Sunday morning, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported that former Browns and Chiefs general manager, John Dorsey has been working with the Eagles front office.
Dorsey, who was brought in before the 2020 NFL draft, is said to be assisting GM Howie Roseman with both college and pro scouting.
Currently, Dorsey operates with Roseman as a consultant, but that could change if Dorsey doesn’t get a GM job elsewhere. According to Garafolo, Dorsey is, “thought of extremely highly,” in the Eagles building. Considering the Eagles have lost both Joe Douglas and Andrew Berry to the Jets and Browns respectively, this is a move that makes a lot of sense.
On the surface, this seems like a similar iteration of the Eagles front office structure of the past with, Douglas, who’s main responsibility was college scouting under Roseman, and current Eagles VP of Player Personnel, Andy Weidl. However, it’s actually a much different approach.
When the Eagles hired Douglas, he had no experience as an organization’s personnel head. Sure, he’s had a hand in the drafting of several players for the Ravens, Bears, and Eagles but until 2019, he wasn’t the head man in charge. Dorsey brings that experience in bulk.
As GM of both the Chiefs and Browns, Dorsey steered the drafting and acquiring of several talented players, including:
- Tyreek Hill
- Demarcus Robinson
- Antonio Callaway
- Travis Kelce
- Phillip Gaines
- Steven Nelson
- Greedy Williams
- Kareem Hunt
- Chris Jones
- Nick Chubb
- Eric Fisher
- Dee Ford
- Marcus Peters
- Denzel Ward
- Baker Mayfield
- Patrick Mahomes
- Damarious Randall
- Sheldon Richardson
- Odell Beckham Jr
- Alex Smith
- Jarvis Landry
- Olivier Vernon
The potential Roseman-Dorsey-Weidl trio wouldn’t be the first front office structured in such a way. It mirrors the current structure of the New Orleans Saints.
The Saints implore a front office trio with GM Mickey Loomis, Assistant GM/Director of College scouting Jeff Ireland, and Assistant GM/Director of Pro Personnel Terry Fontenot.
Like Dorsey, Ireland is a former GM that’s widely lionized for his ability to evaluate talent.
According to Kade Kistner of Canal Street Chronicles, “Ireland has been the reason the Saints have turned around their scouting department and subsequently, their draft strategy.”
Like the Eagles, the Saints drafts in the few years before Ireland, didn’t yield the results needed to be a proficient franchise as far as drafting is concerned. The rate in which they hit on picks was a weakness within the organization.
GM Mickey Loomis realized this saying,”Sometimes we get a little too comfortable–that includes me. And so there’s nothing wrong with being a little uncomfortable, right?” Loomis said in a 2015 press conference
“There’s nothing wrong with having some fresh ideas, especially from someone that has a lot of experience,” Loomis continued.
Loomis recognized that his drafts had been a weakness in the organization and he made a selfless move for the betterment of the team.
With Loomis, Ireland, and Fontenot the Saints have established a franchise that many recognize as one of the most complete rosters in the NFL. They’ve worked to establish a scouting foundation that is both strong and sustainable.
Eagles GM Howie Roseman has taken the beginning steps to this thought process by bringing in Dorsey, a move that was reported to be spearheaded by Roseman. And it’s not just Roseman.
Eagles owner Jeff Lurie said after reinstating Roseman, “One of the main things Howie and I discussed when he was going to be in the football operations role was he had to have a top-notch player personnel department,” Lurie said. “Or we were going to find somebody that could find a great player personnel department. That was his responsibility.”
Can you 100% say that Roseman has lived up to his end of the deal? I don’t think you can. It’s not a stretch to say Roseman should cede drafting responsibility, like Loomis did in 2015.
Drafting just one pro bowler since 2013 shows in itself that the talent evaluation with this front office is an issue and according to Lurie himself, because it’s a weakness, it’ll change. Bringing in Dorsey is the first step to that equation.
Of course there is the reputation that comes with Dorsey. That being, he isn’t the easiest to work with, but considering his job wouldn’t contain all the typical GM responsibilities that he has in the past, how well regarded Dorsey is reported to be in the Eagles eyes, and the fact that he has connections in the Eagles building (Dorsey and Doug Pederson were both in Kansas City from 2013-2015) I am of the opinion that this can work.
Dorsey has the track record. The Eagles have a need for a veteran talent evaluator. Roseman has shown that he struggles to identify talent. Dorsey has shown that he can identify talent. Roseman and Dorsey compliment each other very well because both of them need what the other person possesses. A Roseman-Dorsey pairing could prove to be very fruitful.
The Philly Blitz 