After saying goodbye to the best edge rusher they’ve employed in years as part of a two-pronged plan to both get young and pursue additional draft capital, the Philadelphia Eagles’ pass rush was always going to be based on communal contribution, instead of star power at the top of the depth chart.
On paper, it makes sense, right? Sure Josh Sweat, Bryce Huff, Brandon Graham, and Nolan Smith have all produced at one stage of the game or another, so much so that all Howie Roseman explicitly targeted them as his starting quartet, but double-digit sacks seasons? At the NFL level? Considering the group only has three such seasons over 28 combined efforts, the Eagles would need something of an aberration to remain effective up front.
Fortunately, the Eagles’ edge rushing group has come together as a collective through the first two weeks of the season. The only problem? They collectively stink.
Through two games, which is admittedly a small sample size, the Eagles’ edge rushers have exactly two QB hits and zero sacks, with only Sweat recording anything resembling an effective pass rush while complementing actual producers like Zach Baun and Milton Williams, who collectively have all of the team’s sacks.
But why? Is Vic Fangio calling a scheme that simply doesn’t work anymore, having been figured out by the league at large? Or is this a simple byproduct of losing a true blue number one rusher, with last year’s DE2 unfairly placed into a DE1 role and Huff simply unable to become a full-time rusher after spending years as a third-down specialist for the New York Jets?
While the autopsy of the Eagles can’t happen just yet, as the team is still alive and well, in the end, it’s hard not to wonder if Howie Roseman should simply get on the phone with his old pal Joe Douglas in order to make a deal, as Philadelphia needs Haason Reddick about as much as he needs a reunion at Lincoln Financial Field.
Haason Reddick could fix the Eagles’ pass rush
Originally drafted by the Arizona Cardinals to play an off-ball role, Reddick didn’t truly come into his own until the 2020 season, when he was finally afforded a chance to simply rush the passer as an undersized edge like he did during his breakthrough run at Temple.
From there, Reddick continued to produce at an incredible level, recording double-digit sacks for two straight seasons before landing in Philadelphia, where his production reached its peak. Over two seasons (back) in South Philly, Reddick put up 27 sacks, 87 total tackles, and garnered enough praise to make it seem as though he deserved to be one of the highest-paid players in the NFL, even if Roseman and now Douglas don’t agree.
Granted, when Fangio was hired, fans openly wondered if Reddick was a fit in the Eagles’ new defense, as he reportedly didn’t like the idea of dropping into coverage semi-regularly to help disguise rushing attempts. If Reddick wasn’t down to do much more than rush the passer, his fit in the Eagles’ scheme wouldn’t be particularly great and may even lead to much lower production for the Camden product as a result.
Then again, Reddick isn’t getting any production at all for the Jets if he continues to hold out of action and is actually costing himself almost $1 million a game for staying off of the field. Would Reddick actually turn down a return to Philadelphia if Roseman made a deal in order to remain committed to his goal of a new contract? Or would he instead see that he’s costing himself money now and into the future, and producing big-time numbers instead is his best path to financial solvency?
If Roseman gets permission to talk to Reddick and discuss a deal, who knows, maybe the Eagles’ VP could right one of the biggest blunders of the offseason and mix his team before Philadrlphia’s lack of a legitimate pass rush becomes a problem no other team wants a part of, let alone at his preferred financial price point.
Howie Roseman thought trading Haason Reddick was a win-win
Speaking with reports back in April about trading Reddick to the Jets, Roseman was open with the challenging emotions of moving on from a Temple product with ties to the area, even if it could be a win-win for both parties in the end.
“Haason had a great two years in Philadelphia,” Roseman noted via NJ.com. “Obviously, he is a Camden kid who played at Temple, and we could not have been more excited to sign him. It’s bittersweet to lose a player and a person like that… Through the conversations with the Jets, we felt it was a win-win position, but it’s always hard to get rid of players and people like Haason.”
Unfortunately for, well, everyone involved, this trade has not been a win-win for both sides, as the Jets are down an edge rusher and a draft pick, Reddick is rapidly losing money with each passing week, and the Eagles’ pass rush is on life support.
If ever there was a time to revisit the trade and make something work, returning the Jets pick in exchange got something like Reddick and a fifth, it would behoove Philadelphia to pull the trigger in order to bring Temple’s finest, as they simply can’t afford to drop too many close games before the season falls apart.
