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ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the Carolina Panthers had agreed a deal with former Arizona Cardinals linebacker Haason Reddick. The deal is a one-year, $8 million contract. Reddick is coming off a career year in sacks for the Cardinals' defense.
The Panthers were in dire need of a linebacker. They could have used the eighth overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft on a linebacker, but the team will likely use it to draft a quarterback.
Let's take a look at how the Carolina Panthers' defense improves by adding Haason Reddick.
NFL Free Agency: How does adding Haason Reddick improve the Carolina Panthers defense in 2021?
The Carolina Panthers ranked 24th in the 2020 NFL season in sacks. The team registered only 29 total sacks in 2020, which is why signing a pass rusher was one of their top priorities this off-season.
The Carolina Panthers only had two players who registered more than five sacks last season. Brian Burns recorded nine sacks and Efe Obada contributed 5.5 sacks for the Panthers defense. By adding Haason Reddick, the Panthers' defense is getting a pass-rushing threat on the edge. Haason Reddick posted 12.5 sacks during the 2020 NFL season. More importantly, Reddick hurried the quarterback a total of 16 times in 2020.
Haason Reddick only gave up one receiving touchdown when he dropped back into coverage. He also added five quarterback knockdowns to his tremendous season in 2020. His best game of the 2020 NFL season was against the New York Giants. During the Panthers' 26-7 victory, Haason Reddick registered five sacks.
Haason Reddick's signing knocks off one of the primary positional needs for the Panthers. Although adding Reddick doesn't fix all the issues that need to be addressed this off-season, it's a good start. The Carolina Panthers have also added former Los Angeles Rams defensive lineman Morgan Fox to their roster. The team will likely continue to look for solutions for their issues on defense by adding players from the free agency pile.
