Cheap edge rushers the Eagles could sign to potentially replace Haason Reddick
Ahead of 2017's regular season, it seemed our Philadelphia Eagles were strapped for cash. We knew they needed to put weapons around Carson Wentz. It felt like there was about $1,000 to spend. We would have been happy had Philly landed Torrey Smith OR Alshon Jeffery. Somehow, Howie Roseman found a way to land both of them.
Fast forward to the present. Howie is STILL working out those mini-miracles every now and again, but this time around, the Birds entered a new league year with more cap space than normal. It has certainly makes a world of difference, hasn't it?
Bryce Huff, Saquon Barkley, and Devin White are among the new signees. We all keep one eye on Haason Reddick's dilemma.
Philly bought themselves some time by moving the date of his roster bonus payout from March 15th to April 1st. The presumption is they have done so to allow themselves more time to shop him in an attempt to execute a trade.
Will he stay? Will he leave? Those are the questions we're asking ourselves. Truthfully, both options are realistic possibilities.
Might Philly look to free agency for a replacement? The pickings are slimmer than they were a week ago, but there may be some decent options.
Here are free agent options at EDGE that could save the Eagles a few pennies.
The Birds have made a few splash signings that have gotten everyone excited. They have also found some balance by mixing a few less costly additions. In keeping with that theory, here are a few other possibilities if they want to go bargain shopping to add to an already nice group of edge rushers.
If added, they'd provide some punch to a group that we hope includes Haason Reddick. However, we also have to consider that if they did indeed join the nest, they might be doing so to replace him.
Attention: None of these guys are Haason Reddick by any means, but they are all certainly worth mentioning.
Emmanuel Ogbah
Emmanuel Ogbah signed a four-year, $65 million deal after posting back-to-back nine-sack seasons for the Miami Dolphins in 2020 and 2021. Let's just say the Fins didn't get what they were expecting.
Injuries played a part, but in truth, Ogbah is also past his prime. Miami, while juggling injuries, had more confidence in guys with lighter resumes, but there's a silver lining here. This former Super Bowl champion (LIV) could do work as part of a rotation.
Yannick Ngakoue
It may seem like Yannick Ngakoue has been in the NFL for 15 seasons. He's still young though. He'll only be 29 years old when the new season begins. He's had an up and down career as evidenced by his four-sack stat line in 13 games last season after racking up 19.5 from 2021 to 2022.
Seriously though. He isn't 30 yet? Wasn't he being connected with the Eagles a long time ago? Oh well... Like Ogbah, he'd be a nice rotational piece.
Randy Gregory
Randy Gregory certainly won't satisfy any desire the Eagles have to get younger. He turns 32 years old during the season, November 23rd to be exact, but he's also a nice rotational option.
He has never eclipsed six total sacks in a season, but he has done that twice during his seven NFL seasons, most recently in 2021. We know many of you hate adding former Cowboys, but with so many weapons for opposing offenses to worry about, Gregory could produce some unexpected but valuable disruption.
Like some of the other guys on this list, he doesn't need to start. Philly could do a lot worse than having him as their fifth pass rusher though.
Calais Campbell
We keep waiting on Calais Campbell to show signs of his age, and it still hasn't happened. 6.5 more sacks were added to his career total in 2023. He now sits at 105.5.
Again, Philly could do a lot worse than adding Campbell as a fifth pass rusher, but his value is certainly greater. He's one of the NFL's good guys, He commands the respect of younger players. That's something the Birds could benefit from.
Charles Harris
Charles Harris has certainly fallen off since racking up 7.5 sacks in 2021. He's only been able to muster 2.5 over the past two seasons. Injuries derailed the 2022 campaign. He couldn't get back on track last season, but no one questions his work ethic or professionalism.
He was named one of the Detroit Lions' six captains in 2023. Why are we so interested after saying all of this? It's simple.
We wouldn't break the bank for this guy, but we'd give him a modest prove-it deal. Hey, that's better than signing Carl Lawson, Tyus Bowser, Tanner Muse, or someone like that. Harris is clearly a better option than they are..
Dawuane Smoot
It's easy to overlook guys like Dawuane Smoot when you stuff them on the Jacksonville Jaguars roster. Had he played for a bigger brand, he'd probably be given more credit, but we can't overrate him either.
Smoot's reputation is well-known and well-earned. He isn't a Pro Bowl-level player, but he isn't a slouch either. He isn't a starter. He's only done so 17 times during his 99-game career, but as part of a team of pass rushers that include Josh Sweat, Bryce Huff, Brandon Graham, Nolan Smith, and possibly Haason Reddick (if he stays longer than expected), Smoot is talented enough to add quality snaps.
Bud Dupree
Bud Dupree made himself a lot of money thanks to his play in 2019 and 2020. He racked up 19.5 sacks over that span. The Tennessee Titans signed him to a five-year, $82.5 million contract on March 19th of 2021, and frankly, we've had questions about him since then.
Some say those 19.5 sacks were the byproduct of having T.J. Watt on the other side of the formation to attract much of the attention away from what Dupree was doing. Dupree has stacked 13.5 sacks during the three seasons that followed his split with the Steelers. You be the judge. We think he's a decent pass rusher.
His 6.5 sacks with the Atlanta Falcons last season are the most he has tallied in a single campaign since leaving the Black and Gold. He has the size and strength to still be a disrupter. The questions now are about what he has left in the tank.