Eagles' Assistant GM: 'We Always Want To Be Exploring What Is The Next Thing'

PHILADELPHIA - Alec Halaby first arrived to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2007 as a go-getting intern who carpet-bombed the league for an opportunity.

The Harvard graduate had developed a passion for what is now described, probably incorrectly, as analytics while helping out at Football Outsiders.

GM Howie Roseman, who had his own unique rise in the industry, was more open-minded than most and bought low on Halaby.

A second stint as an intern in 2009 resulted in a full-time gig for Halaby as a Player Personnel Analyst.

From there, it’s been a steady rise for Halaby with the Eagles, from special assistant to the GM to assistant GM with a stint as VP of football operations and strategy in between.

These days, the thought around the league and inside the NovaCare Complex is not if, but when Halaby will be running a team of his own.

On the eve of the 2025 season, in which the Eagles will be aiming for a second consecutive Super Bowl championship, Halaby spoke to a small handful of local reporters, including Eagles On SI, on a broad range of topics.

One of the more interesting items was a discussion on the difference between 2009 and 2025 in the NFL regarding the use of data to make better decisions.

Philadelphia has typically been regarded as an organization ahead of the curve in seeking and using actionable data to its advantage.

Halaby admitted “It’s fair” that others around the league becoming open to the same ideas has flattened the Eagles’ ability to gain an edge, but only from the starting point.

“It's sort of the same way if you look at, I think in any sort of industry, if you do something, you find it helpful, then a bunch of people sort of start to do it,” Halaby said. “But I think, as that happens, there's always some new frontier.  

“...We always want to be exploring what is the next thing, whether that's a year away or five years away, and understand what that may be. Do we want to be there first? Do we not want to be there first?”

Roseman is often zigging when others are zagging around the NFL. With personnel that’s best exemplified by the Eagles’ two first-team All-Pros last season, running back Saquon Barkley and off-ball linebacker Zack Baun.

Eagles' All-Pro LB Zack Baun returned to team drills at practice on Aug. 18, 2025. | John McMullen/Eagles On SI

For years, the highly-regarded GM’s reputation was tied to devaluing those positions, and the heft of Roseman in the industry created others to mirror his footsteps.

To some, Roseman then shifted to take advantage of what he helped create by investing heavily in those players.

It’s far simpler than that, however.

“Our view on players doesn't always match the market realities,” Halaby said. “Those are two specific players and two specific circumstances.  So I wouldn't speak more broadly about the sort of secular change at those positions, but we've always sort of understood their value and unique players exist, and when we find them, we usually [act].”

To that end, the Eagles haven’t invested in a position they are typically bullish on this season, with young edge rushers Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt supported by prove-it players Josh Uche, Azzez Ojulari, and Ogbo Okoronkwo.

“There's different ways to do it,” Roseman said. “Sometimes you do it with stars, and you go down from that, but we feel like there's really good players [on the edge].

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