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We have not seen Haasan Reddick at the OTA practices open to the media.
If he was there other days, it’s hard to say because we’re not there, and nobody asked.
There are some OTA practices open to the media, and others aren’t. The ones have been open, he has not been there.
Some would find it surprising that he’s not there, since he’s new to the team, and you would think he could use these sessions to get up to speed on the system and get on the same page with his new teammates.
But these sessions are voluntary. Some might say that since he’s from South Jersey, it’s not like he’s from far away, so why not be there?
However, I have to check on this, but not sure he lives there. Remember, he played the first four years in Arizona, so maybe he has a place out there.
Is the absence contract related? He has one year left on his current deal, and it’s no secret he was looking for a new contract from Philly before he was traded to the Jets.
He claimed at his introductory press conference in Florham Park that he wouldn’t let the contract impact his performance.
“Contractual stuff, I’m leaving that up to my agent and Joe to figure out,” Reddick said. “Whatever happens, I’m gonna be happy. I’m gonna give my all no matter what, that’s just who I am as a person. No matter how it goes, how many years, I’m gonna be here for however long I’m here for and I’m going to give the team, the fans everything that I have.”
But what will his mindset be like if the Jets don’t give him a contract extension?
And how much do you pay a player who is an exceptional pass rusher, but is pedestrian against the run and doesn’t like dropping into coverage?
According to Dan Sileo, new Eagles’ defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, wanted Reddick off the team.
“When [Vic Fangio] got that job, he had a closed-door meeting with Haason Reddick and Haason Reddick was not happy about being dropped in coverage and was less willing to do it,” Sileo said. “When Howie (Roseman) talked to the agent of Bryce Huff, Huff’s agent said my guy will be willing to do whatever role you put him in. Hence, that’s why they signed [Huff]. He’s more willing to play along with what Vic is looking for in that defense than what Haason Reddick was willing to do. So at the end of the day, Vic Fangio has final say. That is why they went out and got Bryce Huff. They basically got the same guy who is willing to do what they want him to do where Reddick complained about getting dropped into coverage.”
Sileo added: “Vic forced the trade. He wasn’t going to come here if the personnel decisions were made by Howie Roseman and the analytics guy. He wanted to complete autonomy.”
Reddick is now on his fourth team with stops in Arizona, Carolina, Philly and now the Jets, and Sileo thinks he might be “a hard guy to coach.”
“And this might be why this guy has been moved a lot, because he’s not always willing to do what coaches ask,” Sileo said on Jakib Sports. “He’s a really hard guy to coach. Two things he’s steadfast about – how much he’s worth and how to use him.”
I have no idea if he’s a “hard guy to coach.” I can’t comment on that. I also can’t comment on whether he won’t do certain things coaches want him to do. You will have to talk to Sileo about that stuff. The Jets seem to love Reddick’s attitude.
But the part about him being steadfast about “how much he’s worth” might be the pressing issue right now.
When Reddick was in Carolina, he took a young pass rusher named Brian Burns under his wing, the same Burns who was traded to the New York Giants this off-season, and the G-Men gave the defensive end a five-year deal for 141 million with $87.5 million guaranteed. That deal is worth an average of $28.2 million a year.
Reddick is scheduled to make $15 million this year.
If you don’t think Reddick has his eye on the Burns deal or the deal Jacksonville gave Josh Allen, you are kidding yourself. Allen basically got the same deal as Burns.
But Burns and Allen are more full-sized ends in the 6-5, 255 area, and Reddick is 6-1, 240, perhaps more of a situational pass rusher with his inconsistencies against the run due to his size.
But it’s hard seeing the Jets going into that Burns and Allen stratosphere or maybe any new stratosphere. Maybe they just want Reddick to play on his current deal this year.
Stay-tuned.
May 31, 2024
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