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Howie Roseman seems very confident the Philadelphia Eagles are going to make a great pick in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
Of course, which league executive doesn’t think that way? It’s not like Roseman or anyone else is going to go into the draft with the mentality of “oh crap, we’re gonna blow this thing.”
But to me, at least, there’s a difference between confidence and ... this.
“I think [Eagles] fans are going to be really excited who we draft in the first round.” - Howie Roseman
— Brandon Lee Gowton (@BrandonGowton) January 23, 2017
Roseman: "One thing I know, when we make a pick at 14 with the way our board looks right now, we're gonna all be high-fiving."
— Tim McManus (@Tim_McManus) April 20, 2017
To be honest, I’m not really sure what publicly saying stuff like this benefits anyone. And for the “what else was he supposed to say?” crowd, don’t you think Roseman can express confidence/excitement without being so hyperbolic?
I mean maybe this is a situation where you call your shot and you look awesome after nailing the pick.
Seems to me, though, there’s a lot of downside here. If the Eagles makes a bad pick (which has certainly happened before!), these quotes are going to look extra embarrassing.
I also think these quotes are interesting in light of the rumors the Eagles might be targeting an unheralded player such as Charles Harris with their first round pick. If the Eagles feel strongly about him, that’s great for them. But I don’t think saying things like Roseman said does anything except potentially infuriate fans further if/when a pick like that is made.
For the Eagles’ sake, I hope Roseman’s confidence is not misguided. I’m not really upset or angry that he said what he said; it just seems curious to me. I wonder what the Eagles have got up their sleeves.