Rosenhaus: A New Deal, Dealing with Birds
After the LeSean McCoy news conference ended Thursday night at NovaCare, reporters broke into groups. One group clustered around agent Drew Rosenhaus, another around Eagles general manager Howie Roseman. Some TV reporters waited to do one-on-one interviews with McCoy about his new, five-year, $45 million deal.
Rosenhaus: A New Deal, Dealing with Birds
Les Bowen
After the LeSean McCoy news conference ended Thursday night at NovaCare, reporters broke into groups. One group clustered around agent Drew Rosenhaus, another around Eagles general manager Howie Roseman. Some TV reporters waited to do one-on-one interviews with McCoy about his new, five-year, $45 million deal.
As Rosenhaus was about to say something, he was interrupted by a voice bellowing from one of the other groups: "NEXT QUESTION!" Rosenhaus chuckled, as he has, oh, roughly a zillion times since that day late in 2005 when the agent stood on Terrell Owens' scraggly Moorestown yard and made himself the focal point of a region's collective anger and disappointment.
These are different days. Rosenhaus, who represents seven current Eagles, has worked out big-money long-term deals this offseason for three of those clients. Not only did the Eagles sign DeSean Jackson (5 years, $51 million), Evan Mathis (five years, $25.5 million) and McCoy, they did so with no bruised feelings, no public sparring, no anonymously-sourced intimations that one side or the other was being unreasonable.
As McCoy mentioned in the news conference, he briefly fired Rosenhaus last season, twice. Rosenhaus said Thursday that was because McCoy questioned the Rosenhaus relationship with the Eagles, whether the team would deal effectively with him. Certainly, there were tensions last season attending the Jackson situation. But those tensions clearly have resolved.
"Right now, we're on a roll with them," Rosenhaus said.
Rosenhaus said he spoke with team representatives three or four times a week this offseason about the McCoy contract. He said there was one major reason the deal got done.
"Andy Reid really wanted to see LeSean stay with the Eagles," Rosenhaus said. Of course, McCoy was probably going to stay with the Eagles regardless -- he had a year left on his rookie deal, the team could have just franchised him after that -- but what Rosenhaus meant was that Reid wanted McCoy to stay with the Eagles HAPPILY, a concept that has not always driven the Birds' negotiating strategy.
"When we we were working on this deal, coach Reid was sitting in on the meetings. It wasn't so much that he was taking sides, he just wanted to see it get done," Rosenhaus said. "So I think coach Reid really was the difference."
Rosenhaus also said: "We've had success working with Howie," in the two years since Roseman ascended to his current job.
Your Eagletarian asked Rosenhaus if he thinks the Eagles' thinking about the handling of such negotiations with key players has changed over the past several years.
"Yeah, there's no question," Rosenhaus said. "To me, the Eagles are one of the more aggressive ballclubs when it comes to retaining their players. Guys want to stay here. There's great stability here [with Reid]."
"I think so," Rosenhaus said, when asked if Reid's role was larger this time than it would have been in a similar negotiation several years back. "Certainly I can't speak for him, but in the multitude of deals we've negotiated with the Eagles, which are in the dozens since he's been the head coach, this is the most involved I've seen him."
Rosenhaus added that he "had a chance to visit with [team president] Joe Banner, I had a chance to visit with [chairman] Jeffrey Lurie. Both those guys were very involved, too. The meat and potatoes negotiations were with Howie, but this was a team approach."
"Howie is a straight shooter," Rosenhaus said. "He's aggressive. He wants to win. He's a pleasant guy to deal with, he's very honest. I like doing business with him ... I like dealing with all the teams in the league, but definitely, this is an unprecedented few months for me with one team. To do three deals of that magnitude is unique, for us."
"It does make it easier when you have a good relationship," said Rosenhaus, who also said his approach has evolved over the years. "The Eagles' regime went out of their way to let our clients know that we had a professional relationship with [the team]. Guys have been uneasy about some of the things that have happened in the past ... they let the players know they had no problem with us."
We were thinking there was no real deadline to get this done, but with all the offseason injuries cropping up -- Jason Peters, a case in point -- it turns out, next week's full-team minicamp was something of a deadline. Both sides wanted this deal done before McCoy stepped on the field, Rosenhaus said.
Good for Shady, well done Eagles- The only "good news about Reid" the fans are waiting for revolves around winning the superbowl.
It's great that McCoy became extremely rich today, but I'm not sure how that helps the fans feel better about 8-8, and not winning a playoff game for several years now.— fmMD - You had to get creative to put a negative spin on a feel-good story. Shady worked hard, did all the right things, kept a great attitude and was rewarded for it handsomeley. Why not talk about that?
- Osi Umenyiora probably cried when he heard LeSean got his deal before him.— Eagles_Nation
- tpizza, Ratman got it done.— watsonmr
- Of Course Rosenhaus has a better relationship with the Eagles. He has folded on every single negotiation he has gone threw with the Eagles. I"m sure the Eagles view Rosenhaus as an asset now. They might even hand out his card in the future to their rookie draft picks.— Zeru
- Boohoo Osi!!!! lol— osi is hurt boohoo
- 20 MM guaranteed...that will buy lots of Chipotle and lunches at McCloskey's in Ardmore. Now you know where to find me, Shady.— Lunchboy
- Where is that Charlie Garner idiot that will say that Reid sitting in was the worst move ever?— oharabri
- After PeeWee realized that Rosenhaus wasn't going to steal his bike, they got the deal done.— Astro Jones
- WMR, yep he did! Maybe you can give me a heads up on exactly what has happened to the Eagles FO? They finally are taking care of their own rather than short changing them and paying big money to outsiders. They had a great draft for which, as you know, I had great trepidation as it approached. They found a way to deal with Ratboy which after the T.O. debacle seems like a miracle. They made some excellent trades and seem to be shoring up the areas that have been lacking in talent for years. They have a fine coaching staff. I mean, what really happened? Was there a Reid power play? Is he more involved...less involved? Has Howie matured into a GM? Is Banner banished to the accountants room...never see him anymore. My point is that it seems like the entire FO has been transformed into a real professional operation? Has anyone checked for large pods outside Eagles HQ? The faces are the same but how can that be? Whatever happened I think this is the finest off season I can ever remember them having.— tpizza
- SEE what happens when Jeffery tells Joe to stay out of it and quit trying to be a stingy control freak.....the only ego in the room was Rosenhaus and little Napolean was not there to antagonize or cheap shot the agent or the player,......dam...see how easy it is Jeffery when you keep him in the accounting room and not the player personell room....thanks Jeffery....— nuggett
Comment removed.- The Eagles have done a LOT of deals with Rosenhaus over the years and have had a lot of players represented by him. Let's not act like the guy's only clients before this year were TO and DeSean. It's not exactly like either of those guys can be told what to do either. I'm sure it wasn't Rosenhaus' idea for TO to do sit-ups in the drive-way. The situations with those two guys was on the player, not Rosenhaus.— JimG
- i'd say anyhting good about the eagles if I got a commission like rosenhouse just did on that deal. poser.... eagles WILL NOT WIN ANYTHING AGAIN THIS YEAR and you are dumb if you say otherwise— bbewsirhc
