The New York Jets lost a pretty big piece of the defense this offseason already.
New York's secondary has been led by Sauce Gardner and DJ Reed over the last three years but the Jets won't have Reed in 2025. He ended up signing a three-year, $48 million deal to join the Detroit Lions.
It wasn't shocking that Reed left the team this offseason as it didn't seem like New York was going to be able to afford him, but Reed ended up getting less than some others projected him to. Because of this, Sports Illustrated's Gilberto Manzano listed the deal among the best values of the offseason.
"D.J. Reed, CB, Detroit Lions (three years, $48 million)," Manzano said. "It was a bit surprising that Reed didn’t see similar contract details as Carlton Davis III and Charvarius Ward, who both signed for three years and $60 million. Perhaps teams were concerned about Reed benefiting from playing with Sauce Gardner in New York the past three years. But even if Reed is better suited as a No. 2 cornerback, he could end up being a better player than Ward and Davis because of the supporting cast in Detroit.
"The versatile Brian Branch makes life easier for his teammates in the secondary. And cornerbacks Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw Jr. could find their footing after rocky rookie seasons. Also, Davis struggled in the Lions’ man-heavy defensive scheme last season. It was a win for the Lions to swap Reed for Davis, with the former making $4 million less when it comes to the average annual salary."
The Jets replaced Reed with Brandon Stephens and the deal hasn't gotten the same type of praise.
