Getty Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox named the Detroit Lions a potential landing spot for New York Jets edge rusher Haason Reddick.
Veteran edge rusher Haason Reddick has already been traded this offseason. But that doesn’t mean he can’t be again.
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox included Reddick on his “Big Board” NFL trade block entering training camp. Knox named the Detroit Lions as a potential suitor and proposed they acquire the veteran edge rusher for a 2025 third-round pick.
“The list of interested teams should include those who believe they can win in the near future and who have the cap space to sign Reddick long-term,” Knox wrote. “The Lions, for example, could use another complement to Aidan Hutchinson and have the second-most cap space in the league.”
With that cap space, the Lions could sign Reddick to the long-term extension he is seeking this offseason.
Reddick is coming off back-to-back Pro Bowl seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles. He posted a career-high 16 sacks and led the league with 5 forced fumbles in 2022.
Then last season, he had 11 sacks with 13 tackles for loss and 23 quarterback hits.
The Eagles traded Reddick to the New York Jets for a conditional third-round pick in April.
How Edge Rusher Haason Reddick Could Fit With the Lions
Detroit added veteran edge rusher Marcus Davenport on a 1-year, $6.5 million contract this offseason. Davenport will miss the beginning of training camp, as he’s still recovering from his ankle injury from last year.
But if healthy this fall, Davenport should be the bookend edge rusher the Lions desire opposite Aidan Hutchinson.
However, that doesn’t mean the Lions couldn’t use even more proven players along the edge of their defense. With Reddick, the Lions would be adding a veteran who has posted 50.5 sacks the past four seasons.
During that stretch, Reddick has registered at least 11 sacks each season. Hutchinson is the only Lions player this decade with at least 11 sacks in one season.
With his situation in New York, it’s pretty clear Reddick is aiming to sign a long-term contract this summer for additional security. ESPN’s Rich Cimini reported, Reddick skipped all of the Jets’ offseason workouts in the hopes of landing a new deal.
If they traded for Reddick, the Lions would have to delicately approach signing Reddick to an extension. Detroit signed Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Penei Sewell to mega-contract extensions this summer, which begin next season. Other stars such as Hutchinson will be due for raises soon too.
But with $38.4 million in cap space remaining for 2024, the Lions should be able to find a way to extend Reddick without mortgaging their future.
Would the New York Jets Really Trade Reddick?
Just because a player made Knox’s NFL trade block big board doesn’t mean he’s actually available.
The Lions landing Reddick for a third-round pick is dependent on the Jets giving up the idea that the veteran edge rusher can help their defense.
“The New York Jets traded a conditional third-round draft pick to acquire him in April—one that can become a second-rounder if he meets certain metrics—and won’t willingly let him walk before he’s played a snap,” wrote Knox.
“However, the Jets may ultimately have no choice. They added the 29-year-old on the final year of his contract, and Reddick is looking for more long-term security. Unhappy with his situation, Reddick skipped all of New York’s offseason program.”
Cimini reported that the Jets “were under the impression” that Reddick would play the final year of his contract without an issue. But that doesn’t appear to be the reality.
“Maybe they misunderstood or maybe he changed his position. Whatever the case, he skipped the entire offseason,” wrote Cimini.
“Basically, the Jets traded for a contract dispute, a bizarre twist to what seemed like a sound trade.”
The Jets acquired Reddick to replace Bryce Huff, which is noteworthy for two reasons. First, the Jets would have a hole at edge rusher if they now traded Reddick.
Secondly, New York allowed Huff to leave in free agency because the team apparently didn’t want to sign him to a long-term deal. It now seems unlikely the Jets would want to turn around and sign Reddick, who is three years older than Huff, to an extension.
It would be prudent of the Lions to keep an eye on what’s going on with Reddick in New York. If they are willing to satisfy Reddick’s contract demands, the Lions could take advantage of the situation and land another Pro Bowl-caliber edge rusher.