“Haason Reddick only signed with the Philadelphia Eagles because he’s from here. He grew up in Camden, played college ball in Temple and wanted to come home.
Have you heard an iteration of that quasi-quote from a non-Philly fan — or even a Philly fan — as a way to poop the Eagles’ attractiveness as a free agency destination? If so, you are not alone. For the past few days, fans have been watching as a big-name free agent after the big-name free agent retired from the roster, and to make matters worse, more often than not a story follows close behind with a report Howie Roseman put in his own bid only to be outbid by a bigger spender with deeper pockets.
It happened with Christian Kirk, and again with Marcus Williams too, and probably also with Justin Reid, although an official report has yet to be filed.
Is this thought process relevant? Is the City of Brotherly Love a secondary market and the Philadelphia Eagles a “middle” team? Guess we’ll see soon enough that more free agents come out of the roster, but do you know what? Haason Reddick isn’t the only Jersey-born, Temple-educated free agent in the open market. No, COs in Washington just released another Matt Rhule-era Owls member, and needless to say, he could take on an already good defensive line over the top.
Matt Ioannidis could put the finishing touches on the D line of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Matthew Ioannidis can leave.
Whether he’s lined up as a 3-4 defensive end or a 4-3 defensive tackle, or even a 4-3 defensive end in big run-stopping sets if a coordinator feels sassy, the pride of Marlton, New Jersey has made a name for itself not by posting showy sack totals – despite having sacked 16 between 2018 and 2019 – but by being a consistent presence from the start. Although he was always a better passing thrower than running defender, according to Pro Football Focus, Ioannidis’ overall defensive rating has remained largely constant since his second professional season, peaking at 71.9 in 2019 and hitting a low. from 65.4 in 2021.
Sidebar: Just for context, only four of the Philadelphia Eagles defensive linemen – Javon Hargrave, Josh Sweat, Fletcher Cox and Tarron Jackson have finished 2021 with a defensive rating above 65.4.
On April 18, 2019, Ioannidis signed a three-year, $21 million extension with the now Washington Commanders based on his 2018 season, and the team was immediately vindicated for its faith in the collegiate owl with a season. career-best 8.5 sacks. , but since his actual contract kicked off at the start of the 2020 NFL season, his production hasn’t quite hit his ceiling. Ioannidis tore a bicep three weeks into the 2020 season which took him to the end of the season IR and his game never quite rebounded in 2021 where he didn’t started only six of the 16 games he appeared in and recorded 38 tackles, 11 QB and 2.5 hits. sacks over 608 defensive snaps.
With Carson Wentz entering and more than a few needs on their roster, Commanders made the trade decision to free up $6.8m vs. $1.5m in dead money to leave Ioannidis in favor of… well, they have Re-signing safety Bobby McCain to a two-year, $11 million deal is something, isn’t it?
Assuming a team doesn’t rush in and sign Ioannidis to a multi-year deal, the 2016 fifth-round pick will likely need to sign a one-year contract to help him recoup his value and attack the agent. free of 2023. market with better numbers on its stats line. Could that come as a member of the Green Bay Packers under former Washington defensive coordinator Joe Barry? Yes, but if the offers are all the same, why not pull a Joe Flacco and play ball near you? Unless the Eagles come out and take over Jordan Davis if he’s on the board in the first round – which they really should do if he’s still on the board as of 15/16/19 – and even if they do, Ioannidis could be an asset to Jonathan Gannon’s defense both as a rotating defensive tackle behind the starters, or even as a subset defensive end both against the run or in a near 3-front 4 at defensive end.
I don’t know about you, but seeing a Hargrave, Cox, and Ioannidis front inside with Sweat and Reddick lined up wide would intrigue me, especially with some corresponding upgrades on the backend.
If the Philadelphia Eagles can take a step forward and really solidify the Nick Sirianni era in the City of Brotherly Love, maybe the team will be more attractive to free agents in 2023. The team should have a lot more money, a little older. the contracts will come off the books and people will get a better idea of the Jalen Hurts floor one way or another. Could this be the time the Eagles sign a Pro Bowl-caliber wide receiver, a covering linebacker or the next elite cornerback to break free from another team? Only time will tell, but if the big names don’t want to come to Philadelphia, why not see if Matthew Ioannidis, who grew up 18 miles from the Linc, wants to team up with Haason Reddick on the Walt Whitman Bridge?
