Eagles GM downplays war-room division caught on video
Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman downplayed the snub he received from a team executive after selecting Milton Williams in Round 3 of the 2021 NFL Draft.
Cameras showed a fired-up Roseman walking around Philadelphia's war room looking for fist bumps after submitting the pick. The 45-year-old was nearly stonewalled when he approached senior director of player personnel Tom Donahoe.
Somebody (last guy) in the #Eagles draft room doesn’t seem to agree with Howie Roseman’s pick of Milton Williams at all. 😬 pic.twitter.com/J2ygTHnvLl
— Eagles Nation (@PHLEaglesNation) May 1, 2021
"These guys spend all year scouting these guys, and you get favorites, you get guys that you feel really strongly about, we all do," Roseman said Friday night. "That's the fun part about being in the draft room is the emotions of it.
"At the end of the day, Milton Williams is an exciting player for our football team. We're excited to have him. I don't want to take away from his day. We're all excited about that pick."
The Eagles chose Williams out of Louisiana Tech 73rd overall following a trade back from No. 70. It's unknown who else Philadelphia was considering in that spot or whether another potential target came off the board between those picks, but Donahoe was evidently not pleased with the outcome.
Roseman was involved in another draft controversy last year when he chose Jalen Hurts in the second round and said the Eagles wanted to become a quarterback factory. The move angered Carson Wentz, who eventually requested and was granted a trade. Reports detailing the franchise's complex power dynamics surfaced after a tumultuous 2020 season.
Philadelphia landed wide receiver DeVonta Smith and offensive lineman Landon Dickerson with its first two picks in the 2021 draft.