First off, I’d like to send a hearty shout-out to First Take Forever. Not often do you have an article category named Really Lazy Reporting and get to see no one write in it for over a year. So – really strong stuff from FTT (and no, not that FTT. Free the fraudster).
There’s a really strange write-up of the Haason Reddick deal for ESPN. From the usually solid Matt Miller:
Even if Reddick outplays Huff this season, the Eagles won this trade by virtue of the future draft capital and by adding a player nearly five years Reddick’s junior.
This is a good addition for New York, but the draft pick compensation is steep and the Jets will have to extend Reddick after his contract expires following the 2024 season, at which time he’ll likely command a salary higher than Huff’s $17 million-per-year average. Why didn’t the Jets keep Huff instead of replacing him with an older player who cost a premium draft pick to acquire?
OK: if you don’t know, Reddick got traded for a conditional third-rounder that, in my opinion, is more likely than not to stay a third-rounder given the depth of NYJ pass-rush rotation. And, if it does convert to a second-rounder, then More Life. Reddick will have had a good season.
And so: the Eagles did not win the trade by virtue of adding a player nearly five years Reddick’s junior. That would be impossible. Such a player was not included in this trade. Bryce Huff left NYJ to go to PHI in free agency. That’s, like, a pretty important distinction. It’s like asking why Cleveland traded LeBron James to Miami.
The second piece is, I reject out-of-hand the assertion that the Jets will have to extend Reddick. In fact, there’s a fair chance that there’s no chance the Jets retain him. Losing him after this year would likely net the Jets a third-round pick via compensatory selections. Or, if you forgot, the price they paid to acquire him.
Now, the comp selection will be lower in the third round by default. And this trade could rocket up to a second-rounder. I don’t care if you fault the Jets or don’t like their side here! But the reason you don’t like it can’t be:
- You traded away a younger player at his position (didn’t happen)
- Losing a “premium” draft pick, without acknowledging the very real likelihood of gaining a pick in the same round next year.
Good trade by both teams.
First Take Forever 