NFL Free Agency 2021: Predicting one move for all 32 teams
Pick Analysis. LB. Previous team: Cardinals. 87. Scouting Report. Haason Reddick. 15. player
In case it hasn’t been mentioned enough, in free agency, always look for connections.
In the case of Haason Reddick and the Panthers, the connection is an obvious one — Matt Rhule.
Rhule was the head coach at Temple from 2013-16, the same exact four years Reddick was with the program before he was a first-round pick by the Arizona Cardinals in 2017.
Reddick’s career in the NFL has gotten off to a somewhat slow start, but he exploded in 2020 with 12.5 sacks. Even though five of those sacks came in one game (Giants, seriously?), Reddick still spread out 9 QB hits and 7.5 sacks over 15 other games.
If there is anyone who could extract consistency from the talented former first-round pick, wouldn’t it be Reddick?
He’s a big-time athlete who would be joining a talented young defense that Rhule began assembling last offseason when he spent every single draft pick on that side of the ball.
With cornerstone pieces like Jeremy Chinn and Derrick Brown in place, someone like Reddick who knows the type of culture Rhule wants to build could be a great asset on a second contract.