42 Comments

hey all! Howz everbuddy doin? I ain't been posting, but I read TJW everytime it comes out, and the comments, too! Especially the ones that just make me crack up - like Bobber's below:

"... or I can’t believe I’m going to say this Ashtyn Davis), the Reddick acquisition should enable the Jets to have nothing but an offensive draft this year. If Saleh even utters a defensive players name in the war room during the draft, he should be locked up in a closet..."

I don't know what's funnier to me, the "i can't believe... ASHTYN!!!" or the image of seeing Saleh being shoved into a closet and away from the draft telephones. Either way, Bobber - tx for the laughs.

keep up the great work D - TJW is da Best!

Ray (am going by my real name - CGVet58 still works, too)

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Welcome back, you were sorely missed.

For your welcome back gift, you will find in your Easter Basket, a membership to the New York Jets Torch and Pitchfork Brigade. Your constant contributions to the Jet Way, makes you a charter member. Post your complaints in good health.

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and also bobber, another thing - i know it's been commented on, but JD has done a heckuva job so far in FA - i think Tyron Smith was the biggest move, absolutely.

CGV

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tx, Bobber - honors humbly and happily accepted! But you are right, man, if Saleh sez anything defense, it's torches and ladders to the wall, it's time to hit the mattresses!

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Hey Bobber, if it really gets down to torches and pitchforks at some point, I know a guy..............

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U have any connection to Salem Massachusetts? Ha ha

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Nahhhhh, I go to the real source in Wallachia, Romania, lolololololol

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Hey Ray, whattaya say !!!!! Glad to see you back, we missed your hard-hitting, trenchant and witty offerings in this, the best NY Jets fan group out there. And it's all thanks to our fearless leader, David Wyatt-Hupton !!!!!

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we were wonderong where you were - welcome back

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Welcome back! You truly have been missed! Sorry, I meant to email you and see if all was OK with you, but it has been a crazy year so far. The harder I work to catch up, the further behind I get. I shouldn't even be spending any time reading and posting on the Jets, but can't help it.

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David, Thank you 🙏 for the Saturday Special, we know your pressed for time, just outstanding. Thanks

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I second that emotion.

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I third it!

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Joe Douglas is in his contact year, and has come up with creative solutions to address the Offensive Line, and now Edge, expect Woody to extend Joe. Jets didn’t want to lose Huff, but the player opted for the money and his best opportunity. Thought Free Agency was done, but Trader Joe obtains Haason Reddick, who had 11 sacks year last and 16 in 2022, Bryce’s career total of 17.5 over four years. Reddick gets to the passer with a variety of Pass Rush moves, a professional that can teach Johnson & McDonald to be better rushers. The depth of the Defensive Line rotation, just got better. . Your second string Edge’s will be JFM & McDonald, with Clemons fighting for reps. The Jets defense just got better, they still have some work to do at Safety, but this defense could be better than last years. Great trade.

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As u mention JD performance in FA this year, which along with his trades, from my viewpoint has been exceptional. It appears that he is on a two year cycle and hibernates in the middle. His 2022 drat was exceptional with 21 and 23 being meh or worse. I look forward to him validating that he works on a two year cycle! He certainly seems to consistently find value in his trades as opposed to drafting , 2022 excepted.

Here’s to an exceptional 2024 draft. With the exception of safety, which we can probably find in FA, offense, offense and offense.

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It wouldn't bother me if JD used one of the 4th round picks on a S, but imo that should be the only defensive player taken in the top 4. If he uses one of the 7th round picks or the 6th round pick on a D player, I won't care as much, as those players will probably wind up on the PS or as bottom of the roster STs players anyway. Definitely 3 of the first 4 picks should be offense, and I'd rather every pick be used on offense if there are good prospects at each of the picks.

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Absolutely. The first 4 rounds should be offense

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The draft is less than a month away, the rumors, the smoke, the disinformation and the overall drama is increasing daily. Drafting in the tenth spot is just fascinating this year. I’m not sure if anything will be done in FA before the draft, but I certainly would like a RB & Safety, but the markets may change post draft, and JD could get better value. It’s tough to get a great draft without a second round pick, but if JD drafts Offense , Offense, Offense, he will be okay. In his first five picks ( First, Third , 2 Fourths and a Sixth) , draft Two Offensive Lineman. A WR, a RB, and a Safety, with two dart throws in the seventh

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JDs drafts have been pretty inconsistent aside from 2022. I have a theory that he does his best work every other year. So far, so good, nahhh, excellent! Let us pray that he will rise to the occasion and lead the Jets to the promised land! On this Easter Day may all our Jet playoff aspirations be granted. From my post to God’s eyes.

