Eagles Howie Roseman Proves He Is Evolving With Two Massive Deals In Two Days

Somehow, some way, Howie Roseman gets it done. The Eagles general manager did it again., finding salary-cap room to bring back two key pieces in the Eagles march to another championship.

In the past two days, he guaranteed $68 million of owner Jeffrey Lurie’s money to just two players. Players, by the way, that play positions the Eagles typically don’t spend big money on – running back and linebacker.

When they are key cogs in the Eagles Super Bowl-winning machine – and RB Saquon Barkley and LB Zack Baun are definitely that - the view changes.

“To put us in a box and say we're not going to pay because we historically have not done that, part of what we do is evolve,” he said during the NFL Scouting Combine last week. “We look at things and see how they're affecting the team, see how they're affecting the league, and our place in that.”

Barkley got a two-year contract extension on Tuesday worth up to $41.1M and $34M guaranteed. On Wednesday, the vault opened again and Baun was given a three-year deal reportedly worth $51M and $34M guaranteed.

Feb 9, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) after defeating the Kansas City Chiefs during Super Bowl LIX at Ceasars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Here are the top five salaried linebackers during the 2024 season:

-Roquan Smith, Ravens, $20M (five years, $100M)

-Fred Warner, 49ers, $19M (five years, $95.2M)

-Tremain Edmunds, Bears, $18M (four years, $72M)

-Matt Milano, Bills, $14.2M (two years, $28.3M)

-Patrick Queen, Steelers, $13.7M (three years, $41M)

At $17M per year, Baun would be third on that list.

Of course, the fallout of burning through money is that the salary cap just became tighter. The dust is still settling on what it looks like, but it will be known before free agency begins next week.

Teams can begin talking to free agents on Monday ahead of the start of the NFL’s new year on March 12 at 4 p.m., when signings and trades can be made official. Millions will be spent next week, for sure.

The Eagles priority is taking care of their own, and after hoisting their second Lombardi Trophy in the past seven years, why wouldn’t they take that approach?

Last year, they opened free agency by announcing they signed Saquon Barkley and Bryce Huff to three-year deals each, gave a four-year extension to kicker Jake Elliott, and signed offensive lineman Matt Hennessy to a one-year deal. The next day, they signed C.J. Gardner-Johnson to a three-year contract and gave a one-year deal to DeVante Parker.

Linebacker Oren Burks didn’t come until five days after free agency opened and Mekhi Becton didn’t get here until after the draft, on April 29.

The Eagles may not be as active this year, but they have already shown with Barkley and Baun they won’t be sitting in their hands, either.

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