How will you remember the Haason Reddick era for the New York Jets?
The Jets finalized a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles for Reddick on April 1. Reddick wanted a better contract, held out and on Monday he requested a trade. Hopefully you didn’t buy that authentic Reddick Jets jersey.
If the Jets deal Reddick, just about every team should look into him. There are two players with double-digit sacks each of the past four seasons: Myles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns and Reddick. Every team in the NFL would love to add an extra pass rusher right before the season starts.
While just about every team (including the Jets, who insist they won’t trade Reddick) could use Reddick, where are the best landing spots for the veteran pass rusher?
The Falcons haven’t had a top-end pass rusher in years, and instead of taking a shot on one in the first round of the NFL Draft they selected quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The Falcons have a lot of momentum from the offseason but still need help in their pass rush.
Reddick would give the pass rush instant credibility. For a team that is the favorite to win the NFC South, it would be a huge addition right before the season starts.
The Bears acquired one pass rusher last season when they traded for Montez Sweat from the Washington Commanders. When Sweat arrived, the Bears’ defense had an instant improvement. The only problem this offseason was the Bears didn’t acquire a bookend pass rusher to help Sweat avoid double teams.
The Bears would be much more dangerous along the defensive line with Reddick. They have the salary-cap space for him. The question would be trading future draft capital for a 29-year-old player when the Bears are still building, but it would be a fun fit.
Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon knows Reddick from his time as the Eagles’ defensive coordinator, and the Cardinals need help on defense. They are talent-poor on that side of the ball, although some young players on their line flashed in the preseason opener. It’s another team that might not be overly wise to trade draft picks while they’re rebuilding, but Reddick would immediately become the Cardinals’ best defensive lineman. Plus he’s familiar with the franchise, having been a first-round pick of Arizona and playing there from 2017-2020.
A lot of the Dolphins’ defensive success rides on the health of Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb after season-ending injuries. Acquiring Reddick would help ease that pressure. Losing Shaq Barrett to a sudden retirement at the start of camp didn’t help. The Dolphins aren’t scared to trade for established players. That’s how they ended up with Tyreek Hill and Jalen Ramsey. The Dolphins barely missed out on an AFC East championship last season and might have the win-now itch.
Philadelphia Eagles
OK, it’s not going to happen. But admit it: It would be incredible if the Eagles paid pennies on the dollar to re-acquire Reddick in a trade.
Why not? The Chiefs are the epitome of a win-now team; winning a third straight Super Bowl would make some one-of-a-kind history. The Chiefs’ defense is very good and is pretty strong up front, but who wouldn’t want to add a player coming off an 11-sack season? The Chiefs might not be able to swing it due to Reddick’s contract desires but it’s a fun scenario to think about.
