The Philadelphia Eagles front office has adopted a mantra straight out of Top Gun – “Don’t think, just do.” After their epic late-season collapse cost them a playoff bye, GM Howie Roseman hit the afterburners this offseason. He’s been bringing in high-octane talents left and right, trading for draft capital, and making splash signings.

The Barkley acquisition is a calculated gamble that the 27-year-old can regain his rookie season “Weapon X” form when he was carving up defenses like the heroes in X-Men. Pairing him with Jalen Hurts‘ dual-threat ability gives the Eagles an explosive 1-2 punch in the backfield. But was overpaying for Barkley worth it? That’s the multi-million dollar question Roseman’s betting big to answer.

Philadelphia Eagles catches a missile with splashy offseason moves

“I think obviously the disappointment of last year and not wanting to feel like that again…that’s my responsibility that starts with me,” Roseman stated on The Pat McAfee Show about the Eagles’ offseason overhaul. But the moves he’s already made renovate the roster from the foundations up. The crown jewel is inking Saquon Barkley to a 3-year, $37.75 million deal.

Barkley represents the upside-play approach fueling Roseman’s reboot. The flashed Byron “Whizzer” White levels of dynamism early in his career before injuries capped his explosiveness. Barkley racked up 14 offensive plays over 40 yards in his first 29 NFL games, then a meager 6 such splash plays over his next 47 contests. “It’s hard to get difference makers and he’s a difference maker on and off the field,” Roseman said of Barkley.

The Barkley gambit is just one of Roseman’s “all-in” style bets. He’s banking on reclamation cases like $17 million man Bryce Huff regaining his double-digit sack groove, or defensive backs like Devin White and Bradley Roby finding their All-Pro form after down years. Even C.J. Gardner-Johnson‘s new deal is a cost-efficient roll of the dice on sustaining his 2022 breakout campaign. “You got to do things that maybe put you a little bit at risk but also give you a chance to have that confetti fall,” Roseman explained his high-upside strategy. Bolstering that approach, the Eagles made some interesting picks in the 2024 draft such as Quinyon Mitchell, Jalyx Hunt, Will Shipley, Ainias Smith, and Cooper DeJean.

Doubling down on high-risk talents able to “ball out” if everything clicks is Roseman’s cigar-smoking strategy. But whether these moves prove Picasso-level works of genius or Dave Kingman-esque whiffs depends on one factor – overcoming the collapse that derailed the 2023 season in epically shocking fashion.

Flushing 2023’s epic choke job down the drain

The splashy off-season moves were made necessary by one of the most inexplicable late-season meltdowns in NFL history. Up 10-1 and steamrolling towards the NFC’s top seed, the Eagles couldn’t punch their playoff ticket – dropping 5 of their last 6 games in baffling fashion.

Philly blew three double-digit leads during the swoon, torched by backup QBs and losing to bottom-feeders like the 3-win Cardinals. “The defense only allowed 10 plays of 25 yards or more through seven games – 3rd-fewest in the league – but allowed 27 the last 10 games – 7th-most in the league,” one analyst detailed the defensive collapse. Problems festered at every level – “Whether Sirianni can regain that touch remains to be seen, but if he can’t get through to his team this week, it’s fair to wonder about his future here,” regarding the coaching staff’s struggles.

Most pivotally, franchise QB Jalen Hurts sputtered down the stretch after an MVP-caliber start. “Over the last four games, Hurts had only one more completion of at least 25 yards than punter Braden Mann,” showcasing the stagnant offense. The unraveling hit its nadir in a 32-9 playoff defeat by the Bucs.

The collapse left owner Jeffrey Lurie fuming in the tunnel, his “I want to punch someone” scowl summing up the organization’s anger. Now it’s on Roseman’s roster remodel to hit the reset button and rekindle the Super Bowl dream for a tormented Philly fanbase. Fly Eagles Fly…or fly home embarrassed again!