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That actually depends. Riddick is a LB, but he could alternate between LB and Edge. The Jets could deploy JJ and JFM as the starting Edges and have Riddick in at LB with Mosely and Q2.

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Strictly for a 2024 season perspective, JD hit a grand slam with the Reddick deal.

To keep this a grand slam for the 2025 and beyond seasons, the Jets have to get Reddick’s signature on an extension.

By getting Reddick’s John Hancock on an extension, it would lower the value of the third round pick as far as the Jets are concerned.

MY BAD, NEVER CONSIDERED COMPENSATORY PICK

From JD’s view point, if this season turns into another 7-10 bust, he could care less about losing the pick because he definitely will not be working at Johnson’s Castle in Florham Park for the 2026 draft.

Unless the Jets defensive line suffers a multitude of injuries, it would seem almost impossible for Reddick to be on the field for 67.5% of the plays to change that 3 into a 2. Saleh’s maniacal substitutional line rotations would prohibit elevating that pick. He believes in keeping his defensive line rested.

Some Jet scribes on X( formerly Twitter), feel that the Jets made this move because they blew it with the McDonald pick. That he could be a bust. I disagree.

McDonald appeared in 15 games, though his playing time really didn’t increase until toward the end of the season. He had 1 FF, 1FR, 3sacks, 14 total tackles of which 9 were solo, 4 tackles for a loss and 5 quarterback hits. With a adding a few pounds but really gaining more strength, he should be fine.

I think if you scheme him more plays with Q, JFM, JJ and Reddick he could shine the same way JJ did his second season.

While we don’t know who the Jets are still targeting in free agency ( hopefully a safety, Justin Simmons or I can’t believe I’m going to say this Ashtyn Davis), the Reddick acquisition should enable the Jets to have nothing but an offensive draft this year. If Saleh even utters a defensive players name in the war room during the draft, he should be locked up in a closet.

If the Jets first two picks in this year’s draft are not a receiver and an offensive lineman, then the NY Jets Torch and Pitchfork Brigade will definitely be out in full force draft weekend.

Members of the Brigade, our fearless leader, David Wyatt-Hupton, JetOrange, Mike Z, Steve B, Ron Alexander, Craig Collins, Daniel Mcsparin, Douglas Hunt, Michael R, Phil Barkin, Scott and all of the rest of our very knowledgeable contributors.

If your name was omitted, I humbly apologize for missing it.

The following was taken from a Jet Blogger on X

On the Haason Reddick deal …

—I’m stunned that it’s a 2026 pick. Sure, Round 3 stings in the present time, but a 2026 pick? That’s akin to a fourth or fifth this year (2024), via how valuable that time to wait actually is.

—The #Jets absolutely needed another body, and a versatile body. If I’m not mistaken, Reddick has even played some second-level stuff in his career. No doubt he’s an EDGE, but having that versatility is worthwhile, and it can do wonders for this defense in many regards.

—I’m completely fine with Reddick over Huff, especially for the versatility and every-down certainty.

Here’s a quick glance at the front four …

BASE

DE: JFM, Clemons

DT: Kinlaw, Solomon

DT: Q, Leki

DE: JJ, Reddick

SUB

EDGE: Reddick, McD

IDL: JFM, Clemons

IDL: Q, Kinlaw, Soloman

EDGE: JJ, McD

From Cimini

* Reddick, 30, for one year, $14.5M OR Huff, 26, for two years, $34M (fully gtd amount of his contract)? Reddick is a better all-around player...now.

* Reddick is a full-time player (74% P/T), not a situational rusher. How does this impact JFM? Cap charge is $16.4M. Team now has leverage for potential pay cut.

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Eh, Pretty sure JJ plays in the base and the 3rd down packages. When comes out it’s just for a breather. I think Riddick plays the Huff role. He may get a gig her percentage that Huff but I agree 67% is unlikely. As for Clemons, I see him as strictly a back up. As far as I know Riddick has never lined up as a DE. He’s been a OLB. So as David mentioned it will be interesting to see to how he is deployed.

