Old North Banter
Fansided

Panthers Suddenly Have Perfect Opportunity to Reunite With All-Pro Defender

Could the Panthers bring back star pass rusher Haason Reddick?

By Joe Summers

Feb 27, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Carolina Panthers President of Football Operations/General Manager Dan Morgan talks to the media at the 2024 NFL Combine at Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 27, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Carolina Panthers President of Football Operations/General Manager Dan Morgan talks to the media at the 2024 NFL Combine at Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports / Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
facebooktwitterreddit

The Carolina Panthers suddenly have an intriguing opportunity to reunite with a former All-Pro and star defender, as Jets OLB Haason Reddick officially requested a trade on Monday.

Reddick had 11 sacks in 2021 with Carolina. After trading away Brian Burns this offseason, the organization could benefit from a player like Reddick despite their confidence in Jadeveon Clowney and K'Lavon Chaisson.

It's a peculiar situation, given that Reddick was just traded to the Jets and hasn't even played a game yet. If the Panthers are willing to give Reddick an extension, he'd be a perfect Burns replacement for a rebuilding defense.

Panthers Have Opportunity to Reunite With All-Pro OLB Haason Reddick

Ignoring the hilarious implications of how badly the Jets botched this, Reddick is still one of the NFL's best edge rushers. He has double-digit sacks in four straight seasons, finishing fourth in the NFL Defensive Player of the Year race in 2022 with a remarkable 16 sacks for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Philadelphia didn't want to give him an extension, so he was traded to the Jets. For whatever reason, New York hasn't granted him that new contract. Now, they've got a mess on their hands.

Carolina has ample cap space and Reddick fills a position of need. It's not every day that you get an opportunity to acquire a player you're familiar with who happens to have 50.5 sacks over the last four years. This is a rare chance to transform the Panthers' defense into an elite unit, especially considering Carolina ranked sixth in opponent yards per play (4.9) in 2023.

Jets GM Joe Douglas released a statement insisting the team had no intentions to trade Reddick, but this is now a huge distraction for a team littered with them thanks to Aaron Rodgers. If Reddick refuses to play, Douglas might be forced to trade his new star.

The Panthers have been relentless in surrounding Bryce Young with an improved supporting cast. Reddick is the best player on the market right now and is at least worth a phone call.

More Carolina Panthers News:

feed

Home/Carolina Panthers