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Sacks were few and far between for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2021. They wasted no time in addressing that well-known deficiency in free agency. The franchise agreed to terms with Haason Reddick, a pass-rushing outside linebacker from nearby Camden, New Jersey.
The Eagles will sign him to a three-year contract worth $45 million, according to NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo. The deal includes $30 million fully guaranteed and carries a max value of $49.5 million. Reddick has 31 career sacks in five NFL seasons during stops in Arizona and Carolina. His 11 sacks in 2021 ranked 16th-best in the entire league.
Reddick confirmed the move on Twitter following weeks of speculation that he might land in Philly due to his hometown connections. In addition to growing up an Eagles fan, the 27-year-old played college football at Temple University. He’s obviously excited to come home.
He went 13th overall to the Cardinals in the 2017 draft which was held on the Art Museum steps in Philadelphia. Reddick has faced the Eagles three times in his career while registering three sacks and two forced fumbles.
“The Philly crowd has always been a wild crowd, I like to say,” Reddick said in 2017, via NBC Sports Philadelphia. “Growing up, going to a couple of Philadelphia Eagles games, I would alway see how the crowd would react. But I’m from Philly. Philly will always be home. I will always have love for Philly.”
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Where Does ‘Tweener’ Reddick Project on Defense?
The Eagles are paying Reddick $15 million a year because he knows how to get to the quarterback. He’s a QB wrecker. Make no mistake about that. But it’ll be interesting to see where defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon lines him up on the field.
Built in the Micah Parsons’ mold, Reddick (6-foot-1, 235 pounds) may draw the start at SAM linebacker. He has the ability to drop back in coverage – 15 pass breakups in five seasons – from his high school days playing safety.
Again, this was a move made to strengthen the Eagles’ pass rush. They finished with just 29 sacks in 2021, the second-worst mark behind the Atlanta Falcons. Reddick’s versatility make him doubly dangerous. It also eliminates the need for Philly to use a first-round pick on a defensive end.
Howie Roseman Addresses Pass-Rushing Problem
The price tag may seem a tad high on paper, but the Eagles value pass-rushing specialists more than anything. General manager Howie Roseman abides by the rule that Super Bowls are won in the trenches, offensively and defensively.
“When we talk about our overall philosophy and our team building, we always talk about the lines of scrimmage,” Roseman said at last year’s draft.
Reddick recorded 23.5 sacks over the last two seasons alone. That’s more than former first-rounder Derek Barnett has for his entire career (21.5).
“We have to have pressure on the quarterback. We have to continue to have pressure on the quarterback,” Roseman told reporters on March 2. “It’s a priority to us. We’ll have opportunities this offseason to do it, and I would be very surprised if we didn’t do something there.”
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