The Philadelphia Eagles have signed free agent Haason Reddick to a three-year, $45 million contract with a $30 million guaranteed value, according to a report from NFL insider Mike Garafolo. It is reported that the maximum amount of the transaction will be 49.5 million dollars.
Bleeding Green Nation had previously identified Redick as a logical free agent target. Here is what we wrote:
Reddick is a native of Camden, New Jersey and played college football at Temple. If he’s interested in returning home, the Eagles may be interested in seeing that happen. A latecomer, Reddick only hit 7.5 sacks in his first three seasons and hit 23.5 in his final two seasons. Reddick wouldn’t be a cheap addition, but the Eagles aren’t averse to investing in their pass rush.
Indeed, the Eagles did not hesitate to spend money on a great need. Reddick, with an annual value of $15 million, is ranked 17th among all edge players.
The Eagles clearly needed to improve their ability to build pressure after finishing 29th in sacks last year. The Eagles also only had Brandon Graham (aging and injured), Josh Sweet (talented but inconsistent) and Tarron Jackson (selected in Day 3 of 2021) under free agency contracts with Derek Barnett and Ryan Kerrigan . The Eagles signed Reddick, further solidifying Barnett’s departure from Philadelphia. Coincidentally, Reddick was selected one seed ahead of Barnett by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2017 NFL Draft.
Having started his NFL career in the desert, Reddick was once thought to be a loser. However, he began to become more productive as the Cards moved him from a no-ball linebacker to the defensive line. Reddick left Arizona to reunite with his former college coach Matt Rule with the Carolina Panthers. It was there that he proved that his 2020 season was not just a one-year fluke.
It will be interesting to see how Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon uses Reddick. On the 6-1 list, 235 pounds, he’s underweight for a traditional 4-3 defense. The Eagles pay him for his pass rush, but they can sometimes get creative using him as a SAM linebacker.
Haason Reddick doesn’t call himself a DE or OLB, but a “weapon” for the Eagles.
(Also its a good job of changing the profile quickly.) pic.twitter.com/FgdnS7ZylG
— Brandon Lee Gowton (@BrandonGowton) March 14, 2022
The Eagles, who signed Reddick, are unlikely to stop the team from adding a defensive end with one of their many first-round picks in the 2022 NFL Draft. This allows them not to force the choice of position, but it is unlikely that signing Reddick means that they no longer need to pass-rush.
Assuming the Eagles didn’t sign him to rethink his role, that looks like a good deal for the Birds. It’s not cheap, but pass rushers are expensive, and Reddick is now only 27 years old. He ranked fifth among all wingers in Pro Football Focus passing performance in 2020 and 33rd in 2021.
