Edge Drama

The Eagles offseason has gone about as expected. There wasn’t a whole lot of drama with the coaching changes. Those moves weren’t surprising at all. Most of that stuff is over and we’re now on to the player side of things.

This was unexpected news.

Sources: #Eagles All-Pro edge rusher Haason Reddick has received permission to seek a trade following another disruptive season featuring double digit sacks. The 29-year old with 27 sacks over two seasons in Philly could land elsewhere. pic.twitter.com/WxIGTac24M

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 11, 2024

Reddick is in the final year of his deal. It is possible that he’s been pushing for an extension and a raise and the Eagles said no to that. Now they have given him permission to talk to other teams, to see what is out there.

Reddick is a gifted pass rusher and highly disruptive player. The downside with him is that he lacks ideal size and freelances more than you’d like in the run game. Reddick is a valuable player, but won’t appeal to all 32 teams.

I wonder what Vic Fangio thinks of him. Most of his OLBs have been in the 260-pound range, about 20 pounds heavier than Reddick. Fangio might prefer a bigger, stronger OLB who can consistently set the edge vs the run as well as rushing the passer.

My understanding is that the Eagles would only move Reddick if it makes sense — both with the compensation in return, and if their cap objectives cannot be achieved with a new deal. (As we've noted, Josh Sweat is also entering last year.) This isn't a fire sale.

Eagles are…

— Zach Berman (@ZBerm) February 11, 2024

The Eagles aren’t going to give away a pass rusher as good as Reddick. Some team will have to show real interest in him and make a good offer. There are plenty of teams out there who need pass rushers so it will be interesting to see how this plays out.

If the Eagles do move Reddick, they could look for OLB help in free agency or the draft. I don’t see a player who is likely to be available at 22. UCLA DE Laiatu Latu will probably go in the 10 to 20 range. He is a terrific edge player. The Eagles would likely have to move up to get him. I haven’t looked at free agency to see who is available.

It is possible that other teams won’t offer the kind of money Reddick wants. That could lead to him being an unhappy player for 2024. That’s not ideal for either side. Let’s hope the situation gets worked out, either with a new team or with the Eagles.

*****

Are you excited for the Super Bowl?

I can’t say I’m fired up for SF vs KC. I think plenty of us have Chiefs fatigue. They’re on TV constantly and Mahomes/Kelce/Reid are in a ton of commercials. As for the Niners, they are the Eagles biggest rival right now. None of us wants to see them win.

I’ll be pulling for Andy Reid to get his third ring. That sentence just feels impossible to anyone who suffered through 2011 and 2012. But it just might happen. Good for Reid. He helped turn this franchise around.

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