The Falcons have a good, not a great roster that many describe as talented, yet underachieving.
There are clear holes that need to be addressed this offseason. None is more important than the quarterback position, which will be the focal point of the offseason.
However, it’s not the only position that needs to be tended to. Drake London needs a running mate or two, and the same could be said for A.J. Terrell. As always, the trenches should be bolstered, regardless of needs. Having a healthy amount of reserve linemen is never a bad thing.
Some would argue that an edge defender trumps all of those, outside of quarterback. Though Arnold Ebiketie took a step in his development last year, in today’s NFL, teams can never have enough pass rushers, and an All-Pro has become available for trade.
According to Ian Rapoport, Haason Reddick has received permission from the Eagles to seek a trade.
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
The 29-year-old inked a three-year, $45 million deal with Philadelphia in 2022, posting 27 sacks over the last two seasons. He’s certainly made the most of his three-year, prove-it deal if a three-year contract could even be considered of the prove-it variety. Going from a $15 million AAV to probably north of $20 million per year is quite the jump for Reddick. Here are some names that he’ll be compared to.
- Nick Bosa: $34M (AAV)
- T.J. Watt: $28M
- Joey Bosa: $27M
- Myles Garrett: $25M
- Montez Sweat: $24.5M
- Rashan Gary: $24M
- Khalil Mack: $23.5M
- Maxx Crosby: $23.5M
The Falcons have a need and Reddick wants to be paid. On his current deal, he’s the 17th-highest-paid edge defender in average annual value. With contract extensions looming for several core Eagles players, Reddick’s future contract may be too much for Howie Roseman.
However, Zach Berman did report that Roseman will only move Reddick in a deal that “makes sense” — compensation in return and if it makes sense for their cap purposes.
Depending on the cost to trade for Haason Reddick and the cost of a subsequent contract extension, the Falcons should be all ears. Still, if it doesn’t make sense for Terry Fontenot and Raheem Morris, Atlanta should feel comfortable standing pat.
This free agent class is one of the best in recent memory. There are marquee pass rushers as well as under-the-radar free agents that won’t cost as much.
Guys like Danielle Hunter, Josh Allen, and Brian Burns are in the first tier and will garner top-of-the-market deals but would present the Falcons with a consistent double-digit sack producer.
The next tier of guys like Bryce Huff, Chase Young, Jadaveon Clowney, and Jonathan Greenard aren’t going to cost as much but will be an upgrade over what the Falcons had at the position in 2023. Others like Za’Darius Smith and Josh Uche could also very well interest the Falcons.
The point is that if the Eagles’ asking price for Haason Reddick is too high, the options are still plentiful.
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