Tag: DJ Reed

D.J. Reed named Jets’ ‘secret superstar’ by Touchdown Wire

The Jets are fortunate to have more than just Sauce at the cornerback position.

Sauce Gardner is already deservedly recognized as one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL after his incredible rookie season. However, his running mate sometimes doesn’t get the recognition he deserves as well.

Fortunately, our friend Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire is here to give that recognition. In his recent piece looking at a “secret superstar” for each team, he named cornerback D.J. Reed to that position for the New York Jets.

Here’s what Farrar had to say about Reed:

Rookie cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner got all the kudos in the Jets’ secondary last season, and there’s nothing wrong with that — the 2022 Defensive Rookie of the Year was about as good as any cornerback in the league, no matter what coverage he was playing. But there’s more to be said than has been said about D.J. Reed, who the Jets stole on a three-year, $33 million contract in 2022. Reed was on the open market despite the fact that he had played exceedingly well for the Seahawks in 2020 and 2021.

The former fifth-round pick of the 49ers in 2018 out of Kansas State has undoubtedly found his ideal home in Robert Saleh’s defense — last season, he allowed 47 catches on 83 targets for 467 yards, 120 yards after the catch, two touchdowns, one interception, 12 pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 75.7. If you wanted to avoid Sauce, throwing to Reed’s side of the field didn’t produce more positive options.

The Jets had one Pro Bowl cornerback in 2022, but you can very well argue they could have, and maybe should have, had two Pro Bowlers at the position.

Reed is still only 26 years old and the Jets have him for at least the next two seasons. Perhaps in 2023, he won’t be as much of a secret anymore.

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Jets restructure contracts of Tomlinson, Reed and Conklin, creating $15.2 million in space

Jets restructure contracts of Tomlinson, Reed and Conklin

The Jets continued creating cap space as free agency — and the pursuit of a certain quarterback — loom on the horizon.

Per Field Yates of ESPN, the Jets restructured the contracts of guard Laken Tomlinson, cornerback D.J. Reed and tight end Tyler Conklin. The moves created $15.2 million in cap space.

All are under contract through 2024, making them easy restructure candidates. There are still some decisions to make, including the $15 million owed to Carl Lawson and the $10.5 owed to Corey Davis. Lawson and Jordan Whitehead could also be candidates for a restructured contract.

The Jets are under the salary cap now after these moves, roughly $20 million under, with potential for more. And as a quick reminder, the cap hit for Aaron Rodgers in 2023 would be just under $16 million for the Jets.

Jets with four of top 100 most-valuable players of 2022 from ESPN

Jets with four of top 100 most-valuable players of 2022 from ESPN

The 2022 season may not have gone the way the New York Jets and their fans had wanted, but they can safely say they have some foundational pieces moving forward.

ESPN’s Seth Walder recently listed his top 100 most valuable players for the 2022 seasons and the Jets came away with four spots on the top 100, including two in the top 50.

Not surprisingly, their All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner was highest on the list at No. 20.

Believe the hype. Gardner instantly became one of the very best corners in the NFL as a rookie. His minus-28.8 EPA allowed trailed only Bradberry among outside corners, and his 0.8 yards per coverage snap allowed ranked in the top 10. If anything, the feedback I got on Gardner was that he was placed too low on this list.

Joining Gardner in the top 50 was defensive tackle Quinnen Williams at No. 36.

Also checking in on the list was cornerback D.J. Reed at No. 58 and wide receiver Garrett Wilson at No. 99.

That’s two rookies who are both just 22 years old, 25-year-old Quinnen Williams and 26-year-old D.J. Reed. Once the Jets can start building around those four players, they can really start building a strong roster.

Add in the fact the Jets will be getting back players such as Breece Hall, Alijah-Vera Tucker and Mekhi Becton next season and the Jets have a chance to really see what their young roster can do.

Jets players comment on Zach Wilson, quarterback switch

Jets players comment on Zach Wilson and the quarterback switch

The Jets’ decision to bench quarterback Zach Wilson certainly made waves throughout the NFL landscape. Naturally, it sent waves through the Jets’ locker room as well.

A few players spoke to the media Wednesday regarding Wilson and the switch at the quarterback position.

Cornerback D.J. Reed told ESPN’s Rich Cimini Wilson spoke to the team Wednesday and called it a “heartfelt” message and “something that had to happen.”

Wide receiver Elijah Moore, who had been upset this season with his usage in the offense, said he supports both quarterbacks. He and the team have Wilson’s back despite his demotion and will support Wilson the way the team supported Moore and Denzel Mims following their respective trade requests.

