Scott Fitterer has had a busy first offseason as the Panthers’ GM. Some of his moves have been questionable – signing Cameron Erving and Pat Elflein and passing on Justin Fields come to mind as potential blunders. However, Fitterer has generally impressed when it comes to rebuilding this roster for the 2021 season.
A major piece of that puzzle was Fitterer’s smart strategy in free agency. Taking advantage of a buyer’s market, he signed a series of veterans to short-term, team-friendly contracts. The slickest among them might be the one-year deal that former Cardinals outside linebacker Haason Reddick signed. Pro Football Focus recently ranked the top 32 contracts in the NFL and Reddick’s made the cut.
“Although Reddick just converted back to a full-time edge rushing position at the tail end of the 2020 season, he’s a former top-15 draft pick who will still be just 26 years old come Week 1. We routinely see players like this get substantially more value on account of their draft status and athletic potential.”
During the 2019 season, Reddick struggled in coverage, giving up six touchdowns and a 126.0 passer rating. Arizona defensive coordinator Vance Joseph’s decision to move Reddick out to the edge paid dividends for the Cardinals right away, though. Reddick thrived as an outside pass rusher, posting 12.5 sacks and 16 quarterback hits while playing nearly 80% of his team’s defensive snaps.
FIVE sacks and three forced fumbles for Haason Reddick today. 💪 #RedSea #AZvsNYG pic.twitter.com/1KykXs1Nvs
— NFL (@NFL) December 13, 2020
Sacks can be elusive from week to week and season to season, but at just $6 million guaranteed Reddick would have to be a total bust for this deal to go bad for the Panthers.
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