The New York Jets made a few key additions this offseason, but they also lost a few important pieces. Potentially the biggest loss of the offseason is star cornerback D.J. Reed.
Reed betrayed the Jets in favor of a three-year, $48 million deal with the Detroit Lions. It's hard to blame Reed for leaving, though. It's unlikely the Jets were willing to offer a deal close to this number, and the Lions are the much better team. It makes perfect sense for this stage of his career to sign this deal with Detroit.
Bucky Brooks of FOX Sports recently projected Reed would have a huge year with his new team. This should be expected after the star cornerback was dominant in New York's defense.
"The Lions' aggressive man-to-man approach should mesh well with Reed's suffocating skills on the perimeter," Brooks wrote. "The veteran is an underrated lockdown defender with the instincts, awareness and abilities to blanket any receiver in coverage. As the Lions take on a collection of talented pass catchers within the division, Reed's arrival as the team's new CB1 should help the defense hold its own against their rivals."
Reed has been successful in every stop of his career, but he's really burst on the scene recently. Now that he's in an aggressive defensive scheme that'll let him play to his strengths, there's a chance the 28-year-old separates himself as one of the top man-to-man defensive backs in the game.
The Jets will likely target prospect defensive backs to replace Reed. Michigan cornerback Will Johnson has been a popular candidate to land with the Jets at pick No. 7 in the first round of the upcoming NFL Draft.
