The New York Jets' trade for edge rusher Haason Reddick has been an unmitigated disaster to this point, but that doesn't mean the team can't still turn it around in a big way.
Reddick is coming off of consecutive Pro Bowl campaigns at a premium position in the NFL and will play most of this season -- if he ever ends his holdout -- at the age of 30. In other words, there should be a significant market for Reddick ahead of the NFL's November 5 trade deadline, and the Jets may be able to get an even better player if they stay patient and play their cards just right.
Seth Walder of ESPN put together a blockbuster three-team trade proposal on Friday, September 13, in which the Jets move Reddick and a second-round draft pick in exchange for Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams. The pitch also involves the Kansas City Chiefs, who ultimately end up with Reddick under Walder's hypothetical.
He laid out the details as follows:
- Jets receive: Adams
- Chiefs receive: Reddick, 2025 sixth-round pick via Raiders
- Raiders receive: Defensive end George Karlaftis, wide receiver Allen Lazard, 2025 fifth-round pick via Chiefs, 2025 second-round pick via Jets
Walder explained the hypothetical thinking from both the Jets' and Raiders' side of the proposed agreement.
Instead of cutting their losses on a problematic situation with Reddick, the Jets should use him to push even more chips into the middle with a rare three-team trade. The Jets still need a pass rusher, but they also need more receiving help. Adams would convert New York's offense from being threatening to dangerous, and the draft pick compensation is lightly mitigated by getting out of Lazard's $10 million fully guaranteed salary.
This is probably the most the Raiders would get for Adams, too, who has been subject of trade speculation for nearly a year. It was reported that the Jets tired to pursue the veteran wide receiver at last season's deadline and wanted to continue that pursuit into the offseason. The Raiders would get the upside of a former first-round pick in Karlaftis, who comes in at a value cap price and under team control through potentially 2026 (if they pick up the fifth-year option). ... Plus, the Raiders would also add strong draft pick compensation.
The Chiefs' incentive is simple enough to gauge independently. The two-time defending Super Bowl champions already have a great defensive line, and pairing Reddick alongside all-world defensive tackle Chris Jones makes the unit even better.
Meanwhile, the Jets would reunite QB Aaron Rodgers with the best teammate of his career in Adams. And as for Adams' part, he would get out of receiver purgatory in the desert and potentially get back to the Pro Bowl form he displayed for six straight years between 2017-22, the first five of which came while partnered with Rodgers as teammates with the Green Bay Packers.
Adams, 31, was still excellent last year despite repeated turmoil at the quarterback position in Las Vegas. He finished the season with 103 receptions for 1,144 yards and 8 TDs.
