As Haason Reddick trade talk heats up at the NFL combine, the Eagles continue to weigh his possible return

INDIANAPOLIS — Seven years after his NFL combine performance dropped jaws and drew raves, Haason Reddick was again the talk of the annual predraft event.

Howie Roseman answered questions for the first time since it was reported earlier this month that Reddick had permission to seek a trade. While the general manager didn’t offer an update on where negotiations stand with the Pro Bowl linebacker, he intimated that both sides know the score.

Reddick wants a contract that he believes reflects his value.

And the Eagles, considering their salary cap situation and the need to restructure the final year of his existing deal, are allowing him to test the market provided they receive ample compensation in return.

» READ MORE: Should the Eagles trade Haason Reddick? Sure, if possible.

While Roseman was asked what would be the best-case scenario, there might not be one for either side with conflicting interests at stake. But that doesn’t mean Reddick and the Eagles can’t satisfy some of their needs, whether he stays or goes.

“I think honest communication is the best-case scenario with all your players,” Roseman said Tuesday, “and understanding where you stand and not being afraid to have open doors of communication and hearing where they feel and where we feel.”

It’s the business side of football, and while it isn’t always pretty, Roseman’s understanding of player value has generally kept the Eagles from having contract disputes. The NFL market, ultimately, will decide Reddick’s worth, and if the number is within range, he could return to Philadelphia.

To no surprise, teams have already reached out to the Eagles about the 29-year-old edge rusher, NFL sources told The Inquirer.

Reddick plays a premium position with premium production. And while the league slept on his abilities to some extent when he was last a free agent, only three other players — the Steelers’ T.J. Watt, the Browns’ Myles Garrett, and the Bengals’ Trey Hendrickson — have as many sacks over the last four seasons.

Reddick is entering the final year of the three-year, $45 million contract he signed two off-seasons ago. He objectively outperformed his deal in the first year, notching 16 sacks, 26 quarterback hits, and an NFL-best five forced fumbles.

He added 3½ sacks in the postseason, including the knockout blow to 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy in the NFC championship.

Reddick never said he wanted a new deal last summer, but he had a “quasi” holdout at the start of training camp, sources said, when he missed two days with a groin injury. And when he returned and was asked about his average annual salary vs. other edge rushers — he currently ranks 16th, per overthecap.com — he said, “Y’all see it, y’all know what’s going on.”

He got off to a slow start last season, partially because he had to wear a cast following thumb surgery. But Reddick tallied 11 sacks and 16 hits during one 10-game stretch. He was shut out in the final four games and the first-round playoff loss at the Buccaneers.

» READ MORE: Matt Patricia made Haason Reddick disappear. Nick Sirianni and Howie Roseman let it happen. What a waste.

Reddick wasn’t the only defensive player to be affected when Sean Desai was demoted for Matt Patricia at coordinator. Defensive end Josh Sweat, his starting counterpart, didn’t record a sack in the final eight regular season games. He did have one in the postseason.

Neither was as productive in setting the edge against the run as they were in 2022. That could have been more of a scheme issue than a personnel one. But, as two team sources suggested during the season, Reddick and Sweat appeared to be “chasing sacks” at the expense of the defense.

Could the Eagles have avoided that possibility by reworking Reddick’s deal to be more in line with the annual average salaries of other top rushers? Perhaps. Roseman has tinkered with contracts before, but he doesn’t want to set a significant precedent.

Sweat is also entering the last year of his contract, but his $9.077 million cap number is about half of Reddick’s $21.877 figure. The 13.6 percent increase in the cap could give the Eagles room to renegotiate the latter’s contract, or it could open wallets for other teams seeking an upgrade on the edge.

“I don’t know how that will play out,” Sirianni said when asked about Reddick’s future. “Haason’s been awesome for us these last two years. Big reason why we’ve been to the playoffs the last two years is the contributions of Haason. He’s played really, really outstanding football.

“We’ll see how that plays out, and hopefully he’s an Eagle.”

Two weeks ago, Reddick said he wanted to stay in Philly and clarified that he technically “didn’t ask for a trade” from the Eagles. “However, I do understand it’s a business,” he added on X. “Preparing for whatever is next!”

» READ MORE: Eagles’ Haason Reddick wants a contract extension and ‘never asked for a trade’

The Eagles have previously given players that want more money the freedom to shop themselves. In the three most recent public cases, all three players — cornerback Darius Slay, defensive tackle Fletcher Cox, and defensive end Derek Barnett — returned.

Slay, for instance, had one offer from the Ravens. But Reddick’s market is likely to be more active. He turns 30 in September. And his size at 6-foot-1, 240 pounds has occasionally limited him as a run defender.

But Reddick and others of his ilk are paid to disrupt the quarterback and he has done that as well as almost anyone over the last four years and missed only one game over that span. Elite pass rushers just don’t fall off trees — a phrase Roseman often likes to use — and the Eagles don’t exactly have an obvious replacement.

Nolan Smith, who was drafted in the late first round a year ago, would ideally step into that vacancy eventually. But he can’t be expected to match Reddick’s production based upon a rookie season in which he notched just one sack and three hits in limited playing time.

“He’s got all the right tools in his body. He’s got the right mentality,” Roseman said of Smith. “And at the same time, he’s got to go out and show it.”

While a different scheme under new coordinator Vic Fangio could dilute Reddick’s effectiveness — or Smith’s for that matter — it’s hard to imagine a defense that couldn’t utilize their skill sets. But the NFL has been wrong before.

Reddick, despite the athleticism he displayed vs. other edge rushers at the combine all those years ago, was initially cast as off-ball linebacker with the Cardinals. It wasn’t until late in his tenure in Arizona that he was moved back to his natural position.

» READ MORE: How Haason Reddick’s persistent quest to become a top edge rusher spurred the Eagles’ Super Bowl run

The Cardinals and then the Panthers allowed him to walk after double-digit sack seasons, though. It’s proof that there are quality edge rushers to be found in free agency. This off-season’s top-ranked candidates — the Jaguars’ Josh Allen and the Panthers’ Brian Burns — could be franchise tagged.

The Vikings’ Danielle Hunter, the Texans’ Jonathan Greenard, and the Jets’ Bryce Huff may be more viable free agent options if the Eagles do trade Reddick. (Would two second-day draft picks be enough?)

But why part with someone you’ve had in the building for two excellent seasons? Roseman made the case himself, although he has to be flexible enough to move on if the cost is too high and the compensation is just right.

“Haason obviously [is] an unbelievable player for the Philadelphia Eagles,” he said. “Local kid, great success story — Camden, Temple, Philly. Love having Haason. You’re trying to blend obviously what you’re trying to do this year and how you’re going to look in the future.

“I think that’s the hardest job. … But [I] have tremendous respect for the player and the person.”

But it’s not always about respect.