3 winners and 2 losers from NY Jets' trade for Haason Reddick

The NY Jets have firmly established themselves as one of the teams to beat in the NFL following the Haason Reddick trade. At least on paper, it's hard to deny the Jets have one of the best rosters in the league.

Of course, there are plenty of variables pertaining to the 2024 Jets — especially in regards to health — but if this team stays healthy, there's no reason they shouldn't be competing for a Super Bowl.

The Reddick trade just furthers that notion. But while this trade is undoubtedly an outstanding move by the Jets in a vacuum, not everyone is a beneficiary of the acquisition.

Taking into account playing time, production, and a host of other factors, let's take a look at some of the biggest winners and losers from the Reddick trade.

Winner: The entire NY Jets defense

The New York Jets are a significantly better team after trading for Haason Reddick. It's fair to question the decision-making that led to the Jets making this decision, but there's no denying that statement.

The Jets have the best and most complete defense in the NFL on paper. Reddick joins Quinnen Williams, Jermaine Johnson, and John Franklin-Myers to form arguably the NFL's best defensive line.

They're paired with arguably the league's best linebacker duo in Quincy Williams and C.J. Mosley. Throw in the best cornerback trio in the NFL with Sauce Gardner, D.J. Reed, and Michael Carter, and you have the best defense in football.

Reddick is the most accomplished pass rusher the Jets have had since John Abraham. He makes everyone's job easier and completes a truly stacked defense for Gang Green.

Loser: Will McDonald, DE, NY Jets

There is no bigger loser on the Jets' roster as a result of the Reddick trade than Will McDonald. The Jets seemingly had big plans for McDonald when they opted to let Bryce Huff walk in free agency. Those plans seem to have been put on the back burner.

Reddick will likely be on the field for 60-65 percent of snaps with the Jets (still a substantial decrease from his Eagles numbers). Seeing as though Huff only played 42 percent of snaps last season, that's a sizable gap.

Even if the Jets use players like John Franklin-Myers and Micheal Clemons more on the interior, the addition of Reddick essentially eliminates any possibility of McDonald seeing a significant uptick in playing time if everyone is healthy.

On top of that, assuming the Jets extend Reddick, they're officially confirming the notion that McDonald will be a backup for his entire rookie contract. What looked like a puzzling draft pick at the time looks even more confusing in hindsight.

Winner: Quinnen Williams DT, NY Jets

While the entire Jets' defense serves to benefit from the addition of Haason Reddick, one player, in particular, stands out as a clear winner. That player is Quinnen Williams.

Williams remains one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL, and while he was his usual dominant self in 2023, his sack numbers declined a bit. The two-time Pro Bowler finished with just 5.5 sacks in 2023 after a breakout 12-sack season in 2022.

Much of that was a result of Williams constantly being double-teamed by the opposition. Only two players in the NFL — Chris Jones and Dexter Lawrence — were double-teamed at a higher rate than Williams, who was doubled on a whopping 70 percent of passing downs.

Reddick gives the Jets another superstar on their defensive line for opponents to focus on. That should free up Williams, allowing his box-score numbers to rebound and match his actual value.

Loser: John Franklin-Myers, DE, NY Jets

Will McDonald isn't the only Jets defensive lineman whose role is a little less certain following the addition of Reddick. John Franklin-Myers is still an integral part of the Jets' defense, and Reddick doesn't exactly replace his role on the roster.

That said, the Jets now have increased flexibility along their defensive line, which might give the team some leverage as it pertains to his contract. That's exactly what ESPN's Rich Cimini speculated when discussing Franklin-Myers' situation following the Reddick trade.

Franklin-Myers is set to carry a cap hit of over $16 million into the 2024 season. The addition of Reddick could give the Jets the leverage to convince Franklin-Myers to take a pay cut.

There's also an outside chance the Jets simply opt to move on from Franklin-Myers if they're really desperate for money. Reddick likely eats into some of Franklin-Myers' snaps and could result in him losing some money. That makes him a potential loser in this trade.

Winner: Robert Saleh, HC, NY Jets

This move has Robert Saleh written all over it. Saleh certainly couldn't have liked to see the Jets move on from Bryce Huff this offseason, but instead of being forced to fill a gaping hole in his defense, his unit arguably got even better.

Reddick is one of only two players in the NFL, along with Myles Garrett, to record double-digit sacks in each of the last four seasons. He's recorded more than 50 sacks over that time and was a Defensive Player of the Year finalist in 2022.

Saleh's defense now contains arguably the best defensive line, linebacker room, and cornerback trio in the entire NFL. Reddick's versatility gives Saleh another chess piece to play with in what was already one of the best defenses in football.

Saleh lost one of his best defensive players this offseason and will still end up with an even better defense, on paper, than he had last year. There might not be a happier individual on One Jets Drive right now than the team's head coach.