Eagles GM Howie Roseman relaxes as he evaluates his tenure and trading quarterbacks

NEW ORLEANS - Howie Roseman, his collar open, sat back into a deep chair in the plush Roosevelt New Orleans hotel and propped a brown wing-tip onto a knee.

For a general manager in the midst of a turbulent offseason across the NFL and with another big decision looming at quarterback, Roseman seemed at ease. Now in his second year on the job for the Eagles, he has a large draft class and a major trade to look back on and evaluate as he eyes his second offseason and again contemplates dealing away a quarterback.

"Everything's an experience, and you hope that you learn from it and you see things you can do differently or do better and improve. That's the way you get better at your craft," Roseman said during the NFL owners meetings. The Donovan McNabb trade last spring "certainly was a unique experience. . . . I think it made me personally better at what I do."

If the regular season is Andy Reid's time, this is when Roseman, 36, makes his impact. At least it's supposed to work that way. But each of his two offseasons as GM has been hampered by labor strife.

Last season's league rules, in the final year of the collective bargaining agreement, limited free agency. This year, all player movement is on hold because of the NFL lockout, preventing Roseman from signing new free agents or even trying to cash in on Kevin Kolb's trade value, at least for now.

For an executive who takes pleasure in making moves big and small, dealing away McNabb, hopscotching up and down the draft, and tinkering with the Eagles roster throughout the year, the free-agency freeze must feel like being grounded on the first day of summer vacation.

"I don't think it's any secret that I like to be active; I think that's my personality," Roseman said.

That attitude hints that when it comes to Kolb, Roseman is likely to lean toward making a move over maintaining the status quo. (Depending, of course, on the offers he receives and the timing of when trades are permitted).

A Kolb trade would be another high-profile move in a tenure that, in just over a year, has included leaping up the draft board to select Brandon Graham, trades for Darryl Tapp and Ernie Sims, and a 13-player draft.

The biggest decision - trading McNabb - was a huge win for the Eagles. Free agency and the draft produced mixed early results.

Roseman's self-evaluation includes comparing his draft picks to other players available around the same time.

"It's important to constantly evaluate what we're doing, the things that we've done vs. the things we could have done, and try to learn from them and get better," Roseman said.

For now, Roseman can't directly apply the lessons from his first year on the job. But he has gradually appeared more comfortable in his role as a public face of the organization. Though still often reverting to his talking points, Roseman also joked with reporters Sunday about fatherhood, his college days at Florida, and even some of the criticism reporters hurl his way.

"The great thing about the NFL is that you're judged by wins and losses," Roseman said. "It's out there for everyone to see. Whether you draft a good player in a certain round and don't in a different round, nobody really remembers those things when you win. Obviously they are highlighted when you don't."