The Philadelphia Eagles are the envy of the football world. That is what happens when a team blows through the NFL in dominating fashion the year prior, as was the case with the 2024 Super Bowl champions.
Being the master of all you survey usually means two things.
1. Rivals do everything they can to try and defeat the champs, whether by acquiring some of the talent on the roster or bolstering their roster to specifically cause matchup success.
2. They emulate the championship roster.
This is a "copycat league,'' and that No. 2 angle reflects exactly what the Pittsburgh Steelers have done this offseason.
Pittsburgh has a reputation for conservatism when it comes to headline-grabbing moves beyond the NFL Draft.
Philadelphia, meanwhile, has long had a penchant for making deals for top free agents and making risky but shrewd trades. Call it "The Eagles Way'' under GM Howie Roseman.
Things this offseason have changed for both franchises.
Pittsburgh has spent all of the offseason making headline moves, whether it be for a Hall-of-Famer like Aaron Rodgers or veteran stars like Jalen Ramsey and D.K. Metcalf.
Philadelphia, meanwhile, due to some cap-related constraints has chosen to reload its championship roster through the draft.
The Eagles have the depth to pull off such a strategy and still contend.
The Steelers are trying to shoot their shot.
There is no "right'' way and no "wrong'' way to go about that path toward a Super Bowl. But there is a "recent'' way. And that is the Eagles-forged path that Pittsburgh is now following.