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Former New York Jets cornerback D.J. Reed reacting in the middle of an NFL game.
This offseason, the New York Jets made a one-for-one swap in free agency at the cornerback position.
D.J. Reed walked out the door and signed with the Detroit Lions on a three-year, $48 million contract. That was the largest deal signed by any ex-Jets player on the open market this offseason.
The Jets responded by stealing Brandon Stephens away from the Baltimore Ravens on a three-year, $36 million contract. While the overall value of the two deals is separated by $12 million, the gap is much smaller.
“The Stephens-for-Reed swap at cornerback. They saved $9 million in guarantees by signing Stephens and letting Reed walk in free agency, but did they get better? It’s hard to say they did because Stephens is coming off a down year with the Baltimore Ravens; he was targeted 98 times as the nearest defender, fifth most among corners, per Next Gen Stats. The Jets believe he’s better than his stats, that he’s an ideal scheme fit,” ESPN’s Rich Cimini explained.
Early Thoughts on the Jets $9 Million Gamble
Phase three of the NFL offseason is over for the Jets. The green and white wrapped up their three-day mandatory minicamp last week, and now the team will break until training camp in late July.
Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic provided a stock report on which players are up and down following minicamp.
Stephens, one of the Jets’ top-paid free agents this offseason, landed in the “stock down” category in Rosenblatt’s column.
“It’s too early to fret about Stephens, who has often been tasked with covering [Garrett] Wilson — a tough assignment for any cornerback. But the same things he was criticized for in Baltimore, so far, have shown up for the Jets: He maintains tight coverage but sometimes struggles to get his head turned around in time to break up a pass. The Jets staff believes in his tools, and he’ll have more opportunities to prove himself during training camp,” Rosenblatt said.
Reed and Stephens are polar opposites. Reed is a smaller player (listed at 5-foot-9 and weighing 190 pounds) who has gotten the most out of his freshly squeezed orange. On the other hand, Stephens has more ideal measurables (listed at 6-foot-1 and weighing 215 pounds), but he hasn’t been able to maximize his talents.
How Much Better Are the Jets in the Coaching Department This Season?
What the success of this CB swap ultimately comes down to is coaching.
Head coach Aaron Glenn and the rest of the defensive staff are confident that they can bring players in and coach them up to another level. If they’re right, the Jets can create competitive advantages with the salary cap.
If Stephens can be the same or a better player than Reed for $9 million less in guaranteed money, then the Jets won that individual battle in the offseason. The more of those you can stack up, the more flexibility it gives you with your cap space versus the other teams in the NFL.
To this point in their respective careers, Reed has been a better player than Stephens. However, Stephens has a ton of untapped potential that lies beneath the surface. The Jets are gambling they can get it out of him.
Paul Esden Jr. covers the New York Jets for Heavy.com. A New York native, he co-hosts Cumulus Media’s morning show, “The Manchild Show with Boy Green.” Before joining Heavy in 2021, Esden Jr. covered both national and New York sports for FanSided, Elite Sports NY and The Score 1260. More about Paul Esden Jr.
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