New York Jets cornerback DJ Reed walking off the field after a big play.
The New York Jets were desperately seeking a cornerback upgrade this offseason.
Gang Green flirted with a few different options but ultimately selected veteran DJ Reed on the free agent market. He signed a three-year deal for $33 million but some fans and analysts are ready to give him a historic extension.
DJ Reed: #PayTheMan
The 25-year-old has been an instant success with the Jets on and off the field. Reed has delivered marvelous results both in coverage and as a willing tackler:
- One interception
- A forced fumble
- 86.3 coverage grade from PFF
After the Week 2 comeback win over the Cleveland Browns, Reed broke down the team with a passionate speech:
“We got a great f****** football team bro. The crazy part about it bro we ain’t even play complementary football yet man. Offense, hey shoutout to y’all boys, y’all did that s***.”
Stephen Zantz, the host of the TOJ Live podcast, said he’s ready to give DJ Reed a “lifetime contract” after watching the video:
Give DJ reed a lifetime contract I love that man
It’s hard to disagree especially when you consider the long and painful history of the Jets’ free agent spending over the years.
You can go through the names of guys the team reset the market for only to see them fold like a used lawn chair once they put on the green and white.
So to not only hit on someone who is a contributor but has evolved into a key cog on your team is magical. As far as the Jets are concerned they hit the lottery here and this contract is already looking like a major steal.
The Missing Piece to the Jets Puzzle
Bluntly the Jets have underperformed on the defensive line. It was supposed to be the straw that stirs the drink for this defense and quite frankly the team as a whole.
Through the first two weeks of the regular season, the green and white have tallied a grand total of three sacks. That is tied for the third-fewest total in the National Football League, per ESPN.
So obviously those numbers are not ideal, but there is a silver lining to all of this. If the secondary, specifically the cornerback tandem of Reed and Ahmad ‘Sauce’ Gardner, is balling out even in unfavorable conditions, just imagine what will happen when that flips.
Through 2 weeks according to PFF, DJ Reed has the highest coverage grade of any CB (50% of Snaps Played) in the NFL by a wide margin… Reed has a 86.3 grade… next best grade is 81.6 from Jamel Dean… been fantastic for the Jets early on
Reed has been elite and Sauce even as a youngster has more than held his own as a starter.
Sauce Gardner took 30 pass coverage snaps in the Jets win over the Browns.
He was targeted 5 times and allowed 4 receptions for a total of 33 yards.
The Jets’ defensive line is too deep, too talented, and this scheme is too dependent on them for this thing to fail.
Eventually, this thing is going to flip and this upcoming matchup versus the Cincinnati Bengals may provide the perfect coming-out party for this unit.
According to Mike Tanier, the Bengals are currently on pace to allow a record 110.5 sacks this season.
Gang Green has the talent to take advantage, but nobody is going to hand them anything. It is up to this unit to take what they believe is theirs and when they do this should take this Jets team to another level in 2022.