NY Jets: 3 under-the-radar players the team could trade for

The NY Jets could look to target these three under-the-radar players in a trade.

NY Jets‘ general manager Joe Douglas had quite an eventful first offseason with the organization. From a crucial 2020 NFL Draft to the Jamal Adams situation to dealing with the effects of a global pandemic, Douglas certainly had his hands full.

And while improvements to the roster were made, the Jets do still seem a ways away from truly competing. Perhaps that’s not something many Jets fans want to come to terms with after hearing the same tired trope for years now, but it’s the reality of the situation.

Douglas did his part to improve the roster. But what’s also clear is that a GM’s work is never done, even when the offseason comes to a close. NFL executives are constantly working to improve the roster, and Douglas is no exception.

So while it’s safe to all but rule out any more major moves following the Adams trade, don’t be surprised to see Douglas make a few under-the-radar acquisitions in the next month or so.

We already saw him attempt to do so on the waiver wire by placing a claim on former second-round cornerback M.J. Stewart. The Jets will likely be busy surfing the waiver wire, but don’t reject the idea of exploring the trade market as well.

A move for someone like Yannick Ngakoue seems like a pipe dream, but oftentimes it’s the unexpected moves that make the biggest difference in the end.

Let’s take a look at three under-the-radar players the Jets could target in a possible trade.

Next: 3. Haason Reddick

3. The NY Jets could trade for LB Haason Reddick

The loss of C.J. Mosley is a huge blow to the Jets’ defense and while the linebacker position is one of the deepest on the roster, there’s no doubt that losing their best defensive player will have a major impact on the team.

Avery Williamson will need to prove his health and return to his pre-injury form. Meanwhile, guys like Neville Hewitt and Patrick Onwuasor will be thrust into a starting role — a role neither has necessarily excelled in.

But perhaps that doesn’t need to be the case. Perhaps the Jets could make a last-ditch move to acquire a starting linebacker for very cheap.

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That’s where someone like Arizona Cardinals’ linebacker Haason Reddick could come into play. Reddick was a first-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, but has failed to live up to expectations thus far in Arizona.

Thrust into different systems and asked to play different positions, Reddick has never found a home in the Cardinals’ defense. And following the acquisition of Isaiah Simmons, his place on the roster is very much in question.

Reddick isn’t really a true off-ball linebacker — he’s somewhere between an edge rusher, linebacker, and safety. His athleticism has always been his calling card, but that athleticism has never transformed into NFL success.

Nonetheless, Joe Douglas values versatility and few defenders are as versatile as Reddick. Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams would be able to maximize the skill set of the former Temple standout and hopefully harness the talent that once made him a first-round pick.

For the record, Reddick was also recently named a trade target for the Jets in an article from Sheil Kapadia of The Athletic. In that article, Kapadia insisted that a conditional sixth-round pick could be enough to get it done.

And if that’s the case, there are far worse players to take a flier on than Reddick.

Next: 2. Curtis Samuel

2. The NY Jets could trade for WR Curtis Samuel

Curtis Samuel‘s name has been brought up in trade rumors all offseason and the Jets have been one of the teams most often discussed. And that makes sense on both sides of the equation.

The Panthers are undergoing a bit of a roster makeover and Samuel, who’s entering the final year of his rookie deal, doesn’t really fit into the picture. On top of that, the signing of ex-Jets receiver Robby Anderson has made him expendable.

And for the Jets, this is a team that is still desperate for any immediate help they could get at the receiver position. Samuel could provide an immediate boost to the receiving corps and be the team’s second-most experienced receiver behind Jamison Crowder.

The former Ohio State star has the versatility to play either inside or outside and has also been used as a gadget player at times in Carolina’s offense. And after hauling in a career-high 54 catches for 627 yards last season, the Jets could certainly benefit from adding him.

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It might take something as high as a fourth-round pick to get it done, but it’s definitely something worth looking into. It’s hard to look at the current crop of Jets’ receivers and feel optimistic about Sam Darnold’s situation going into 2020.

Perhaps the future is brighter with plenty of draft capital and someone like Denzel Mims who should only get better as time passes. But in terms of a 2020 outlook, few teams have a worse receiving corps than the Jets.

Samuel wouldn’t fix the problem, but he would absolutely help alleviate the concern. For the sake of Darnold, this is a trade possibility that Douglas should 100 percent explore.

Next: 1. Sidney Jones

1. The NY Jets could trade for CB Sidney Jones

Much like the aforementioned Reddick, Sidney Jones is another player who came into the league with plenty of fanfare, but had fallen by the wayside for a variety of reasons.

However, with Jones, those reasons primarily stem from poor injury luck.

Seen as a surefire Day 1 selection, Jones tore his Achilles while working out for the 2017 NFL Draft and subsequently fell to the middle of the second round where the Philadelphia Eagles quickly snatched him up.

Unfortunately, that injury limited him to just one game in his rookie season and he followed that up by playing in only nine the next year following a recurring hamstring injury.

He did split time as a starter in 2019, but once again missed time due to another hamstring injury. Going into 2020, his spot on the Eagles’ roster is unclear following the trade for Darius Slay and the signing of Nickell Robey-Coleman.

Currently projected as the fifth cornerback on the depth chart, the Eagles could look to move Jones who is entering the final year of his rookie deal. And the Jets might be the likeliest team to swoop in if the Eagles do decide to trade him.

For starters, Douglas is already very familiar with Jones as he was one of the principal front office members in charge of overseeing the draft when the Eagles selected him back in 2017. Given Douglas’ history with that organization, they seem to be a likely trade partner.

Moreover, it seems as though the Jets are still searching for cornerback help even despite their offseason additions after the team placed a waiver claim on former second-round pick M.J. Stewart.

Douglas clearly isn’t sold on the team’s cornerbacks just yet, and Jones could give the Jets another high-upside young player whose career has been hampered by injuries.

It probably wouldn’t take more than a late-round pick to get it done and much like the trade for Quincy Wilson in the offseason, it’s a move that could really pay-off if all goes according to plan.

Don’t be surprised to see the Jets and Eagles discuss some type of trade for Jones before the start of the season.