In just two seasons, Haason Reddick was one of the best players on the Philadelphia Eagles‘ roster. Twenty-seven sacks and two Pro Bowl nominations have highlighted the former first-round pick’s impact on his hometown team.
Following his trade to the New York Jets, though, the hole Reddick is leaving on the Eagles’ roster has left many concerned over how strong Philadelphia’s defensive line could be in 2024. Edge rushers like recently signed Bryce Huff and first-round pick Nolan Smith will have major roles next season.
To one former Jet and Eagle, Huff’s potential is the biggest reason that made Reddick expendable.
Hugh Douglas Defends Bryce Huff Signing, Haason Reddick Trade
On Monday afternoon’s Midday show on 94.1 WIP — Philadelphia’s top sports talk station — radio personalities Hugh Douglas and Joe Giglio debated between the Eagles’ decision to trade Reddick and sign Huff.
To Douglas, a first-team All-Pro with the Eagles and former edge rusher for the Jets, Huff’s potential could be even greater than that of Reddick.
“In a small sampling size, I think Bryce Huff has the potential to be a better pass rusher,” Douglas explained. “Go look at his rushes compared to Reddick’s rushes. He’s more of a physical rusher. He has more of an ability to strike fear in the heart of a tackle.”
Former Eagles (and Jets) defensive end Hugh Douglas is OK with the trade and believes Bryce Huff can actually be a better rusher than Haason Reddick. pic.twitter.com/ieGcUSoWgU
— SPORTSRADIO 94WIP (@SportsRadioWIP) April 1, 2024
Huff and Reddick both posted 10-sack seasons in 2023, but for the former Jet, it was just his first time reaching that mark. Reddick, meanwhile, has recorded the fifth-most sacks of any edge rusher in the last five seasons.
While Reddick’s speed makes him a hard player to deal with, Douglas believes it’s Huff’s physicality that will set him up for future success with Philly. And there may not be anyone more qualified to offer his outlook on the team and their decision at edge rusher than Douglas.
In three seasons with New York after being selected 16th overall in 1995, Douglas won Rookie of the Year with Gang Green but only recorded one season with over 10 sacks. After signing a free agent deal with the Eagles, he reached the Pro Bowl three times and received a first-team All-Pro nod in 2000.
Once considered undersized for his position, Douglas sees a lot of himself in a player like Huff.
Huff’s Career Stats
There may not be a better story of a player in the NFL than Huff over the last few seasons. Picked as an undrafted free agent out of Memphis, Huff continuously improved his game to the point he became one of the best players at forcing pressures on quarterbacks.
The only issue is that he hasn’t seen the field nearly as much as players like Reddick.
In 2023, Huff had just half of Reddick’s overall snap numbers. His pressure rate was far greater but had a slower get-off time (0.77 seconds to 0.79 seconds) and a slower average time to pressure (2.49 seconds to 2.84 seconds), per Next Gen Stats.
The big question surrounding the Eagles’ new pass rusher is if he can continue to be a high-caliber EDGE with more snaps to his name.
Reddick played in over 70% of Philadelphia’s snaps the last two seasons. While Huff may not receive as massive a jump in snaps as that, a significant increase is in order. It’s why he signed a three-year, $51 million deal with Philadelphia in the first place.
To one former Eagles legend, it’s the kind of signing (and subsequent trade) that could help in the long term.
KEEP READING: Haason Reddick on Departure From Eagles — ‘Hard Decisions Gotta Be Made’
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