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For a recent former first-round draft pick in the NFL, the Cardinals’ Haason Reddick kept one of the lowest profiles in the league this offseason. He wasn’t exactly as notoriously reclusive as Howard Hughes, but he did as many Zoom interviews with the media as punter Andy Lee, which was zero.
It was by design, really.
Every story and interview the past couple years, after all, has focused mostly on the negatives of his brief, but turbulent career with the Cardinals. It’s always seemed to center around how talented he is, but how it’s never really materialized for him on the field, where’s been moved around in Arizona’s defense more times than a walnut in a New York City sidewalk shell game.
So Reddick, the 13th overall pick in the 2017 draft out of Temple, basically went underground. He stayed out of the fray, kept his head down, and waited to learn – and earn – his fate.
“I was tired of all the talking, tired of all the questions, everyone wanting to know what was gong to happen to me and what was going on and what my role was going to be,” Reddick said earlier this week during his first video conference call with reporters this year.
“I just wanted to focus on doing well and being a team guy as always – doing whatever the team needed me to do. That was always the goal, to take this year and make an impact any way that I could.”
Reddick did exactly just that during the Cardinals’ season-opening 24-20 win this past Sunday against the 49ers, playing a surprising 30 defensive snaps (nearly 50% of the game), and chipping in with a handful of tackles and various defensive stops in his new role as an edge rusher at outside linebacker.
Considering he not only put pressure on 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, but also dropped back in coverage on occasion to cover tight ends, slot receivers and running backs, Reddick basically did everything he’s been doing the previous three seasons. Only this time, he appears to have finally found a comfortable role as the primary backup to outside linebacker Devon Kennard.
“We felt really good coming out of camp that he had found a good niche and a good home there and that position,” Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury said “And he definitely showed up. He had been competitive and made plays all camp at a high level and that’s what we saw (Sunday). We expected him to play well and he did.
“I’m just excited for him. The transition to inside backer wasn’t for him and he had to bounce around there for a couple years and I know he was really frustrated about it, but to see him playing loose and free and finding a good role, it’s exciting to see.”
Reddick played only four fewer snaps than Kennard, who was signed to a three-year, $20 million free-agent contract in March, and he wasn’t even a sure thing to crack the 53-man roster. Plenty of prominent NFL insiders projected him to be a potential training-camp casualty and even get released because of his overall lack of production and inability to previously lock on to a firm positional spot.
Reddick never heard any such talk because he purposely kept his head in the sand, focusing only on himself and not the outside noise.
“I never paid attention to it,” he said. “If that was a thing, like I said, my goal was to come in ready and come in prepared. At the end of the day, in this business things happen, and you do have to be prepared for whatever lies ahead. If that was the case, then it would have been what’s next.
“But evidently that’s not the case. I’m here for this season and my goal and my job is to be the best I can be with the role that I have and continue to make an impact and continue to play great football.”
Reddick wasn’t without fault on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium, blowing at least one assignment that led to a big gain. But just like Kingsbury referred to second-year receiver KeeSean Johnson as one of the most improved players of training camp, defensive coordinator Vance Joseph called Reddick one of the most improved defensive players in camp.
“I’m so happy for him that he played well on Sunday and hopefully, he has a great year because he deserves it,” Joseph said. “He’s been through so much as far as changing positions and obviously, being critiqued in a negative manner and he’s never complained, he’s never asked out. He wanted more and to watch him work and to play well and to play with so much confidence and to make plays, I’m excited for him. He’s earned it and hopefully he can play well the whole year for us.”
At 6-1, 235 pounds, Reddick doesn’t have the ideal size and weight as that of a traditional pass rusher in a 3-4 base defense. But with a crowded group at inside linebacker and a natural skill set as a quarterback chaser, the Cardinals decided Reddick still has plenty to offer on the edge and as a versatile player who can drop back into coverage if needed.
“Being able to play inside and outside definitely has its strengths and weaknesses,” said Cardinals starting inside linebacker De’Vondre Campbell. “It’s great to be able to show that versatility, but it’s tough, man. … A lot of people don’t understand how difficult that can be on somebody, being able to move back and forth.
“But I think Haas has been doing a great job of it. It’s early in the season, so we have a lot of room to improve and I think we will.”
Like this year’s first-round draft pick, Isaiah Simmons, Reddick will move up and back in certain situations, making it that much more difficult for opposing offensive coordinators to know exactly where they will line up on any given play.
For Reddick, it’s been a blessing.
“I’m very comfortable,” he said of his new role. “I finally got to move back to the outside and it just seems more natural for me, being it was close to what I did in college, so I’m enjoying it. I’m loving it. I’m loving the role. I’m just happy to be here and happy to be doing something closer to what I’m used to doing.
“We’ll just see how it goes. I have a role and whenever my number is called, at the end of the day, my job is to go take the field and find greatness within my role.”
Have an opinion on the Arizona Cardinals? Reach McManaman at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @azbobbymac. Listen to him live on Fox Sports 910-AM every Tuesday afternoon at 3:30 on Calling All Sports with Roc and Manuch and every Wednesday night from 7-9 on The Freaks with Kenny and Crash.
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