Entering his third season in the pros, Haason Reddick is settling into another position with the Arizona Cardinals. After playing mostly as an edge rusher and off-ball linebacker in his first two years, Reddick is moving to inside linebacker in new defensive coordinator Vance Joseph's 3-4 system.
Joseph is Reddick's third defensive play-caller in as many years in the NFL, but one with whose scheme he's already comfortable.
"I just feel good," Reddick told reporters, per the team's website. "I feel good about myself. I feel good about the things that I know. I'm always confident in my abilities, and the experience now is catching up to my ability.
"With that being said, it's time for me to go out there and be who I'm meant to be. Go out there and do what I'm supposed to do, what they brought me here to do."
Reddick racked up just 6.5 combined sacks in his first two years under James Bettcher (2017) and Al Holcomb (2018). Joseph has a different vision for the former No. 13 overall pick out of Temple that should accentuate his strengths.
"Haason has been very impressive as far as knowing what to do," Joseph told the team's official website. "He's obviously a physical freak as far as movement and running and hitting and those things. ... I'm excited to watch him play. His better years are ahead of him and you can see it happening right now."
Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury added: "I think he's going to benefit by being off the ball and not always rushing like he did in college. That's been good to see. I think having a guy like (fellow ILB) Jordan Hicks, a veteran next to him, is really going to go a long way for him."
Reddick has had a history of playing a hybrid role all over the defensive formation. As Bob McManaman of the Arizona Republic noted this week, Reddick played safety, linebacker, edge rusher, inside backer and defensive end over the course of his journey from high school to the professional ranks. In short, the only constant in Reddick's gridiron life has been change.
Now, in the middle of Arizona's defense, Reddick enters the most important season of his career comfortable in his place on the field.
"I really like inside linebacker because I'm back and I can see more," Reddick said. "Back in college, being a defensive end, for the most part you're always seeing the same thing. But being back more, it's just fun. I like the fact that when I see certain things, now I can be like, 'OK, I know what's about to happen' or, 'Oh yeah, I see this is about to happen' or, 'Why is he standing like that?'
"It's like a game now. It's like you're playing chess and I like that."
