ESPN Gives Eagles an A for Haason Reddick Trade

The Philadelphia Eagles sent edge rusher Haason Reddick to the Jets in exchange for a conditional 2026 third-round pick, which could become a second-round pick if Reddick plays in 67.5 percent of the Jets defensive plays and has 10 or more sacks this year.

After the Eagles signed free agent Bryce Huff and restructured the contract of Josh Sweat, this move seemed inevitable to happen.

Reddick wanted a new deal that the team didn't seem interested in giving at this stage of his career. Reddick will be 30 when the season starts but has been one of the top pass rushers in the NFL with 50.5 sacks in the past four seasons.

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However, the Eagles didn't seem to want to play for past performance and were willing to bet on Huff over Reddick. Huff is just 25 years of age and the Eagles are banking that they will get more productive for a longer period of time in their investment.

What grade do the Eagles get for the trade?

On the surface, fans don't seem to like the deal.  If the compensation was a 2024 third-round pick, people may like it more, but because the pick is not even in 2025, but in 2026, it seems fans don't like the deal.

However, ESPN.com NFL writer Matt Miller liked the deal for Howie Roseman and the Eagles giving the move an A, while the Jets got a C.

Philadelphia essentially upgrades at defensive end while gaining at least a third-round pick. And that third-rounder could be very early in the 2026 draft if Aaron Rodgers, who will be 42 years old at the end of the 2025 season, has left the Jets or has seen his skills diminish.

One of the reasons Miller likes the deal? He seems to think Huff is the better player.  So essentially, in his eyes, the team is getting an upgrade at a cheaper price, plus a valuable pick down the road in return.

They replaced Reddick and his $14.5 million salary with a player almost five years younger, with one less sack in 2023, and on a contract that'll average a little more than $17 million annually. Most teams would prefer the younger player -- as free agency is an opportunity to pay for a player's future versus his past production -- and the Eagles get a younger player with greater upside at a premium position via this swap of players along with a conditional draft pick.

Another reason the writer likes the move is even if Reddick performs well this season, he still likes Huff, and the team would get a second-round pick instead of a third-rounder while having a younger player at a cheaper price.

The Jets' defensive line will be nasty, and Reddick's production speaks for itself, but Eagles general manager Howie Roseman is one of the best for a reason. The return he gets in this trade is validation of that reputation. Even if Reddick outplays Huff this season, the Eagles won this trade by virtue of the future draft capital and by adding a player nearly five years Reddick's junior.

Time will tell, but if Huff turns out to be the player the Eagles hope he is and Reddick has a solid year for the Jets, the Eagles will seemingly get another solid pick in 2026.