We heard last month that the Eagles were allowing Haason Reddick to seek a trade, and the team is reportedly taking calls on another top pass rusher. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Eagles are “having trade calls on” defensive end Josh Sweat. Dianna Russini of The Athletic adds that the Eagles have been shopping both Sweat and Reddick for “the last few weeks.”
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A former fourth-round pick, Sweat has emerged into one of the Eagles’ top edge rushers, compiling 31 sacks over the past four seasons. Following an 11-sack campaign in 2022, Sweat’s numbers took a bit of a step back in 2023, as the 26-year-old finished with 6.5 sacks. Pro Football Focus also seemed to recognize the drop in production; after ranking Sweat ninth among edge rushers in 2022, the site listed him 33rd for his 2023 performance.
Sweat is heading into the final season of a three-year, $40MM extension he signed with the Eagles back in 2021. While his $9MM cap number won’t break the bank in 2024, the team may be looking to prepare for his exit now. As Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer points out, it’s not an “either/or” when it comes to moving on from Sweat and Reddick, as the team would consider dealing both players in the right moves. Further, McLane notes that the organization hasn’t been happy with the duo’s recent production, especially in the second half of last season.
As NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah points out, moving on from Sweat (and, potentially, Reddick) would surely put the Eagles in the market for a pass rusher. Russini points to one potential free agent target: Bryce Huff. The former UDFA had a breakout season for the Jets in 2023, finishing with 10 sacks despite appearing in fewer than 50 percent of his team’s defensive snaps. Thanks to that performance, Pro Football Focus gave Huff a top-10 grade for his pass-rushing ability.
Clearing up the depth chart would also open a spot for Nolan Smith, the team’s first-round pick in 2023. Smith struggled to carve out a role as a rookie. While he got into all 17 games, he was limited to 18 tackles and one sack while playing the majority of his snaps on special teams. As James Palmer of NFL Network points out, Smith underwent “a maintenance procedure on his shoulder” this offseason that should prepare him for a larger workload in 2024. Further, Palmer notes that the Eagles “feel good about the trajectory” of the first-round pick’s development, an indication that Smith could be eyeing more responsibility in his sophomore season.