Wide receiver Corey Davis was “glad” Wilson addressed the team. “It shows who he is,” Davis said. “He’s a leader and we’re going to need him moving forward.”

Even the new starting quarterback, Mike White, had good things to say about Wilson, saying Wilson has been extremely supportive of him and that he is a friend more than he is a teammate.

Linebacker C.J. Mosley, one of the leaders of the defense, said he doesn’t have any hard feelings towards Wilson for his postgame comments and appreciated him speaking to the team Wednesday. Mosley added Wilson “put everything on him” and said he has to be better.

Mosley also spoke on the quarterback switch:

With the decision now set, the team is ready to move forward and continue toward their goal of reaching the playoffs and they seem ready to continue supporting Wilson in any way they can. But for now, it’s Mike White running the show.

 

What the defense had to say about their performance and the game Sunday

What the defense had to say about their performance and the game Sunday

The defense for the New York Jets did just about everything they could to help the team finally defeat the New England Patriots and take over first place in the AFC East. Until the final play, the Jets had held the Patriots to just three points, helped by two missed field goals by Nick Folk.

The defense sacked Patriots quarterback Mac Jones six times for the second time this season and it seemed like the Jets were going to steal one in Foxborough.

Then Marcus Jones broke the hearts of Jets’ fans everywhere with his 84-yard touchdown return to win the game, 10-3. Needless to say, the defense was deflated after the game.

Here’s what some of the defensive players had to say after the game.

“We had a great game plan,” said John Franklin-Myers on the play of the defense. “Obviously it wasn’t good enough. I think Coach did a good job of putting us in the correct position. We have to capitalize more. They got a couple out on us, we have to go correct that, but overall I think we did well. It’s a mindset. You go out every game expecting to shut them out. It’s just another game, another opportunity, to do that. The Patriots have some great players, some great running backs who break a lot of tackles. We understood that. We understood we had to get people to the ball and I think we did a good job of that.”

“It goes back to Coach putting us in good positions, understanding how to rush with each other, play off one another,” Franklin-Myers added regarding the six sacks. “The game plan was great. I can’t really say too many bad things about what we are doing as far as pass rush. We expect to win every one-on-one.”

“It hurts watching something like that,” Franklin-Myers said about the punt return. “You don’t want to see anything like that. You just want a blade of grass to defend, and we didn’t get that. We could have done better throughout the game and maybe that wouldn’t have happened. Hindsight is 20/20 and we have to go back and learn from that.”

Bryce Huff, who was also part of the sack party, said, “We did what we do. Stopping the run and earning the right to get to the quarterback. We came in and executed.    Going out there not giving anything, making the plays you are supposed to make and capitalizing on the opportunities. We go out there every day and give full effort. We did the things that we practice every day. All of us come out and it’s a product of all of us working together and building together. That was just the result of our work.”

C.J. Mosley, who led the team with nine tackles Sunday, said, ““That’s just our mentality every time, it doesn’t matter the opponent. When you have defensive linemen like we have here, and everybody trusting each other, we get excited every time we step out on the field. Any time we get the moment we make the best of it.”

Mosley added: “It was a tough loss, that’s for sure. But it’s not the end of the world. We have a chance to go out there next week, and try to put our best foot forward and be great as a team. So that’s what we’re looking forward too.”

“We were doing our best to not let the other team score and just taking it play-by-play, communicating and trusting what we see out there,” said D.J. Reed, who had six tackles and nearly recovered a fumble. “We were really confident. That is one of toughest games I’ve played in as far as how the outcome went. We are going to stick together. We have got to watch the film and get better. Me, myself, I have to watch the film and get better. I gave up about four catches. They were tight windows, but four catches. Short yardage but I have to look at the film and grow from there. It was the game we wanted. We were smiling, we were happy. The defense thought it was going to overtime. We were ready to go to see what would happen from there.”

Jets have three of the top 15 cornerbacks as ranked by PFF

Jets have three of the top 15 cornerbacks as ranked by PFF

As down as Jets fans are on the offense, and they certainly have a right to be, one look at the defense should help perk them up. Especially at the cornerback position.

The Jets completely rebuilt the cornerback position this past offseason, signing free agent D.J. Reed from the Seahawks and selecting Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner with the fourth pick of the draft in April. So far, those additions have paid huge dividends.

Of the 72 cornerbacks that have played at least 150 snaps this season, Gardner has the fourth-highest grade from Pro Football Focus at 83.9 and Reed is right behind him in 7th with a 79.3 grade. No other team can say they have two top-ten cornerbacks in that category.

