Examining The Eagles' Bryce Huff Problem

Philadelphia's big-money free-agent splash on defense has provided virtually nothing during a 2-2 start.

Sep 29, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; =Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Bryce Huff (0) looks on after a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

PHILADELPHIA - It’s simplistic to say that Eagles’ GM Howie Roseman wanted to replace Haason Reddick with Bryce Huff but the low-hanging fruit of that being the actual end game of the players swapping destinations makes it easy to to take that leap.

However, had Reddick wanted to play out the final year of the three-year $45 million deal he signed before the 2022 season he’d still be with the Eagles.

The Temple product understandably believes he had greatly outperformed that deal during his first two seasons and wanted some kind of financial tweak with multiple NFL sources saying Reddick, 30, wanted in the $25 million average-annual-value range.

The contextual “trade” of Reddick for Huff, 26, for the Eagles was the idea of trying to get younger and cheaper with a longer shelf life once the decision was made that the organization would not meet the financial demands of the more proven commodity.  

A month into the 2024 season both players are actually the same from a production standpoint. 

The problem with that is that Reddick is holding out with the New York Jets while refusing to back off the demands that paved his way out of Philadelphia. Huff, meanwhile, has played all four games with the Eagles and participated 113 defensive snaps with no sacks, three hurries, and one tackle.

Of the 111 edge players who’ve played enough to be ranked by Pro Football Focus, Huff is No. 88, hardly what the Eagles expected when they signed him from the Jets for $51 million over three years.

Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio / Ed Kracz/Eagles on SI

Meanwhile, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio seems to have already pulled the plug on the idea of Huff ascending with the ceiling of being a three-down player.

Both Josh Sweat (156 snaps), who took a pay cut to return, and the 36-year-old Brandon Graham (127) are playing more than Huff, and the second-year, slightly less-disappointing Nolan Smith (106) is on the big-money, free-agent acquisition’s heels.

Over the past two games, Fangio has also upped defensive tackle Milton Williams’ reps outside to get a better foundation in run support.     

At some point, Roseman is going to have to knock on Fangio’s door with the difficult ask of forgetting the meritocracy to try to salvage a big-budget personnel decision.

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