Commanders get linked up with another bad free agency idea that would easily hurt them more than it would help
For some reason, analysts keep proposing bad ideas when it comes to what the Washington Commanders should do during the 2025 version of NFL free agency.Last week, ESPN's Ben Solak predicted the Commanders would win the Tee Higgins Bidding War by paying him an absurdly-high $33 million per year. Fortunately, word is the Cincinnati Bengals […]
For some reason, analysts keep proposing bad ideas when it comes to what the Washington Commanders should do during the 2025 version of NFL free agency.
Last week, ESPN's Ben Solak predicted the Commanders would win the Tee Higgins Bidding War by paying him an absurdly-high $33 million per year. Fortunately, word is the Cincinnati Bengals plan on using the non-exclusive franchise tag on Higgins again, which basically eliminates the high amount of interest he would've received in free agency.
Now, it's ESPN analyst Matt Bowen's turn. He recently listed the best fits for the top-50 impending free agents and at No. 17 he has the Commanders as the best fit for pass rusher Haason Reddick:
17. Haason Reddick, Edge
Best team fit: Washington Commanders
Reddick might be looking at a short-term deal after holding out to start the 2024 season before being traded to the Jets. But he has a history of making impact plays, with 59 sacks and 18 forced fumbles over his career. And before last season, he put together three straight campaigns with a pass rush win rate over 20%. Reddick would fill a need for the Commanders on the edge, and I like the fit as a schemed rusher in Dan Quinn's defense.
There is one huge issue with Bowen's idea and it's a non-starter for the Commanders
For starters, I want to make it clear I'm not picking on these guys. They are both excellent at what they do and there's a reason why they work at ESPN as analysts. These are just bad takes – everyone has them.
Regardless, Reddick is an immediate, and big, "NO" simply because he doesn't have the type of mindset that Dan Quinn and Adam Peters want on the roster. That became perfectly clear during his holdout last year that saw him miss the New York Jets' entire offseason as well as the first seven games of the regular season. He then proceeded to record just 1.0 sack over the 10 games he appeared in.
It was all about money. Reddick hurt his team in order to better his own situation. That's simply something this regime doesn't deal with and Reddick's lack of production only compounds the issue.
It’s no secret that the Haason Reddick’s brief dalliance with the New York Jets was an unmitigated disaster. While casual fans are quick to blame the Jets for the disaster, a fair amount of blame belongs to Reddick. He lied to the team about accepting a reworked contract only to hold out once the Jets traded away Jonathan Franklin-Myers and left the team with nobody to play the position. If not for Jets owner Woody Johnson getting involved and giving in to Reddick’s demands, he still might be holding out. All of that might have even been forgiven if Reddick wasn’t invisible on the field.
Despite playing in 10 games, the sack artist managed only two half-sacks all year for a grand total of (uses a calculator) one on the season. The fact that Reddick, who I’m told has an ability to get to the quarterback though I didn’t see it in New York, is looking to sign with his fifth team in eight years, is a major red flag to any team looking to give him the long-term deal he wants. – Mike Antoniou, A to Z New York
Antoniou's final point is the straw that breaks the camel's back, even if said back was already fractured enough. It's far more unlikely than likely that Reddick signs a one-year prove-it deal, which is honestly what he deserves after last year. Any team willing to sign him to a multi-year deal is crazy unless it includes some kind of potential out after Year 1. But even then, Reddick would have to agree to it and it's hard to see that after last year.
Either way, the Commanders are far better off just re-signing Dante Folwer Jr. or drafting a guy in Round 1. They need to stay away from Reddick, even with a 1,000-foot pole.
