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Tag: T.J. Watt

  • A Potential Haason Reddick Trade? – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    A Potential Haason Reddick Trade? – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    While the Super Bowl was the perfect way to kick off the week, Eagles fans received some frightening news on Sunday.

     

    A panic was set in before the big game had even started. Would the Eagles really end up trading their star Defensive End?

    Thankfully on Wednesday, some more information came out on this catastrophic situation.

     

    Reddick himself confirmed that HE was not the one to ask for the trade request. Which asks the question, where did the trade request come from?

    Nothing New From Howie Roseman

    There was more than enough reason to panic. Nothing like hearing your Defensive Player of the Year Finalist could be on a new team soon. But after the news was confirmed that Reddick wasn’t seeking the trade himself. Things began to make more sense, as this isn’t the first time the Eagles have gone about contract negotiations with a potential trade.

    Just days before free agency of the 2023 season started. The Eagles and Darius Slay were in a similar situation. While the Eagles eventually cut Slay at the start of free agency. Only 1 day later, and Slay was back with Philly on a brand new 3 Year, $42 million deal.

    Hopefully if this situation unfolds the same way. Reddick will find himself with a new contract, and a lengthy stay in Philadelphia.

     

    On The Other Side Of The Coin

    But what if the Eagles DID trade Haason Reddick? Currently, Reddick is the 21st highest paid edge rusher(per spotrac). Since joining the Eagles in 2022, let’s see how Reddick compares to some of the highest paid edge rushers.

    1. ($34M) Nick Bosa, 33 Games Played, 30 Sacks
    2. ($28M) T.J. Watt, 27 Games Played, 24.5 Sacks
    3. ($27M) Joey Bosa, 14 Games Played, 9 Sacks
    4. ($25M) Myles Garrett, 32 Games Played, 33 Sacks
    5. ($24.5M) Montez Sweat, 34 Games Played, 20.5 Sacks
    6. ($24M) Rashan Gary, 26 Games Played, 15 Sacks
    7. ($23.5M) Maxx Crosby, 34 Games Played, 27 Sacks
    8. ($23.5M) Khalil Mack, 34 Games Played, 25 Sacks

    With 27.5 Sacks of his own, it’s clear enough that the contract Howie Roseman was able to get Reddick on was a highlight of the 2022 Off-season. Expecting to see an extension somewhere above the $25 Million average, the Eagles could be in an even longer off-season next year with Reddick, Sweat, Smith and Dickerson all due for large contracts.

     

    The Last Huge Edge To Get Traded

    It’s been almost 6 years since the Raiders traded Khalil Mack to the Bears. In his debut season with Chicago he put up 12.5 Sacks in only 14 games! The price to pay for a 27-year old Khalil Mack? Not only was it a 6-year, $141M contract. The Bears also received a 2020 2nd round pick (TE Cole Kmet) and a 2020 7th (OL Arlington Hambright) in the trade. However, Chicago sent 4 draft picks to the then Oakland Raiders which ended up becoming:

    • 2019 1st (RB Josh Jacobs)
    • 2019 6th (CB Blessuan Austin) – This pick was traded to the Jets, which resulted in a 2019 5th (WR Hunter Renfrow)
    • 2020 1st (CB Damon Arnette)
    • 2020 3rd (WR Bryan Edwards)

    At the time of this trade, Mack was 27. However 4 years later, the Bears would get the following when they traded a 30-year old Mack to the Chargers:

    • 2022 2nd (S Jaquan Brisker)
    • 2023 6th (DL Scott Matlock) – This pick was traded back to the Chargers, which resulted in 2 2022 7th’s (S Elijah Hicks & P Trenton Gill)

     

    With 1 season left on Reddick’s contract, the Eagles could end up with a 1st round pick and more. While losing the star edge rusher would leave 862 defensive snaps to fill, the Eagles could stock up on more draft picks and attempt to make a splash on upcoming free agents like Danielle Hunter, Chase Young or Marcus Davenport.

     

    For the record, I’d love to keep Reddick as long as we can. However with him and Josh Sweat due in 2025, sometimes tough choices have to be made.

     

    What would you do with this situation if you were in Howie Roseman’s shoes?

     

    Go Birds!

     

     

     

     

    Photo Credit: AP Photo / Chris Szagola

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  • Pittsburgh Steelers injury report: Why isn’t T.J. Watt playing?

    Pittsburgh Steelers injury report: Why isn’t T.J. Watt playing?

