The Philadelphia Eagles made a blockbuster deal this season when they signed Saquon Barkley. The result? He helped the franchise, along with his teammates to reach the Super Bowl again after 2022. Since then, we all have been hailing Barkley and the team. But actually, the real hero could be someone else, at least a former NFL executive thinks so.

Former Raiders’ GM Mike Mayock appeared on Thursday’s episode of The Rich Eisen Show to talk about the league as well as Howie Roseman. And guess what? According to Mayock, Roseman is the real MVP, along with Saquon Barkley and the team’s DC Vic Fangio. Not only that!

During the discussion, the ex-NFL executive took the listeners to Howie Roseman’s journey with the Eagles, indicating that it wasn’t always smooth. At one point, Chip Kelly stripped Roseman of his decision-making power. But instead of backing down, he used that time to learn and grow.

And in this phase, Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie believed in him and supported his development. So, Mayock emphasized that during this time, Howie Roseman “went to Europe and met with some of the soccer GMs, he met with NBA and baseball guys and basically was supported by his owner to go out and say let’s get help you understand every facet of being a general manager because someday you’re going to have to come back here and take control and that happened quickly that’s the backdrop to him coming back.”

When Howie Roseman returned to full control, he knew exactly what he wanted to build. Mayock believes that due to these international inspirations, the Eagles’s executive VP became one of the best at trades, drafting, and managing the salary cap. And the result? – A powerhouse Eagles roster, probably one of the best in the NFL, and that two years after they are back again in the Super Bowl. Now, with key additions like Saquon Barkley and Vic Fangio, Roseman’s impact is undeniable. But wait! Amidst all these, it seems Roseman is making a U-turn.

Howie Roseman is correcting a mistake?

For his football team of 2023, Howie Roseman made a decision. A decision to see which player fits into the Eagles’ budget, as well as the roster. They traded James Bradberry to extend Darius Slay’s cornerback room, helping him on the field. However, things didn’t turn out as expected.

James Bradberry’s numbers took a hit. In 2022, he allowed just 40 completions on 87 targets – only 46%. But in 2023, that number jumped to 56 completions on 95 targets, raising his rate to 58.9%. On the other hand, Darius Slay saw a similar drop-off. In 2022, he allowed 41 completions on 75 targets (54.7%). But by 2023, it climbed to 48 completions on 76 targets-63.2%. Age, scheme, or just bad luck? Either way, both veterans weren’t as sharp as before.

Hence, when Howie Roseman saw that last year as well as this year, Bradberry and $42 million Slay didn’t perform well, he made a decision. The Eagles drafted Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, which hinted that it’s time for the duo to say a goodbye to the franchise. Additionally, Bradberry’s name in this year’s IR as well as Slay (34) nearing his contract in 2025, directly indicates that Howie Roseman is now done with the duo.

This is also evident in what ESPN’s Bill Barnwell reported, “Slay is still playing well enough to start, but with the emergence of rookies Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, it would be a surprise if Philadelphia didn’t want to start its two budding stars on a full-time basis in 2025, which would push DeJean ahead of the veteran on the outside in two-cornerback groupings. Slay has a $16.1 million bonus due before the start of the 2025 season, but I would expect Roseman to either redo Slay’s deal or move on from him to avoid paying that amount. The 34-year-old Slay could choose to retire, which also would resolve the situation.”

So, this means, as Bradberry is already out, Slay might be playing his final game with the Eagles in the Super Bowl! After all, Roseman is following an aggressive approach.