Iggles Blitz

by Tommy Lawlor

Trader Howie

Posted March 9th, 2024 | Comments Off on Trader Howie

The new league year starts on Wednesday. That means free agency begins, but also trades. The Eagles are working that angle, trying to see about moving some veteran players.

Both Sweat and Reddick are in the final year of their deals. Both are good pass rushers, but they are coming off disappointing seasons. Reddick will turn 30 this year. Sweat will turn 27. That means he is still in his prime, but he has knee issues so he might not be on the same timeline as other players.

Reddick has value because he’s had four consecutive seasons with 10 or more sacks. Teams want proven pass rushers. The Eagles won’t get great value for him, but some team could want Reddick because he offers immediate impact. Sweat is a more complicated discussion. He can look dominant at times. But he didn’t make plays down the stretch last year, a time when the Eagles desperately needed them.

The Eagles will see what is out there. Is this an either/or situation or could both be on the move? I would normally say there is no way both guys could be dealt. But the Eagles might do that and then actively sign a FA…like Bryce Huff. The team has Nolan Smith ready to take on a bigger role this year. They also have a good backup as of today.

We knew BG would be back. It was just a matter of working out a deal that worked for both sides. He’ll get $4M this year.

The Eagles could then spend a pick on another pass rusher, possibly even a first rounder. It sure sounds like there will be some new blood chasing the QB for the Eagles this year.

Let’s go back to Huff for a minute. He will turn 26 this season and is coming off a strong year. Huff didn’t start for the Jets last year, but still had 10 sacks. He is 6-3, 255. Huff has good burst off the edge. He plays with great leverage and also has good power. He had more sacks and TFLs than Sweat last year and almost the same number of QB hits. Sweat started 17 games. Huff didn’t start at all. He was incredibly protective for a backup.

If the Eagles go after Huff, they’ll be taking a chance. They would move him to a different scheme and project that he would be a high level starter. Huff would be focused on rushing the passer and he’s proven that he can do that so the move does make sense. He’s an ascending player. His QB hits have gone up each of his four seasons. He sure feels like the kind of young player you do take a chance on.

This is a very fluid situation. Stay tuned.

*****

Comp picks were announced on Friday. The Eagles got:

3rd
5th
5th
6th

Let’s turn to Jimmy Bama for a full breakdown on the comp picks and what the Eagles will have to work with in April.

The Eagles will have 4 of the top 97 picks in the upcoming draft. This will be a critical spring for Howie and the Eagles. They need to hit on multiple picks to improve the roster and help them remain a Super Bowl contender.

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