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    While the modern NFL is all about quarterback play, some still believe that defense wins championships. And if that’s the case, the Pittsburgh Steelers are in a good spot with T.J. Watt on the roster. The 29-year-old linebacker is a fixture in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation and looms large as one of the league’s best at taking down the quarterback.

    That skill set would come in handy against the Buffalo Bills during Super Wild Card Weekend, right? Well, there’s a catch. Watt won’t be on the field for the must-win matchup.

    What’s going on with the linebacker? And, assuming the Steelers can stay alive, when can he return to the lineup?

    Let’s break things down.

    T.J. Watt, #90 of the Pittsburgh Steelers, celebrates after a sack in the third quarter of a game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on January 6, 2024, in Baltimore, Maryland. The linebacker will miss the Steelers’ first postseason contest with an injury.
    Robert Carr/Getty Images

    What Happened to T.J. Watt?

    When you think of an NFL injury, it’s easy to imagine a crunching tackle or a big-time, open-field hit. In Watt’s case, though, things were much more innocuous.

    During Week 18’s date with the Ravens, the linebacker collided with teammate Montravius Adams in the third quarter. He hit the turf in apparent pain and was helped to the sidelines.

    Watt didn’t return to the game, but he did manage to make an impact (seven tackles, two sacks and two quarterback hits) before his early exit.

    Ultimately, the Steelers won and earned a place in the postseason. But that might not buy their star linebacker enough time.

    What’s Watt’s Diagnosis?

    In the world of professional sports, injury reports aren’t always helpful. Between indistinct descriptions and ambiguous statuses (being a limited participant in practice doesn’t really clarify things), fans are usually left trying to read the tea leaves.

    This time, though, we heard from someone pretty close to the player in question.

    On Sunday, January 7, Watt’s brother J.J. shared that T.J. had landed on the best-case scenario and only suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain; everything else on the MRI was apparently clean.

    A few days later, the Steelers’ head coach confirmed that the linebacker would be out of action when the playoffs begin.

    “Playing without T.J. is significant,” Mike Tomlin explained on Tuesday. “But to be quite honest with you, we’ve played without a lot of people this year; it’s just another opportunity for us to strike a blow for the team.

    “It’s going to be a committee approach. We better strengthen our output in other areas because T.J. is one of a kind.”

    When Can T.J. Watt Return?

    Given that T.J. Watt has already been ruled out for Wild Card Weekend, the focus now shifts to his potential return. And while you never know how someone’s body is going to respond, there is a loose timeline out there.

    In his tweet, J.J. Watt wrote that his brother was looking at a “couple weeks of rest/recovery.”

    And speaking on Wednesday, Ian Rapoport shared a similar take, albeit with a bit more detail.

    “It is a Grade 2 MCL sprain. It’s actually better than they initially thought. They thought Grade 3 based on the first examination, MRI revealed Grade 2,” the insider explained. “That’s still a several-week injury. My understanding is that the best-case scenario, absolute best-case scenario for T.J. Watt is two weeks, and then put a brace on it. So, he is not going to be on the field at least this week, likely next week, and then we will see if the Steelers and Mason Rudolph, their starting quarterback, advance.”

    A Tough Loss for the Steelers

    It goes without saying that losing a DPOY candidate is never ideal. The timing of Watt’s injury, however, makes things even tougher.

    The Steelers’ first-round playoff matchup takes them to Buffalo, where they’ll face off against Josh Allen and company. And while the quarterback is capable of having some ugly moments, he’s also capable of working magic on his day.

    Ideally, you’d want to pressure Allen; he’s at his worst when he tries to play hero ball and force things down the field. In fact, the Bills’ previous season came to a premature end last campaign when the Bengals sent extra rushers after him.

    Watt, with his 96.5 sacks and 198 quarterback hits across seven professional seasons, would be a natural fit to bring that heat. Without him in the lineup, the Steelers’ next leading sack artist is Alex Highsmith, who had seven this season compared to Watt’s 19. After him, no Pittsburgh player has more than four.

    Beyond that, the obvious stakes of the situation make the linebacker’s absence that much more prescient. There’s no room for error while trying to wait this injury out; if the Steelers lose, the campaign is over.

    But sometimes opportunity is all someone needs to step up. Maybe Pittsburgh has another hero lurking somewhere else in the defense.

    At this point, we’ll just have to wait and see what happens.