Eagles: 1 free agent Howie Roseman regrets the most

Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman had some hits and some misses in free agency. Here is one that he probably regrets the most.

The Philadelphia Eagles are not in a great place as of this writing. They are coming off a last-place finish in the NFC East after going 4-11-1 on the year. The organization parted ways with head coach Doug Pederson and traded quarterback Carson Wentz to the Indianapolis Colts. One person who has remained in Howie Roseman, the team’s general manager and executive vice president.

Roseman does deserve credit for building some good rosters, specifically the 2017 team that went on to win the franchise’s first Super Bowl title. But like any general manager, they whiff on free agency signings. If there was one in particular that Roseman probably regrets, it is cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha.

Eagles: Nnamdi Asomugha considered one of the worst free agent signings in NFL history

In the 2011 offseason, the Eagles let the world know they were not messing around. Roseman signed the likes of quarterback Vince Young, cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and edge rusher Jason Babin. But his biggest get was Asomugha, a three-time Pro Bowler with the then-Oakland Raiders. To sign him, Roseman agreed to give the cornerback a five-year, $60 million contract.

Things went downhill once Young infamously called the Eagles “the Dream Team” when speaking with the media. That was when expectations were high, and like the entire team, Asomugha did not meet them.

In his debut season in Philadelphia, Asomugha showed he was a liability in coverage. This came as a shock, as no quarterback ever targeted Asomugha during his time with the Raiders, because he was that good. But not on the Eagles. Asomugha recorded 40 combined tackles, five defended passes and three interceptions. The thing is, the Eagles finished the year with an 8-8 record, missed the playoffs and watched the rival New York Giants turn the NFC East title into a Super Bowl ring.

2012 was no better for Asomugha. He did tally 12 defended passes and an interception that year, but the corner was picked on by opposing quarterbacks. According to Pro Football Focus, quarterbacks who targeted Asomugha had a cumulative passer rating of 120.6. That was not good, obviously. With the team ending the 2012 campaign with a 4-12 record and the Chip Kelly regime entering Philadelphia, the team opted to release Asomugha that offseason.

Long story short, Roseman signed Asomugha to be the lockdown cornerback who could help lead the Eagles to multiple division titles and at least one Super Bowl title. That never came to fruition, making Asomugha the most regrettable free agency signing of Roseman’s tenure.