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Reddicks ability in coverage, could allow the Jets to get more multiple on Defense

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He was, as far as I can tell, a defensive end with the Iggles. They certainly lined him standing up sometimes, but I think that his role is analogous to Bryce Huff's. He, honestly, isn't a one-for-one replacement for a guy like Franklin-Myers, so I don't actually think that the comparison works on that front. Maybe we see less of Franklin-Myers on 3rd downs. I'm not sure how much he was in for those pass rush scenarios last season. I think you'll, probably, see a little bit less Franklin-Myers, a bit more McDonald (in a bit of a similar role to Huff), and a healthy dose of Reddick (maybe 50 something percent of snaps). He's tiny, too. He's the size of the actual off-ball linebackers.

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Brilliant post. “ maniacal subsitutional line rotations “ laughing my ass off. Thanks 😊. Did you leave Williams off your Defensive Line ? Consider Q’s impact for all Edges.

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I did mention him in the part about McDonald. It would look strange at times third and long and Q is on the sidelines. That’s Saleh keeping a tight reign on the “ pitch count” or as noted his “ maniacal subsitutional line rotations “

I don’t know if it’s accessible but is the number of plays or percentage of plays that each Jet defensive linemen was used last season. It would help in analyzing if McDonald improved over the year plus give us an idea if any Jet defensive linemen was close to 67.5%

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Though it is a 2026 and we devalue from a 2024 perspective, when 2026 comes we will value it more as we won’t have a 3rd. Notwithstanding, I’d do this trade again in a heartbeat.

I believe as do others that JFM may be subject to a contra adjustment particularly if MacD shows a 2nd year boost like JJ.

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as im late to the party i have nithibng to to the great comments below - great trade - absolutley need to take offensive player first pick

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As far as this year is concerned, as Bobber said, JD knocked one out of the park and it's a big boost for the defense. Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Reddick originally start out in Carolina ??? In any event, this means that DE isn't a real factor in this draft, though the Jets have come up with some real good finds in the UDFA area, so there's always hope they can sign the next Huff that way.

As far as McDonald is concerned, he will be a situational rusher similar to what Huff was when he started developing into the wrecker he is. I hope he puts on some weight without losing his speed, that's a crucial area for him to be a 3-down starter, as he has to be able to set the edge and handle the run.

Reddick is an immediate boost to the pass-rush that the team seriously needed. If it's a one-season rental, so be it, but if they can sign him to a decent extension that would be a good move. The fact that he is excellent against the run is an added plus.

Let's see if JD can possibly sign a decent safety in FA to shore up the back end. I wouldn't be unhappy if they re-signed Ashtyn Davis, he seems to have turned a corner in his development, and having Chuck Clark back should improve the quality quite nicely as long as his injury doesn't cause any diminishment of his ability.

Next stop, the draft............

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I just thought about this after reading your point about McDonald adding weight. This is pure speculation, but I wonder if bringing in Reddick foreshadows an introduction of a newer pass-rusher role that fits a tweener-sized player (like Reddick, who is about 6'1" 230 lbs). McDonald is closer to 240 lbs, but they're similar dudes when it comes to size. It makes me wonder if they'd like to create a more multiple defense by introducing another specialized role that utilizes guys like Reddick/McDonald.

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You know what, I didn't even know that Reddick was that small. It didn't even occur to me to check that out. I went by watching him when he played and thought he was bigger. But what you are saying makes sense. I was just thinking, is Micah Parsons also in the same weight class ? He sure as hell creates a LOT of disturbances. I'm not saying that McDonald is in his class, but you might be on to something. But how does that affect the rotation of the D-linemen if you have two rushers with similar body types that seem to be more suited for a 3-4 defense rather than a traditional 4-3 defense. And I'm now recalling in the blurb about the Reddick trade that Philly used to drop him into coverage on occasion.

Now that I'm thinking about it a little more, the chances of Reddick being a one-year-and-done deal calls your premise into question because of the "all-in" nature of the 2024 season. But it's something to think about. The Jets pass rush has been a classic 4-3 style with Huff being the situational 3rd and 4th quarter game-wrecker. Will they be using Clemons more as a DE, which would need him to drop the 20 or so pounds he added last season when they were envisioning him doing more on the inside ? I can't see them making a serious scheme change based on Reddick if he's only going to be here as a rental. But who knows, as the Jets have some a LOT of different things., both good and bad. I guess we'll see.

