Former NFL GM Mike Lombardi went off on the Jets over trading for Philadelphia defensive end Haason Reddick this off-season without having his contraction situation resolved before making the deal:
“If you are Joe Douglas, and you know that Reddick wants a new contract, before you give up a third-round pick, you say to (Eagles GM) Howie (Roseman), ‘Look, I want to talk to the agent, I want to see what I’m getting into here. I’m not trading for Reddick unless I know what I’m getting into. I’m not taking your problem off your hands for a third-round pick, to now make it my problem. I’m not doing that. Let me talk to the agent. Let me find out what I’m dealing with here. Let me see what is going on.’
“There is no general manager in the league that would have traded for Reddick without a deal, if you wanted to give him a deal. So now, they are laying in this mud, this dirt. Reddick is sitting out there, like ‘You trading for me, I’m your mess.'”
Look, on paper, what Lombardi said on VSIN makes some sense, but perhaps some conclusions are being jumped to. How do we know Douglas didn’t have those conversations with Roseman and/or the agent?
Maybe there was an understanding, and then something changed.
It’s hard to believe a veteran executive like Douglas would haphazardly acquire another team’s contract mess, and make it his own.
Perhaps we will find out more information this week with the Jets’ mandatory minicamp taking place.
Reddick has one year left on his existing contract and is set to make $14.25 million.
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