Howie Roseman’s decisions, Saquon Barkley’s abilities, and lots of imagination about the Eagles

Good morning, class. Welcome to Philosophy 215: The Eagles and Our Imagination. Let’s begin with a fun and, I hope, informative exercise. I’ll give you a fact about the Eagles, then we’ll engage in a thought experiment by considering some hypothetical scenarios or outcomes based on that fact. Here goes …

Fact No. 1: Bryce Huff had half a sack — his first of the season — and made two tackles Sunday against the Browns.

Thought Experiment No. 1: What would the public opinion of Nick Sirianni be if the Eagles had brought Haason Reddick back?

Or if they had signed Jonathan Greenard? Or Michael Danna? Or any other pass rusher who has been even slightly more productive this season than Huff has been so far? The point is not that the Eagles necessarily could or should have signed any of those players. The point is not that if the Eagles forced more turnovers, Sirianni necessarily would be making better decisions about whether to go for it on fourth down or to clap back at a mouthy fan or two.

No, the point is that there are several reasons the Eagles are an underwhelming 3-2 at the moment, and some of those reasons were the responsibility of player-personnel chief Howie Roseman. He signed Huff, who had been completely invisible before finally making a few decent plays against Cleveland. He signed C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who led the team in missed tackles through the season‘s first four games. He traded for Jahan Dotson, who has done for the Eagles’ offense what Johan Rojas has done for the Phillies’.

It’s natural and convenient to cast aside or forget about those moves as long as Sirianni makes himself the focus of so much public attention. But those players generally have been disappointments so far, and the head coach wasn’t the one who acquired them.

Fact No. 2: Saquon Barkley had 12 carries for 42 yards in the first half Sunday but gained just 5 yards on his seven second-half rushing attempts.

Thought Experiment No. 2: What if the Eagles had kept giving the ball to Barkley?

Even with that paltry output in the final 30 minutes against the Browns, Barkley has been much more productive in the latter halves of his first five games with the Eagles. Over his 49 post-halftime carries, he’s averaging 6.8 yards and has rushed for 12 first downs and three touchdowns. In contrast, he has gained just 149 yards on his 42 first-half attempts (3.5).

The core of the Eagles’ approach on offense has been the same, and simple, for a long time: Throw to get the lead; run to protect it. But Barkley’s big-play ability should compel Sirianni and Kellen Moore — and Jeffrey Lurie and Roseman — to reevaluate that thinking.

The best part of Barkley’s performance so far, and what it portends for the Eagles, is that they shouldn’t have to shift to a ground-and-pound style to take advantage of Barkley’s explosiveness. He has been at his best this season when Jalen Hurts and the Eagles have operated out of their preferred formation: the shotgun. In his 54 carries in those situations, Barkley has rushed for 398 yards, a gaudy 7.4 average, and scored four touchdowns. Yes, the Eagles have to be mindful of his workload, but in a close game such as Sunday’s, they can feed him the ball and keep alive the threat of a big play.

Fact No. 3: I used the word “underwhelming” to describe the Eagles’ 3-2 record.

Thought Experiment No. 3: What if they beat the Giants this Sunday?

Then they’ll be 4-2, no worse than second place in the NFC East. They still likely would be behind the Commanders, who already are 4-2 and host the putrid Carolina Panthers on Sunday. Catching Washington, especially given the Commanders’ cupcake-filled schedule and the way Jayden Daniels is playing, won’t be easy.

That said, the Eagles’ next four weeks are relatively soft: at MetLife Stadium against the Giants (2-4), in Cincinnati against the Bengals (2-4), at Lincoln Financial Field against the Jaguars (1-5), and in Arlington, Texas, against the Cowboys (who are 0-3 and giving up close to 40 points a game at home).

The Eagles remain an untrustworthy bunch, and this season may turn out to be a complete letdown. It isn’t one yet, though, and it doesn’t have to be.