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I definitely think that Reddick coming in provides a development opportunity for a guy like McDonald. I'm not thinking that they'd necessarily change to more 50 (3 man) fronts, but I do think that you could see more fronts that include a stand-up edge player. It's, also, quite possible that they could try out some schemes that use Franklin-Myers as a defensive end, but in a much tighter technique (think a 4 tech or 4i) with Quinnen Williams operating as more of a penetrating nose. Thy can get creative.

Regarding Parsons....he's got about 10 lbs. on McDonald and 20 lbs. on Reddick. That dude is truly a unicorn of an athlete. At the end of the day, the addition allows Ulbrich to get more creative with his fronts. I do think that you'll see Clemons revert to the Franklin-Myers backup. He didn't earn reps on the inside last season.

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I always thought that having Clemons put on the 20 or so pounds to put him inside at DT was a mistake. At 290+, he wasn't strong enough to deal with massive interior linemen but lost the bit of quickness he had at 270. I really thought he would be more effective than he was. Putting him back at DE at 270-275 is probably his best bet for staying on the roster at least for the time being. Maybe he can expand his game a bit. You never know who might pop up in the later rounds of the draft or UDFA's who could possibly replace him. But who knows what will happen next.

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Very curious about Reddick’s contract, will there be an extension ? Or will they pay him upfront, and tack on a couple of void years ?

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I doubt there will be an extension for Riddick. The reason the Eagles traded him was that his cap hit was so high and he wanted a new, bigger contract. 31-32 is often when players in the NFL who rely on speed start seeing a drop off in their speed and production. It would be very risky for JD to sign him to a big extension and then see his level of play potentially fall off a cliff.

With MC II, Reed, the '22 draft picks and others coming up for extensions, with Rodgers' huge cap hit next season, I will truly be surprised if Reddick signs an extension. If not, the Jets will get a 4th or a 3rd round compensatory picks. They could actually get compensatory picks in the 4th or 3rd round next year for Huff and in 2026 for Reddick. As a poster on another Jets board where I read and post stated, "This wasn't a position for position swap with Huff and Reddick. This was a production swap."

If Moses stays healthy and plays really well this season, he could get an extension for a year, even though he's older, but he's also cheaper, and he's not as reliant upon speed as Riddick is.

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That truly is the essential question. Do you extend him or add voids to his current contract for more cap space. I see little downside to extending him. Granted Macdonald is cheaper but it remains to be seen whether he will, like JJ make that second year leap.

Not that it matters in 2024 but starting 2025/2026 there are 4 members of the 2022 draft that will need extensions.

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I gotta disagree about extending Reddick. He will turn 30 before the season starts or at about the same time. He wants a new, big contract. That's why the Eagles traded him. I don't think the Jets will be able to afford to extend him and give him a big contract with the draft class of 2022 along with MC II and Reed needing extensions, but it would also be risky. Big contracts are for what a player can still do, not what he did in the past, and his level of play could start tailing off or even drop off a cliff within a year or two. If they can work it out and not lose anyone, then I'm in favor of extending Reddick if the money isn't crazy, but I'd hate to see JD give him a huge deal, and then Reddick's level of play fall off of a cliff, or he start coasting like Mo Wilkerson did once he got paid.

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A valid point..if he wants 20 million per or more, it’s not going to leave the Jets enough cap space to extend our four 2022 draft picks. I he was extended I wouldn’t go beyond an additional two years. If I were him I’d want as much as possible as this is his last multi-year contract.

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hey, Mike!

yeah, I was gone for awhile. I hadda situation where i hadda leave the gun, take the cannoli!

:-)

good to be back among the best Jets Group out there!

R

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I guess it wasn't a good day to be Paulie Gatto...............I told him not to snatch the wedding gift purse....lololololololol

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tx, JB (JetBrother - whoo-yaah!)

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hey Craig! it's good to be back, wasn't really gone, just wasn't posting. Truth be told, I was a bit morose back then; Huff was leaving; JD hadn't made his FA moves yet. Now it's pretty amazing to me the moves he has made, Reddick being the biggest shocker, but I think the most important ones are Moses & Smith at Tackles.

I think that maybe JD has a chance to go for a top WR if the cards line up right, but there's enough OT talent here that he just has to take another one in the 3rd round (or 2nd if he trades down) - and like Bobber sez, there shouldn't be ANY DEFENSIVE PICKS this draft; everything should be for the Offense. Well maybe if a good Safety comes up on the radar, but not before round 4.

CGV

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