Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports that there are “serious concerns” about former first-round LB Haason Reddick‘s ability to master the Cardinals’ new defense, which has resulted in him seeing a smaller role.
Not only has his playing time been reduced, but Reddick has already been a healthy scratch this season and he played just five snaps last week.
Sources tell La Canfora that Reddick has lost the starting job to veteran LB Gerald Hodges and no reversal seems imminent at this time.
Another player who has seen a reduced role is 2014 first-round S/LB Deone Bucannon. La Canfora says that Bucannon’s smaller body type is not as good a fit in the new system and he was limited to playing one snap in Week 4.
NFL executives around the NFL have begun internal discussions about the possibility that both Reddick and Bucannon could be available for trade in the coming weeks, according to La Canfora.
With the Cardinals off to a poor start, La Canfora wouldn’t be surprised if they fielded trade offers for players leading up to the trade deadline.
Reddick, 24, is a former first-round pick of the Cardinals back in 2017. He’s currently in the second year of his four-year, $13.47 million contract that includes $13.47 million guaranteed and set to make base salaries of $752,644 and $1.69 million over the next two years of the agreement.
Reddick’s contract includes a fifth-year option for the team to pick up in 2020.
In 2018, Reddick has appeared in four games for the Cardinals and recorded seven tackles and a sack.
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