The Falcons absolutely refuse to improve their pass rush, I guess.
With limited options on the free agent market, Haason Reddick seemed to be a trade target that made the most sense. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN linked the Falcons to the Eagles’ veteran, and another report from Jake Rabadi shed light on the asking price — at least a second-round pick.
Well, that was the asking price. According to Adam Schefter, Philadelphia is moving the star pass rusher to New York in exchange for a Jets’ 2026 third-round pick that could turn into a second-round pick if Reddick plays at least 67.5% of the snaps or has 10+ sacks in 2024.
Trade: Eagles are sending edge-rusher Haason Reddick to the New York Jets for a conditional 2026 third-round pick that could be a second, sources tell ESPN.
The 2026 pick becomes a 2nd if Reddick has 67.5% playtime this season and has 10 or more sacks. If not, it’s a 2023 third pic.twitter.com/AcjiqZE2L4
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 29, 2024
Some may say that a second-round pick is a bit rich for a 30-year-old, who needs a new contract, a deal that is supposedly supposed to be around $25 million in average annual value, according to Rabadi.
I don’t know about that. $25 million is the going rate for a guy who hasn’t recorded fewer than 11 sacks since 2019, including 27 over the last two seasons. That’s a more extensive track record than Montez Sweat, who fetched a second-round pick in a trade during the season.
Sweat was a player the Falcons were in on before the Bears swooped in with a higher second-rounder. Granted, Sweat is two years younger than Reddick but is coming off the first double-digit sack season of his career.
Well, some Falcons fans would say those draft picks are valuable! Let’s take a look at Terry Fontenot’s track record with second and third-rounders.
- 2021 second-round pick: Richie Grant
- 2021 third-round pick: Jalen Mayfield
- 2022 second-round pick: Troy Anderson
- 2022 second-round pick: Arnold Ebiketie
- 2022 third-round pick: Desmond Ridder
- 2022 third-round pick: DeAngelo Malone
- 2023 second-round pick: Matthew Bergeron
- 2023 third-round pick: Zach Harrison
That’s not exactly a ton of All-Pro players or even Pro Bowlers. The Falcons haven’t had a consistently dominant pass rusher since John Abraham, and it seems the club is perfectly fine watching from the sidelines as available ones are taken off the market.
Regardless of the price, the Falcons need to add an impact pass rusher. Fontenot must push the chips to the middle of the table to maximize this window with Kirk Cousins. It may not be a Haason Reddick trade, but there needs to be something.
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Photographer: Kyle Ross/Icon Sportswire
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