The NY Jets and Philadelphia Eagles look much worse on the defensive side of the ball than they have in past years, with their toothless pass rushes standing out. This comes just a few months after the Eagles sent Haason Reddick to the Jets via a trade and signed Bryce Huff to a three-year, $51 million deal.
Calling the results "underwhelming' for both teams would be the understatement of the year. Reddick hasn't even shown up for any of the required Jets activities as Week 3 approaches, while Huff has been perhaps the team's most disappointing player through the first two games.
Huff has managed just one tackle, no sacks, and two pressures against the Packers and Falcons, which is a far cry from his 10-sack season with the Jets. Meanwhile, New York is to deal with a defensive line that parted with two of their four best players (Huff, John Franklin-Myers) in the offseason and now lost Jermaine Johnson with an Achilles tear.
Mike Greenberg perfectly summed up the situation on ESPN Tuesday morning, saying the Reddick and Huff moves have essentially ruined two defenses. The Jets and Eagles went from menacing pass rushes to downright subpar ones instantly despite making some huge moves in the offseason.
Reddick will miss three games after the Jets' duel against the New England Patriots, which has cost him more than $8 million in fines and lost salary. Despite the Johnson injury and overall suspect play of the defensive line, Joe Douglas doesn't seem willing to bend.
Huff was very productive with the Jets, but he only had one season of truly elite production. Six of his ten sacks last year came against backup tackles, and there are concerns about his ability to be an every-down player due to some questionable run defense.
As soon as Huff arrived in Philadelphia, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio seemingly began to poke holes in his game. Perhaps he wasn't sold on Huff's fit in their defense. For whatever reason, Robert Saleh seems to have gotten the most out of Huff.
Both Eagles and Jets fans alike seem to be calling for a do-over. Reddick could head back to a team he has been productive with in the past, while the Jets will get someone who, you know, shows up to play! This de facto swap may end up being one of the great lose-lose transactions in NFL history unless Reddick is signed and plays elite football.
