While it was widely believed that Carson Wentz would be vital to whatever success his team had, it should come as no surprise that the Philadelphia Eagles are in the Super Bowl after the bold moves they've made.
Over the last two years, the Eagles went from a middling club that couldn't get out of its own way to one of the league's most well-constructed teams.
They've taken risks along the way, whether it was going all in for their franchise passer or splurging in free agency. As they approach their first Super Bowl appearance since 2004, we take a look at the moves that have paid off the most.
Pederson returns to Philly
After being mired in mediocrity under Chip Kelly, who ravaged the roster in search of very specific players, the Eagles took a new direction after the 2015 season, giving personnel control back to vice president Howie Roseman and hiring a new coach with familiar roots.
Bringing in Doug Pederson to help erase Kelly's mark on the team was a good PR move, as he had started nine games for Philadelphia at quarterback in 1999 and had the background of a blue-collar journeyman. He also worked in Philly under longtime head coach Andy Reid, whom the fanbase missed after the Kelly experiment.
While Pederson served as Reid's offensive coordinator for three years with the Kansas City Chiefs, he had no professional head coaching experience and had only worked under one head coach in his career.
The move paid off, however, as he led the Eagles to a 13-3 record, recruiting an all-star coaching staff along the way. Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, offensive coordinator Frank Reich, and quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo have all been considered for head coaching jobs since joining Philadelphia.
Wild for Wentz, bye bye Bradford
Very few expected the Eagles, who had just signed veterans Sam Bradford and Chase Daniel to new contracts, to move up the 2016 draft and steal one of its top quarterbacks.
The Eagles sent two first-round picks, as well as a second, third, and fourth, to the Browns in exchange for a fourth-rounder and the second overall pick, which was used on a small-school QB who wasn't a consensus blue-chip prospect.
Two years later, the Eagles are thrilled with Wentz - their franchise passer and MVP candidate - and figured out a way to pawn off Bradford to the Minnesota Vikings for a decent return in first-round pick Derek Barnett.
Picking Wentz seemed a tad risky, as many expected the Eagles to go for a cornerback instead, but adding Barnett to an already solid defensive line has made an immediate impact. That unit will be a major factor Sunday against the Patriots.
Despite being one season into Daniel's three-year, $21-million contract, the Eagles ate a big chunk of guaranteed salary to move on from their highly paid backup in the 2017 offseason and bring back former starter Nick Foles, who has been instrumental in getting the Eagles to the Super Bowl after Wentz's injury.
Trade trend pays off
An increasing number of players have been traded over the last few seasons, and the Eagles are at the forefront of the roster-movement revolution.
In the last 11 months, they've added three players via trade, and have arguably been on the winning side of each transaction.
Last April, defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan was acquired from the Baltimore Ravens along with the 99th overall pick (CB Rasul Douglas) for the 74th pick (DE Chris Wormley) and started all 15 games he played in, earning himself a four-year contract.
A few weeks before the 2017 season, cornerback Ronald Darby was brought in from the Buffalo Bills for a 2018 third-round pick and receiver Jordan Matthews, whose production dropped off dramatically this season. Darby was a starter down the stretch for the Eagles, recording three picks through seven starts.
The Miami Dolphins traded away All-Pro rusher Jay Ajayi at the deadline for a fourth-round pick after he frustrated them with his inconsistency. He's worked well in a rotation with LeGarrette Blount and Corey Clement, putting up 197 total yards through two crucial playoff games.
Free-agent frenzy
The Eagles have also been one of the most active teams in free agency over the past two years. At first, the moves were necessary to clean up Kelly's mess, but the motivation to bring in new faces paid off handsomely.
In 2016, Roseman brought in starters Nigel Bradham, Brandon Brooks, and Rodney McLeod, and gave extensions to Zach Ertz, Brent Celek, Lane Johnson, Malcolm Jenkins, Vinny Curry, and Fletcher Cox.
In 2017, they added Pro Bowl receiver Alshon Jeffery, Blount, Torrey Smith, Patrick Robinson, and Chris Long, who was the only one not to start at least eight games.
Ertz, Johnson, Brooks, Cox, Jenkins, and Jeffery were all named as either 2018 Pro Bowl starters or alternates, along with their injured franchise quarterback.
Each free-agent signing - like the trades and hirings - forced the Eagles to bet on themselves. Their reward? A chance to win the Lombardi Trophy.
(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)
