Pros and cons for the Indianapolis Colts to trade for Philadelphia Eagles pass rusher Haason Reddick
You know the NFL offseason is truly here when veterans on teams begin getting permission to seek trades from their current teams. A high-profile one occurred this week with Philadelphia Eagles edge rusher Haason Reddick reportedly looking for his next team. A report he went on to confirm himself. Should the Colts trade for Haason […]
You know the NFL offseason is truly here when veterans on teams begin getting permission to seek trades from their current teams.
A high-profile one occurred this week with Philadelphia Eagles edge rusher Haason Reddick reportedly looking for his next team. A report he went on to confirm himself.
Should the Colts trade for Haason Reddick?
The Indianapolis Colts are coming off the most sacks in a single season they have recorded since moving to Indianapolis, with 51 in 2023. This may make some question why they are in the market for another edge rusher at this time. While they have a solid group, they still didn't have a single player with over ten sacks last year. Samson Ebukam led the team with 9.5.
If the Colts were to add a pass rusher, it would need to be a true, dominant number one pass rusher that they could rely on and lead their edge room. So the question is, can Haason Reddick be that for the Colts?
Reddick is coming off his second season with the Eagles, both in which he ended up being selected to the Pro Bowl. He has had four straight seasons of over ten sacks dating back to 2020 with the Arizona Cardinals.
- 2020: 12.5 Sacks (Arizona Cardinals)
- 2021: 11 Sacks (Carolina Panthers)
- 2022: 16 Sacks (Philadelphia Eagles)
- 2023: 11 Sacks (Philadelphia Eagles)
If the Colts could guarantee they were getting 2022 Reddick, I think it would be an obvious choice. But the slight regression in sacks this past year could scare a team off of getting rid of high draft picks for the 29-year-old edge rusher. Reddick is also heading into the final year of his contract, where he is due 14.25 million dollars as his base salary with a cap hit of 21.3 million. He will turn 30 during next season, and whichever team trades for him will have to decide if they feel comfortable handing the 30-year-old edge rusher a top-tier long-term contract.
I've been a big fan of Reddick's for quite some time. Seeing him misused in Arizona for his first three seasons was truly a travesty. I think the dysfunction in Philadelphia this past year hurt his numbers more than his personal performance. His QB hit numbers stayed nearly the same, dropping down to 23 in 2023 from 26 in 2022. I think pairing Reddick with the rotation of edge rushers the Colts have could be deadly. But It would likely cost a second round pick and more to acquire Reddick, who the Colts would then have to pay after just one season.
If that is truly what it costs, I would reluctantly rule out the Colts' trading for the talented edge rusher. The top talent in the 2024 NFL Draft is too good to warrant moving a top-50 pick without any assurance that the player you are trading for would re-sign for a long-term contract. If the Colts could swing only moving a third-round pick in this upcoming draft and a future day-three pick, though, I think the Colts should be all over it.
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