Howie Roseman goes shopping in his do-over campaign

The NFL is a lot like the postapocalyptic world of the Mad Max films, which would make the games road warrior races to a bloody conclusion and the business of running a franchise a Thunderdome-like death match.

There aren't do-overs. Well, unless you're Howie Roseman.

Restored to power after a year locked in the NovaCare equipment room, Roseman is making the most of his second chance. No other NFL team has been as active as the Eagles this offseason, and on the first day of free agency, Roseman signed players as if his life depended upon it.

His future as the Eagles' de facto general manager certainly hinges on this season, and nearly every move Roseman has made since January has been in the vein of win-now. And why not? The NFL is constructed for parity and to allow teams the opportunity to turn their fortunes around in one year.

Chip Kelly tried the same approach last season. He tore the roster apart and pieced it back together thinking he could rebuild on the fly. But the final product was blown to smithereens like one of those Mad Max death mobiles.

Roseman's offseason has been more workmanlike. There have been surprises, but the math computes even if the salary cap was in shambles after Kelly left. Roseman has handed out mad money, and some of the deals may come back to haunt him, but it's hard to argue with the premise of signing five of your own core players.

Extending Sam Bradford, Lane Johnson, Malcolm Jenkins, Vinny Curry, and Zach Ertz was just the appetizer. The second course came when Roseman discarded DeMarco Murray, Byron Maxwell, and Kiko Alonso to the Titans and Dolphins in trades that rid the Eagles of bad cargo and cleared about $10 million off the books for 2016.

Armed with more cap space, the Eagles signed free agents in a flurry - safety Rodney McLeod (five years, $37 million), guard Brandon Brooks (five years, $40 million), quarterback Chase Daniel (three years, $21 million), linebacker Nigel Badham (two years), and cornerback Ron Brooks (three years, $6 million).

That may sound like a lot of money, and it is, but the actual guaranteed figures are approximately 40 percent of the potential total worth, and in keeping with Roseman's general philosophy since the 2011 Dream Team debacle. He signed young, mid-tier free agents coming off their rookie contracts. Aside from the 29-year-old Daniel, all of the additions are ages 25-27.

The Eagles had nowhere near as much cap space as most teams. So defensive tackle Malik Jackson (Jaguars), defensive end Olivier Vernon (New York Giants), guard Kelechi Osemele (Raiders), linebacker Bruce Irvin (Raiders), cornerback Janoris Jackson (Giants), and running back Lamar Miller (Texans) went to teams with money to burn.

The Super Bowl can't be claimed in March, though. Inking high-priced free agents is often like eating at Taco Bell. You run to the border for the instant high of a meaty taco, only to pay for it later with gastric pain.

Even with a new coach and seemingly time to rebuild, the Giants spent like poets on payday. Why? Take a look at general manager Jerry Reese's recent record as a personnel evaluator and you'll have the answer. He needs to win now to survive, even though new coach Ben McAdoo should conceivably buy him time.

The same could be said of Roseman, who is now tied to new coach Doug Pederson. He survived the Kelly coup and has what appears to be an unwavering advocate in Jeffrey Lurie. But how many more seasons without a playoff victory can the Eagles owner take before he pulls the plug?

Roseman, if anything, seems to be working in collaboration with his coaches. Daniel played under Pederson for three seasons with the Chiefs. There were reports that he was being brought in to compete with Bradford for the starting spot, but the notion is implausible.

Pederson will surely say Daniel is here to compete, but that's just coachspeak. The career backup received a deal that is slightly more than what the top backup quarterbacks in the NFL get, but that's in case the Eagles decide it's time to move on from Bradford after one year.

Bradford, meanwhile, received $22 million guaranteed. It would be poor business to bring him here for one season as a $22 million backup. And Roseman, if anything, is fiscally sound.

On defense, the Eagles signed three former Bills who played under new coordinator Jim Schwartz in 2014, if you include cornerback Leodis McKelvin, who signed a two-year, $6.2 million contract Tuesday.

McKelvin and Bradham, who played strong-side linebacker in 2014, had arguably their best seasons playing in Schwartz's aggressive 4-3 scheme. Former Bill Ron Brooks will provide special-teams help, and he adds depth to a cornerback position that is light after Maxwell's departure.

The addition of McLeod also plays into the Schwartzification of the defense. Schwartz typically likes his safeties to be interchangeable, but the 5-foot-10, 185-pound McLeod could allow fellow safety Malcolm Jenkins to play where he prefers - closer to the line and in the slot.

McLeod also brings some much-needed edge to the secondary.

"No fear," an NFC West senior scout said.

Similar accolades have been bestowed on previous free-agent signings under Roseman, so the jury is still long out on the eventual payoff. But Roseman is back in the ring and using every weapon at his disposal to rebuild the Eagles. He may have to win now.

Two men enter, but one man leaves.

jmclane@phillynews.com

@Jeff_McLane