Big decisions this offseason on Sweat and Reddick

[erformc]

Both contracts expire after 2024. 

Sweat's deal has been restructured so many times that he will count $21M against the 2025 cap if he doesn't resign. Reddick's would count $15M (at minimum) against the 2025 cap if he doesn't resign. That would be a total of $36M in dead money for 2 guys, and there's no way the FO is going into 2024 with that possibility hanging over their heads. There are no "bullets" left in the gun to reduce those figures other than (1) an extension or (2) cutting them after June 1st. Also keep in mind they are the only 2 edge rushers under contract in 2024 (sorry, Patrick Johnson doesn't count)

So here's the question - which one gets extended and which one gets cut? Or do you sign both to extensions?   Given how  much both have fallen off a cliff at the end of this year, along with some other variables, it's not such an easy question as it may have been beforehand. There's also the question of how much each is going to want.

Reddick's current deal was a steal and he's going to look to cash in. But he's on the wrong side of 30 and has worn down as the year progressed. However, he's still one of the best in the league and he's going to want a deal at least equal to the deal that Montez Sweat got - $41M g'teed at signing and $62M fully g'teed (these are the only 2 metrics that matter when judging NFL contracts), if not more. While Reddick's numbers are better, Sweat is 4 years younger.  Do you do that deal? Reddick is not worth the $ that the TJ Watt's get ($80M fully g'teed) which is the next level up after Montez Sweat.

What's Sweat's value? Has to be - at minimum - higher than Arik Armistead ($26M g'tee signing/$40M fully g'tee). Can he make a case for something just below Montez Sweat, let's say somewhere around $34M g'teed at signing and $53M fully g'teed?

Conversely, cutting Sweat after June 1st is very manageable cap-wise (dead money hits in $4.3M in 2024 and $4.7M in 2025) .

Either way, Howie is going to be very busy this offseason, with these decisions and working out the extensions for Dickerson and Devonta.

[weko]

The time has come to pay down our cap debt using cheap drafted players.  To do that necessitates being able to correctly assess college talent.  We're not going to be in contention again any time soon so cap aside I would rather trade our older expensive players for draft picks.  Keep the Oline intact.  Draft a RG and add mid to late round depth at OG & OT and pick up a bigger RB or 2 in free agency or late round.  Maybe a late round WR.  Acquire more picks trading a player or two and trading down and draft 7-8 defenders.   We need a total rebuild of the D and it is time to stop kicking the can down the road with the cap

[Godfather]

Sweat can pack his bags with QB1

[Miami]

Reddick has been very good and should stay.  But Sweat can go.  We badly need another Reddick at RDE to maximize pressure on the QB.  This is a must.  Will help Carter inside too with the double teams.  Maybe Nolan can be the new RDE but so far have not seen him make any impact.  Not sure why.

[Devaster]

I'd let Sweat walk. Sweat peaked last season around a much deeper and stronger group of Dlinemen (Carter still needs to develop). This season was more like his norm. He isn't cut out to be an every down pass rusher.

[[TSM]_PimpDaddyPain]

3 hours ago, Devaster said:

I'd let Sweat walk. Sweat peaked last season around a much deeper and stronger group of Dlinemen (Carter still needs to develop). This season was more like his norm. He isn't cut out to be an every down pass rusher.

Why does a 4th round pick have to be an every down pass rusher? 

[Devaster]

1 hour ago, [TSM]_PimpDaddyPain said:

Why does a 4th round pick have to be an every down pass rusher? 

He doesn't, but he is going to get paid like one.

[UK_EaglesFan89]

They've got a difficult decision to make but with Howie you know that he will work the cap and get things done. I think they do need to choose between the 2 and a lot might come down to how Smith develops this offseason? If he can develop and become the player we all hoped then that may mean Reddick gets the nod as you'd have a younger guy on the roster. But if he doesn't then it becomes really tricky because effectively you have Reddick aging, Sweat who's been a non factor for like 10 weeks and Smith who hasn't developed in to an NFL player (at that point further down the road).

[Eagles1960]

Smith has shown nothing this season other than he is a good special teams player.  Very disappointing as he was being counted on as a rotational piece.  He has no pass rush moves at all.  You are in trouble when you are undersized with no pass rush moves and just rely on speed to beat the OT.

[Cochis_Calhoun]

The D Line needs all the depth it can get, the biggest problem we have right now is that we have no rotation any more.

As it is even if we kept Sweat and Reddick, we'd still need d linemen in the draft, as well as inside linebackers who can both play at NFL level and stay healthy, probably 2 corners and a safety.

