Nolan Smith blowing up pulling blockers or Jaelan Phillips setting the edge to keep runs contained. Huff wanted no part of that. My guess is that Howie thought the pass rush skills were so valuable that they would offset run deficiencies. Huff never bought into Fangio’s system and Fangio never bought into Huff.

Greenard is very different. He is explosive off the edge, but will play the run. He also has the ability to drop into coverage, which is important to Fangio when he’s trying to confuse QBs. Greenard can win with speed and power. He’s good with moves. He’ll shoot inside and mix in a spin move. He is tough to block. And he will get down and dirty against the run.

Very different players. Huff had 7 career starts when he was signed. He had been a designated pass rusher for the Jets. Greenard has 49 career starts. He has played a lot more football than Huff did. Greenard should be an impact player for the Eagles.

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The Eagles released UDFA safety Tucker Large due to an injury.

They signed LB Isiah King. He’s 6-2, 224 and runs 4.61. King was a big time playmaker in college and solid in coverage.

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Roster Building

Posted May 4th, 2026 | 1 Comment »

Howie Roseman is one of the best general managers in the NFL. You don’t get to that level without learning some tough lessons along the way. There are several picks and free agent signings  that he’d love to have back, but those moves also helped him to learn what not to do. Howie is lucky enough with his job security to be able to work through mistakes and then apply the lessons to future moves.

He has developed some definitive ideas on roster building over the years. He covets difference-makers. All teams do, but Howie is aggressive about getting them. Just look at the recent first round pick situation. Makai Lemon was projected to be a Top 15 pick. When he slid, Howie started making calls. He saw Lemon as a perfect fit for the Eagles new scheme and someone that could help them get over the loss of AJ Brown.

The Steelers really wanted Lemon as well. They sat tight and waited for him to fall to pick 21. Oops. Howie moved up to pick 20 to get his guy. If you really want a player, go get him. The Eagles paid a big price, giving up a pair of fourth round picks. But those picks were not likely to become difference-makers. You can find mid-level players all year long. Special guys are rarely available. Pay the price to get one.

If Lemon thrives in this offense, those fourth round picks will become a distant memory. If he flops, we’ll be following those picks like a hawk. Howie embraces risk. He has said he would rather make a bold move than regret passing on it. Then you question yourself for a long time. What if?

In the second round Howie took a freak athlete with a lot of upside. Eli Stowers had a vertical of 45.5 inches and ran 4.51. At basically the same size, Grant Calcaterra jumped 32.5 inches and ran 4.62. He was considered an athletic TE. Stowers goes into a different category. He’s got special potential. Stowers is still learning how to play TE and his blocking needs a ton of work, but the Eagles drafted him to be a difference-maker in the passing game. He’s got that kind of ability.

The Eagles traded a pair of third round draft picks for edge rusher Jonathan Greenard. Giving up those picks had to hurt, but Howie is building a team with Super Bowl aspirations. He would rather have a proven pass rusher than a draft prospect who might pan out. Howie is smart enough to see draft picks as resources. Trade them if acquiring a veteran player is the more prudent move. Don’t obsess on picks. They are important, but have different value to different teams. If you’re rebuilding, picks are gold. If you’re in win now mode, use them accordingly. Howie sees Greenard as another player who can be a difference-maker for the Eagles.

Howie likes big OL. Jordan Mailata. Mekhi Becton. Landon Dickerson. And that led to him taking OT Markell Bell in the third round.

Not everyone buys into Bell as a future NFL starter. Greg Cosell doesn’t like him. But Howie likes big guys and sees a lot of potential. The Eagles did a lot of pre-draft work on Bell to make sure they believed in his ability to reach his potential. Remember that potential isn’t always a good word. If a player has it, but can’t figure out how to realize his potential, you have a wasted move. The Eagles believe in Bell. They have a plan for him. That doesn’t mean it will work, but this wasn’t a random pick. Bell was someone they targeted.

That’s another thing Howie does. He finds players he and the scouting staff really like. They desperately wanted Cooper DeJean and were able to get him in 2024. Those of us outside the league study hundreds of players and build big draft boards. NFL teams usually have 125 to 150 guys on their boards. They are very specific with their targets. Howie has really embraced this idea and it has worked well for him.

Not everyone was a fan of the Eagles taking a QB in the fifth round when safety was more of a need. Why add a fourth QB? Howie articulated this when he made the QB factory comment a few years back. He caught a ton of grief for that, but his sentiment was actually a good one. Howie was influenced by Andy Reid on the importance of QBs. Andy got it from legendary Packers GM Ron Wolf.

Wolf took over as GM in 1992. He had a guy named Don Majkowski as his QB. The Majik Man was an effective starter. Wolf traded for Brett Favre, who he thought could be a star. And Wolf added QBs in the draft throughout the 90’s.

1992 – 9th round – Ty Detmer
1993 – 5th round – Mark Brunell
1995 – 5th round – Jay Barker
1996 – 7th round – Kyle Wachholtz
1997 – 7th round – Ron McAda
1998 – 6th round – Matt Hasselbeck
1999 – 4th round – Aaron Brooks

There are a few misses, but some really impressive hits. Detmer, Brunell, Hasselbeck and Brooks all became starters. Ironically, Wolf didn’t need them as backups because Favre turned out to be an amazing iron man who never missed games. But Wolf was able to trade some of the QBs and get good returns. He almost traded Brunell to Philly in 1994, but the deal fell apart. That kills me. Brunell is one of my favorite QBs. Would have been really cool to see him as an Eagle.

Howie said that Cole Payton was the highest rated player on the Eagles board so they took him. They weren’t reaching for a QB. They felt he was good value. Payton is a really good athlete with limited experience so he will need work. The Eagles have a plan for him. Don’t worry too much about the Eagles having four QBs. Payton has to play well enough to earn a roster spot. If he has a good summer, Howie will gladly deal with that. Having four QBs you like is a good problem to have. Tanner McKee can still be dealt if the Eagles get the right offer.

The Eagles really wanted to draft DT Uar Bernard because of his unique potential. Howie made a trade to get a seventh round pick so he could take Bernard without having to reach for him. Smart business. As much as the Eagles like Bernard, he is a major project. You do not want to overpay for those guys. Be smart with your resources.

The Eagles are aggressive when it comes to signing UDFAs. This is another avenue of roster building. They are willing to pay high bonuses or guarantees to get players they really want. I expect LB Deontae Lawson and TE Dae’Quan Wright got good money. Both guys can challenge for roster spots. The Eagles didn’t take a safety until late in the draft so they added two or three as UDFAs. This is more bites at the apple, so to speak. If you can’t address a spot with quality, do it with quantity You never know when you’ll find the next Reed Blankenship or Quintin Mikell (for the old school crowd).

Not all of these picks/moves are going to work. That’s just reality. If the big moves pan out, Howie will be a happy man. He’ll then study the moves that didn’t work to be better prepared for the 2027 offseason. Always be learning.

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