The Eagles are bringing a South Jersey native home by signing defensive end Haason Reddick.
Reddick, who had 11 sacks in his only season for the Carolina Panthers in 2021, is reportedly signing a three-year contract worth up to $49.5 million, with $30 million guaranteed.
The move won’t be official until Wednesday at 4 p.m., when the new league year begins, but Reddick posted on his social media account “I’M COMING HOME!!!”
Reddick, 27, spent his first four seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. The former 1st-round pick out of Temple blossomed in 2020 with 12.5 sacks, nearly double his total of 7.5 sacks in his first three seasons.
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Reddick parlayed that 2020 season into a one-year deal worth $6 million with the Panthers. And now he’ll cash in with the team near where he grew up in South Jersey, starring for Haddon Heights High School.
For the Eagles, Reddick’s signing guarantees that Derek Barnett, taken one pick after Reddick in the 2017 draft (Reddick went 13th overall, Barnett 14th) won’t be returning to the Eagles.
It also means that Reddick will form an imposing rotation with Josh Sweat, who tied for the team lead with 7.5 sacks, and Brandon Graham, who missed all but the first two games with a torn Achilles.
The Eagles could also draft a defensive end with one of their three first-round picks at No. 15, 16 or 19. That would give the draftee a chance to develop in a rotation with three proven veterans.
The Eagles would love that situation if either Michigan’s David Ojabo or Purdue’s George Karlaftis are available when the Eagles pick. Both players grew up overseas and only began playing football in high school.
Eagles GM Howie Roseman hinted at some kind of move at defensive end at the NFL scouting combine two weeks ago.
After all, the Eagles were second to last in sacks last season with just 29.
“The bottom line is we didn’t get enough pressure on the quarterback,” Roseman said at the combine. “We have to have pressure on the quarterback … It’s a priority to us. We’ll have opportunities this offseason to do it, and I would be very surprised if we didn’t do something there.”
Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @Mfranknfl.
