Porter: Howie Roseman's Eric Rowe Explanation Was Bad
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Honestly, I hope he was lying.
Because if Howie Roseman is telling the truth about why the Eagles traded Eric Rowe, well, then they may be in much bigger trouble than we think.
Second-year cornerback Eric Rowe, who is playing a significant role for the Super Bowl champion favored Patriots, was the Eagles' second-round pick in 2015. After one season with the Birds, and the firing of Chip Kelly (the person who drafted Rowe), the Eagles traded the cornerback to the Pats for just a conditional fourth-round pick.
Related: Howie Roseman: Joe Douglas Will Run Personnel Department
This decision became more controversial as time went on and the Eagles' corners were exposed, all while Rowe was carving out a significant role for the 14-2 Patriots.
"When we sat down and discussed the offer, we really started thinking about as we sat at that time, the likelihood that we had to sign him to an extension," Roseman said of the team's decision to trade Rowe in September. "We want to build this team with some continuity. We felt at that time that we were not going to sign him to an extension and to be able to get that value for him and possibly add someone who would be here for a longer period of time made sense for where we were."
However, Rowe was entering just the second of his four-year rookie deal and the Eagles had control of him through 2018 at an average salary of under $1 million.
Related: Eric Rowe, Byron Maxwell With Impressive Week 6 Performances
According to Roseman, the Eagles determined Rowe would not be worthy of an extension three seasons ahead of time and after seeing him play just 16 NFL games.
"We did make that determination based on the defense that we have, the scheme that we have," Roseman said on Wednesday when asked about his curious explanation. "And then after talking about our corner position with the coaches, we were concerned about getting the same value, if it was the same situation going forward. And obviously you can only deal with the information that you have at the time."
In 2016, without Rowe, the Eagles' corners were among the worst in football allowing a league-high in passing yardage outside the numbers. The Eagles will enter the 2017 offseason with cornerback being their top priority.
Both Rowe and the Eagles will not be playing football this weekend. Rowe's team has a first-round playoff bye, the Eagles are just eliminated.