The team needs to decide if we keep trying to kick the cap hits down the road or actually make a start on transitioning to managing the Cap by refreshing the roster through better scouting and the draft.

The start of this would be actually drafting college talent in the defensive back 7 rather than college talent that 'would've been a first rounder but for injury concerns'

[rrfierce]

I wonder if they should develop nolan smith  into a proper LB?

[Cochis_Calhoun]

56 minutes ago, rrfierce said:

I wonder if they should develop nolan smith  into a proper LB?

If they don't trust him to play his natural position at an NFL level, how long will it take to convert him to an inside linebacker?

[Cochis_Calhoun]

The fact of the matter is, Reddick and Sweat have played 75% of our snaps at DE, you can't let both of them walk, because all we have behind them is Nolan Smith who managed about 12% and Brandon Graham who's 36 in a couple of months. Howie couldn't draft 2 starting DE's in the same draft if he met a wizard who gave him the ability to spot future all pro's by sight, he'd just think he was smarter than the wizard.

It's not a great year for drafting edge rushers, Latu looks like the only can't miss edge rusher in the draft, but we could end up picking at 20 plus, which won't be in range of him and historically is Howie's drafting blind spot.

[[TSM]_PimpDaddyPain]

10 hours ago, Devaster said:

He doesn't, but he is going to get paid like one.

He shouldn't, although I'd like him to be brought back for the right price.  We're already looking at possibly losing Cox and Graham to retirement, Barnett was a bust, Smith is looking like a bust. 

[brkmsn]

Smith was drafted to be the same style of player Reddick is. So the longer term plans for Reddick probably depend on Smith's growth. As of right now, there's no way you get rid of either player.

I feel like one of the things that contributes to our defensive inconsistency is the hybrid philosophy. Some players are better fits for a 4-3 and others for a 3-4. By utilizing different looks and different fronts we are sometimes putting players in situations where they aren't an ideal fit. 

If for some reason we brought in a new DC that wanted to stay in one base defense, that might dictate what players we should keep. 

[Mike030270]

Howie will continue to kick the can and people will call him a genius for it

[Mike030270]

18 hours ago, Miami said:

Reddick has been very good and should stay.  But Sweat can go.  We badly need another Reddick at RDE to maximize pressure on the QB.  This is a must.  Will help Carter inside too with the double teams.  Maybe Nolan can be the new RDE but so far have not seen him make any impact.  Not sure why.

He's been injured a few times plus he needs to get bigger

[time2rock]

19 hours ago, weko said:

The time has come to pay down our cap debt using cheap drafted players.  

So now we're relying on Howie's draft prowess?? 

 

[birdman#12]

It depends on how the 2024 draft and the free agency period goes.  Plus how they perform next year.

I can't see them paying top dollar for Reddick at this point in his career.  Sweat needs to have a big playoff and big year next year to have the eagles consider an extension.

Howie has to pile up some draft picks and make them count.....the defense needs loads of help.

[rrfierce]

if reddick goes who exactly is getting our sacks?

[Lman]

On 1/11/2024 at 4:29 PM, weko said:

The time has come to pay down our cap debt using cheap drafted players.  To do that necessitates being able to correctly assess college talent.  We're not going to be in contention again any time soon so cap aside I would rather trade our older expensive players for draft picks.  Keep the Oline intact.  Draft a RG and add mid to late round depth at OG & OT and pick up a bigger RB or 2 in free agency or late round.  Maybe a late round WR.  Acquire more picks trading a player or two and trading down and draft 7-8 defenders.   We need a total rebuild of the D and it is time to stop kicking the can down the road with the cap

Yea howie treats the cap like how the government treats the national debt.

[PoconoDon]

6 hours ago, rrfierce said:

if reddick goes who exactly is getting our sacks?

Maybe nobody and maybe a handful of other guys depending on who the new DC is.

[Swimm]

Nolan was drafted to replace Reddick. Even if he is trash and shouldn't have been drafted. Thats the sword  Howie needs to fall on. 

[eagle45]

Let them both play out their contracts unless QB1 wants to redo his deal to give them more money.

[eagle45]

I mean…this IS why they tanked in 2020.  The QB had too big of a deal and couldn’t play up to it, their other stars got their deals…they had to rely exclusively on the draft to resupply the team and Howie couldn’t hack it.

Now we’ve got a QB on a deal that he won’t play up to, the stars on their deals…need to get this roster back on track with draft only.  A ton of young, promising, but right now very rotational and non-game changing DTs aren’t a perfect start.