After ascending to general manager, Howie Roseman has amassed a regular-season record of nearly 100 wins over the last 10 years, including three Super Bowl appearances and two championships. But the time has come for the Eagles to pay the piper with that kind of mercurial success. The organisation has had some of their top front-office talent poached by other teams over the last couple of years. This time, however, the perpetrator is a fellow bird of prey team from the NFC South: the Atlanta Falcons.

“This is a major loss for the Eagles. Bryce Johnston was a key figure in the Eagles’ salary cap management and contract negotiations—especially in the two years since Jake Rosenberg departed. My understanding is that the Eagles expected front office departures after the draft. This is a big one.” Zach Berman from The Athletic noted on X.

Post the recently concluded 2026 NFL Draft, the Atlanta Falcons, who are now being led by franchise legend Matt Ryan, have hired Bryce Johnston from the Eagles as their SVP of Football Administration and Senior Personnel Executive. 

Along with overseeing salary cap strategy and serving as the lead contract negotiator, he’s also tasked with acting as a key advisor to both Ryan and general manager Ian Cunningham, who also happens to be a former Eagles executive himself, having spent a total of four years in the Eagles front office.

In Johnston’s previous role with the Eagles, he was similarly involved in salary cap management and player contracts. In a statement released Friday, Johnston expressed gratitude to the Eagles and reflected on his journey.

“The high level of success achieved by the Eagles organization begins with their commitment to pursuing every possible competitive advantage, and I greatly appreciate the trust they placed in me to contribute to that philosophy.” Johnston said. “I feel very fortunate to have been able to work closely with and learn from Howie Roseman and now be in a position to take those insights with me as I move forward.”

“There are too many to list, but in particular, I would like to thank Jake Rosenberg for making this opportunity a reality and mentoring me as I began my career in the NFL,” he added.

Johnston walks into Flowery Branch to join his former colleague Cunningham with a laundry list of things to do on the docket. Task number 1 is identifying the franchise quarterback for the future. It’s something they haven’t truly had since the departure of their boss, Matt Ryan, post-2021 season. Getting the salary cap back in order must also be high on the list, and you can be sure this is one of the reasons the Falcons specifically brought on Johnston to fix.

The aftermath of the Kirk Cousins debacle has left the Falcons carrying roughly $22.5 million in dead cap this year and another $12.5 million next year. Johnston and Cunningham clearly have their work cut out for them. But the Falcons do have hope with their young offensive core led by Bijan Robinson, the recently minted first-time All-Pro Kyle Pitts, and perimeter receiver Drake London. The NFC South is also there for the taking, as no team looks ready to take command of the weakest division in football.

Falcons lean on Eagles’ front-office model in latest hire

The Atlanta Falcons have been mired in years of irrelevance, having missed the playoffs for 8 straight seasons. They’ve aggressively reshaped the look of their front office, which now carries a distinct flavor of Kelly Green. As highlighted by John McMullen, Eagles beat reporter for SI.com, the Falcons have triple-dipped in the Eagles pool with the additions of general manager Ian Cunningham, Assistant GM Jeff Scott, and now Bryce Johnston, who all come with a previous employment history at Philadelphia.

The Falcons began to cut ties with former general manager Terry Fontenot, who was responsible for the trifecta of swings and misses of Desmond Ridder, Kirk Cousins, and Michael Penix. They’ve also moved on from Rich McKay, one of the closest aides to team owner Arthur Blank for decades, promoting long-time Falcons man Greg Beadles to take up the mantle of President and CEO.

When stacking the two franchises up, the results are stark. Falcons fans will be hoping that with the recent additions in the front office and that one of their made-of-glass quarterbacks this season is able to step up to the plate, the Falcons can finally find some level of success and relevance for the first time in years. Because even if they find half the success of their NFC rivals in green up north, they’ll be thrilled.