Saquon Barkley is paying off for the Eagles. Did the rest of Howie Roseman’s offseason moves hit or miss?

The bye week leaves a lot of time for thinking. For the Eagles, who are back to the practice field this week after some time off, there was time to think about what’s gone wrong and time away from game preparation to think about ways to implement fixes.

For those of us not on the payroll at the NovaCare Complex, there was time to reflect on the state of the team and how it reached its 2-2 start. We gave out first-quarter grades. Revisited some key offseason questions. Dove into the numbers that explain the rocky start. And showed how there may be some light at the end of the tunnel.

The Eagles were tasked after 2023 with figuring out what went wrong, where they were deficient, and finding the right players to plug into those holes. In addition to the Eagles hiring two new coordinators, Howie Roseman made a few splashy signings. He drafted two cornerbacks with the Eagles’ first two picks. It all looked pretty good in training camp. But four games into the season, the Eagles are showing some of the same fatal flaws that ended their last season earlier than anticipated.

In some ways, you don’t need to look any further than Roseman’s offseason moves to explain the 2-2 start. The general manager’s fingerprints are all over some of the good and some of the bad. Here’s a look at the early returns from some of Roseman’s biggest offseason moves:

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Let’s get the biggest move out of the way. When Roseman signed Saquon Barkley to a three-year, $37.5 million contract in March, the Eagles had their best running back since LeSean McCoy, and a player who could transform an offense.

So far, that reality is playing out for the Eagles, whose two wins largely can be attributed to Barkley. They won in Brazil because Barkley debuted with a hat trick. They won in New Orleans because Barkley broke free for a 65-yard score that gave the Eagles life. Barkley’s 6 yards per carry is tied for second in the NFL among the 28 running backs with at least 50 carries. He is third in total rushing despite playing in one fewer game than the top 11 rushers.

The question is: Why aren’t the Eagles giving him the ball more, especially early, and especially when A.J. Brown has missed three games and DeVonta Smith was out for the last five quarters leading into the bye? Barkley has touched the ball just twice on four opening drives. Offensive coordinator Kellen Moore likely spent some time evaluating this during the off week.

Early return: Thumbs up

For as much as Roseman hit on Barkley, he has missed so far on edge rusher Bryce Huff. Signed to a $51.1 million deal to become an every-down player, Huff has looked uncomfortable in Vic Fangio’s system, and Fangio seems reluctant to put him on the field more.

“He’s as frustrated with it as any of us are, but confident he’ll get it going,” Fangio said.

It’s hard to see where the confidence is coming from. Huff, according to Pro Football Focus, has generated just three pressures and no sacks on 71 pass-rush snaps. The Eagles, according to Next Gen Stats, have generated quarterback pressures on 29.6% of 142 passing plays, the eighth-lowest rate in the league. It was an area that needed to improve in 2024, and Roseman’s big signing has kept the unit toothless.

Early return: Thumbs down

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Roseman tried to address the glaring hole at WR3 by signing veterans Parris Campbell and DeVante Parker. One of them, Campbell, hurt his groin in camp and ended up on the practice squad (before being elevated for a few games with Brown and Smith out), and the other, Parker, retired before minicamp. Then Roseman tried plucking John Ross out of retirement. He also drafted Ainias Smith.

None of the options stood out at training camp, so Roseman sent a 2025 third-round pick and two seventh-round picks to Washington to acquire Jahan Dotson and a fifth-round pick.

Dotson is either taking longer than expected to get comfortable in the Eagles offense, or he’s just not very good, and the Eagles wasted a third-round pick in what could end up being a panic move. It’s early, and that’s why these are called early returns, but Dotson has just five catches for 25 yards.

Among NFL receivers with at least 100 snaps, Dotson’s 0.19 yards per route run is the lowest, according to Pro Football Focus.

“Like a number of our guys, I think our focus is on how we can give them the best opportunity to be successful, give them more targets, more looks,” Moore said.

Early return: Thumbs down

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The Eagles, it turned out, weren’t adding to their pass-rushing unit when they signed Zack Baun to a one-year deal worth $3.5 million. Fangio thought he could play off-ball linebacker, and it turns out the veteran coach was right. Baun leads the team in tackles and is among the league leaders in tackles per game.

The Eagles have struggled defensively, especially in the running game. So Baun certainly hasn’t been a home run, but he has been a solid addition nonetheless.

Early return: Thumbs up

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That’s two thumbs pointed up and two thumbs down, plus four other hits and four other misses. It’s a mixed bag for a team that has two wins and two losses.

Again, it’s early, but it’s hard to argue with Inquirer columnist Marcus Hayes, who gave Roseman a “C” grade so far. It’s an average team that made an average collection of moves in the offseason when it needed above-average improvements on both sides of the ball.