Are Eagles Employing Well-Known Negotiating Tactic in Haason Reddick Trade Talks?
Here’s the situation again: The Philadelphia Eagles are aiming to trade a prominent player as he enters his contract year. This time, it’s their primary pass rusher, Haason Reddick, who reportedly received authorization to explore trade options, though he later clarified he never asked for it. A similar scenario unfolded last year with Eagles’ cornerback Darius Slay, also entering his contract year, who was initially allowed to seek a trade before being slated for release.
Slay initially announced his impending release before news emerged of his agreement to a two-year contract extension with the Eagles. Interestingly, Slay, via his Big Play Slay podcast, expressed that he never sought a move despite speculation about him being on the trade block, echoing Reddick’s recent statements about understanding the “business” aspect.
The question arises: Is this purely business? Reddick seems content in Philadelphia and isn’t actively seeking a transfer despite negotiations not progressing as expected. Could Eagles’ GM Howie Roseman be leveraging this by threatening a trade before potential re-signing negotiations?
Having amassed 27 sacks over two seasons, Reddick has proven himself as a premier pass rusher, likely commanding a significant salary from interested teams. However, the Eagles appear hesitant to meet his current market value, if at all.
Yet, trading their top edge rusher without a clear replacement while absorbing a $20 million dead cap hit seems illogical. This suggests that Roseman might be employing a strategy akin to the one used to retain Slay last offseason.
