Ever since current Eagles GM Howie Roseman took over personnel control, he’s made some of the best decisions for the team. Starting as an intern, Roseman has been with Philly since 2000. Under his leadership as Executive VP and GM, the Eagles have won two Super Bowls. So when Philly lifted the Lombardi this year, people across the league gave as much credit to Roseman as they did to the players. Because he’s the one who put this winning team together in the first place.

Howie’s abilities are appreciated across the league. “There isn’t a general manager in the league with half as fervent a cult following as the Eagles’ Howie Roseman,” ESPN’s Ben Solak wrote about him. But this time, Roseman’s move raised a few eyebrows. Philly, because they were the Super Bowl champions, had the last pick in the first round of the draft. But people got a surprise on the first night of the draft when the Eagles swapped their last pick. That too just to jump a number ahead. Philly gave their 32nd and fifth-round (No. 164) picks to the Chiefs in exchange for the No. 31 pick. With that acquired spot, the Eagles brass selected Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell. 

Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer could not wrap his head around Roseman’s decision. After the surprising move, the SI reporter took to X and dropped his opinion about the same. While Breer did give Campbell a nod of approval, writing, “mid-first-rounder” on talent, he pointed out the real reason why the Alabama LB slid down the draft in the first place.

Now, the reason why Breer thinks Roseman’s move was a gamble is because of Jihaad’s injuries. It’s the medical red flags that are concerning for Breer. 

Did Howie Roseman ignore Jihaad Campbell’s injury reports?

“He played with his hand in the dirt in high school, went to IMG Academy, came out as an outside backer, moved to inside backer, and got better and better and better.” That’s what ESPN analyst and former coach Nick Saban had to say about Campbell. Saban was the one who recruited him to Alabama. The 21-year-old led his college team with 117 tackles in the 2024 season. 

Campbell recorded 11.5 tackles for loss and 5.0 sacks. The LB’s stats say he was a first-round pick. But despite that, his draft stock fell. The reason for that was an injury Campbell suffered during Alabama’s bowl loss to Michigan. The 21-year-old sustained a tear in his labrum. Following that, he had surgery on his shoulder in March. And that’s mainly why teams were hesitant to pick him in the first round.

On Wednesday, a day before the draft, Ian Rapoport posted a video of Campbell running on a treadmill. He reported, “Recovering from a torn labrum, Campbell got word from respected Dr. Lyle Cain that he should be ready for training camp. He is already running.”

Another concerning issue is that Campbell might need further shoulder surgery, if not this year, then perhaps after the season. Despite this, no other team was willing to take the risk, but Howie Roseman did by selecting Campbell. And not just picking him, but trading up to get him. That’s what caught people off guard. But that’s the reality now. It’ll be worth watching whether Howie’s gamble works out in Philly‘s favor, or if things go against them as defending champions.