Week 1 of the 2024 season didn’t go well for either the Las Vegas Raiders or New York Jets as both teams lost by double-digit points. The two teams have been linked together all offseason due to wide receiver Davante Adams.
The Jets have wanted the star wide receiver dating back to last season but the Raiders haven’t had interest in trading him. New York is dealing with a holdout from star pass rusher Haason Reddick and there doesn’t appear to be a resolution in sight. According to NFL insider Josina Anderson, the Jets could be interested in swapping Reddick in a deal for Adams.
“Just a thought & something I heard on the MNF sidelines: I think Haason Reddick should pay good attention to how the #49ers pass rush plays out today in this good test for the team with just their 2-Dominant edge mix this season,” Anderson wrote in a September 9 X post. “Plus, someone from the # Jets mentioned their opinion* on the sidelines moment ago to me, saying they think the team needs to make a Reddick trade with the #Raiders for Las Vegas’ star receiver. Again, just their opinion that came up in one of my conversations on the sidelines. Plenty of sub plots.”
Anderson didn’t explicitly name Adams, but it’s not difficult to deduce a star wide receiver from the Raiders who the Jets want.
Just a thought & something I heard on the MNF sidelines: I think Haason Reddick should pay good attention to how the #49ers pass rush plays out today in this good test for the team with just their 2-Dominant edge mix this season. Plus, someone from the # Jets mentioned their… https://t.co/eDSgePZsim pic.twitter.com/HlnY8kS471
— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) September 10, 2024
A Trade Could Be Beneficial for Both Sides
Prior to the regular season, the Raiders likely wouldn’t have considered swapping Adams for Reddick. However, the team had to place defensive end Malcolm Koonce on Injured Reserve and it remains to be seen when he’ll be back. Defensive end Tyree Wilson also got banged up in Week 1 and is dealing with a knee injury.
One of the Raiders’ strongest position groups is now very thin. Las Vegas continues to struggle to get Adams involved in the offense consistently as he only had five catches for 59 yards in Week 1. The Raiders haven’t been shy about how they’re a defense-first team so adding a player like Reddick who has 50.5 combined sacks across the last four seasons could be appealing.
Losing Adams would be a blow to a struggling offense but the team has other offensive weapons like Jakobi Meyers, Tre Tucker, Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer. It’s likely too early in the season for the Raiders to consider making a big trade but if they continue to struggle, they may want to get some value out of the 31-year-old Adams.
Haason Reddick Is Going to Want a New Contract
If Reddick gets traded to the Raiders, he’s going to want a new contract. He was traded from the Philadelphia Eagles to the Jets this offseason and had no problem holding out. It’s unlikely he’d change his mind if he was with the Raiders and be willing to play on his current deal.
According to Over the Cap, Las Vegas still has $28 million in salary cap space so they could afford to give Reddick more money. Putting him on the same defensive line as Maxx Crosby could be a recipe for success. With Koonce’s future up in the air, getting a player like Reddick is more realistic for the Raiders now.