When ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter formally announced to the football world that not only was Davante Adams looking to be traded by the Raiders but that Las Vegas was willing to “consider” a deal if another team offered up a package headlined by a second-round pick, it turned heads around the NFL, especially among fans of the New York Jets.
Finally, after months of rumors, hopes, and dreams, Adams might just be on the move, and the Jets have the assets to reunite him with his former quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, his former coach, Nathaniel Hackett, and players like Allen Lazard, who all used to proudly call themselves “cheeseheads” in Wisconsin before trading in their green and yellow for green and white.
But what would the Jets have to give up to make a deal work? Well, while they might not want to send out a two, they could easily surrender a three and package it with a certain disgruntled edge rusher who has been a disastrous addition to the team since traveling up I-95 earlier this year. If the Raiders want to get better now and into the future, the Jets have an offer that may simply prove too good to pass up.
Haason Reddick is the perfect piece to acquire Davante Adams
Heading into the 2024 NFL season, Joe Douglas and the Jets wanted to go all-in on what might just be the final year of Rodgers’ career by pursuing premier talents like Haason Reddick, the former Philadelphia Eagles edge rusher who has recorded double-digit sacks in every season since he was back in Arizona.
On paper, acquiring Reddick made all the sense in the world, as he’s from just a few miles down 1-95, was incredibly productive, and could theoretically produce big numbers for the Jets coming on the edge, but through the first four games of the season, he’s been a total non-factor, without a single stat to his name.
… now granted, his statistical goose egg is actually a result of the most public holdout in the NFL today, with the Temple product letting it be known through his representatives and the rumor mill alike that he was borderline tricked by the Jets into believing he would receive an extension after being traded away from Philadelphia when no such deal was on the table.
So what gives? Why didn’t the Jets just extend Reddick? Is it because they simply didn’t believe that he was going to remain an elite player for the foreseeable future? Or did they instead view Reddick as a rental player, with their secret intention being to let Reddick leave when Rodgers does, even if it meant using the franchise tag next year to keep the band together?
Either way, unless Reddick has a serious change of heart, earns some massive endorsement from an altruistic Jets fan to make him, say, the face of Taylor Ham, or a couple of wise guys make him an offer he can’t refuse, it’s hard to see a world where the edge rusher returns to the field any time soon.
Would the Raiders want to take on the challenge of Reddick moving forward? Maybe yes, maybe no, but all things considered, they really don’t have to. Why? Because there is very little downside to the Raiders taking on Reddick’s salary, even if he holds out for the rest of the season.
Haason Reddick is an extra asset for the Raiders on and off the field
If the Raiders were to acquire Reddick from the Jets alongside, say, a third-round pick, there are two options that could help out Las Vegas moving forward: play or leave.
Play is pretty easy: if Reddick decides to take things in a fresh direction, suits up in a black and silver jersey, and go to war with the pirate on his helmet to prove he is still one of the premier pass rushers in the NFL, the Raiders would benefit from his on-field efforts while have arguably the best one-two punch off the edge in the league in Reddick and Maxx Crosby. If the Raiders like what they see from Reddick, they would still have the option to give him a long-term deal moving forward if they wanted to as well, as they are one of the few teams in the NFL who don’t have a big-money quarterback under center and would have even more if Adams came off their books.
If, however, Reddick decides he doesn’t want to play ball and even further damages his value heading into the offseason, the Raiders could effectively just sit on his deal and let him walk when the year is over, allowing whatever team picks him up to deal with his demands while netting a compensatory pick in the process.
Will Reddick earn the kind of contract he wanted from the Eagles and now the Jets, in the range of $21-25 million a year? It’s hard to say – would any GM want to take on that headache if he holds out from the Raiders, too? – but if he does sign somewhere else, he could net Las Vegas even more compensatory assets, which could ultimately make one third-rounder turn into two if he gets a big-money deal elsewhere.
Swapping out Davante Adams for Reddick would be the Jets’ dream
When the Jets acquired Reddick from the Eagles, they thought it would be a big-time addition to the roster.
Easily a top-5 player on an Eagles team loaded up with talent, Reddick was a true difference-maker in Philadelphia during his tenure and theoretically could shine even further playing next to Quinton Williams, who is like his former teammate, Fletcher Cox, only still in his prime.
Ultimately, that didn’t happen, but swapping out one blue chip player for another who not only wants to play but has a built-in connection with their star player, Rodgers, might just have the most significant impact of any possible move in the NFL, as there’s very little learning curve in the move.
Sure, Adams has technically never played for Robert Saleh, but he did have Hackett as his coach with the Packers and had his best seasons playing with Rodgers back in Green Bay; if Rodgers makes a point to get Adams involved on offense, it will only lead to better outcomes for the Jets than seemingly any other mid-season acquisition.
Make the trade, Joe Douglas
So, should the Jets trade for Adams and use Reddick’s contract to lower the cost ever so slightly? Yes, if the Jets accept that Reddick will never play for them and they want to use his contract to offset Adams’ number, this is about as easy a swap as one could imagine.
Why? Because Rodgers and Adams have a built-in connection, Reddick is still an exciting player, and the former MVP won’t even be on the roster when their third-round pick is ready to contribute in a year or two. Make the move, Douglas, even if it costs you Reddick plus a two.