And they’re not the only strong cornerback in this category. Michael Carter II has been no slouch himself, checking in at No. 15 with a 76.7 grade. The only other team with two corners in the top 15 in this scenario is New England with No. 1 Jack Jones (87.4) and No. 14 Jonathan Jones (76.9).

Gardner is also the only corner among all 72 in this group to have at least ten pass-breakups through eight weeks. Trevon Diggs and Patrick Peterson are tied for second with eight. Reed has five and Carter has two.

The Jets will definitely need the strong play of their corners to continue as this week, they welcome Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis to town as the Jets host the Bills. Oh, and some guy named Josh Allen throwing them the football. The Three Musketeers will be ready.

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DJ Reed dedicating season to his father, whom he learned passed away before game Sunday

DJ Reed’s interception turned out to mean so much to him Sunday

Sometimes, we never know what a player is going through, especially during a game. It turns out that for Jets cornerback D.J. Reed, Sunday was more than just a game day for him. It became an emotional one as well.

Reed’s father, Dennis, passed away and Reed found out just before pre-game introductions, he told the media Monday.

Reed said his father was battling MS for 18 years and it took a turn for the worse on Wednesday. That’s when Reed last spoke to his father. “I love you. You fought a good fight,” he told his father.

He got a text message from his uncle just before going out onto the field for pre-game introductions and he cried during the national anthem.

He somehow was able to turn his attention to the game. “I just said, I know he’s watching and I’m going to put on a show for him.”

He sure did. When Reed interception Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson in the fourth quarter, he dropped to his knees and looked up to the sky. As it turned out, that interception was dedicated to his late father.

Now, he’s dedicating this season, his first as a Jet, to Dennis. “This season’s for my dad,” Reed said.

Reed was also hoping his father would get to meet his daugher but he never did.

Reed was very raw and very emotional talking to the media. Major props to him for sharing the story so soon.

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D.J. Reed went through workout Monday, status could be known Wednesday

D.J. Reed may return Week 1.

Jets cornerback D.J. Reed has been working his way back from his knee injury and he could possibly make a return to the lineup on Sunday against the Ravens.

Head coach Robert Saleh told the media Wednesday that Reed went through a workout Monday, just like QB Zach Wilson, and the Jets will see how his knee responds Tuesday. Like Wilson, Saleh will make a decision on the availability of Reed on Wednesday.

If Reed can’t go, then the likelihood is the two corners that battled for one spot all preseason will both end up getting the Week 1 start, those being Sauce Gardner and Bryce Hall, with Brandin Echols and Justin Hardee as the top reserves. Craig James is on the practice squad and could potentially be a gameday call-up.

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Two new Jets players make list of ‘most overlooked additions’ of NFL offseason

Two new #Jets players make list of ‘overlooked addition of NFL offseason:

Bleacher Report released a list of the most overlooked additions of the 2022 NFL offseason. Seven names appear on the ranking in total, and of those, two are members of the New York Jets.

In fact, the two Jets to appear are named the two most overlooked of the entire group. That pairing is safety Jordan Whitehead and cornerback DJ Reed.

On paper, Whitehead should be an upgrade in New York. But where B/R sees the overlooked aspect is off the field. Whitehead brings a championship pedigree:

The safety is 25 years old, is a highly productive player (73 tackles, five TFL, two interceptions and eight passes defended in 2021) and, most importantly, has been part of a turnaround once before.

In Whitehead’s first two seasons, the Bucs were 12-20. With Tom Brady and a stellar defense, the Bucs have gone 24-9 with a Super Bowl win over the last two seasons.

Now, Whitehead brings that culture shift to New York.

On Reed, the reason for the overlooking relates to the reason why the cornerback has been surpassed in his career. At only 5-foot-9, Reed doesn’t have great length for an outside defender, but there’s no debating he hasn’t gotten the job done.

Despite Reed’s addition, he is not the player many have their eye on in New York. Instead it’s first-round rookie Sauce Gardner. That’s understandable, but Reed’s signing should also give Gardner a bit of time to grow into pro game.

All in all, a savvy addition by the Jets this offseason is how B/R sees this one:

Of all the secondary players who were given contracts in excess of $10 million in annual average value, Reed might be the best bet to play above his compensation.

While the attention is going to be on first-round pick Sauce Gardner in the secondary, Reed is coming off his best season. He was the eighth-highest-graded corner by PFF this past season and allowed a completion percentage of just 47.8 percent on his targets.

There were factors that likely drove down Reed’s market. He’s an outside corner who is only 5’9″, 188 pounds, and he’s missed some time with a groin injury and torn pectoral over the last two seasons.

However, those injuries haven’t impacted his play when he’s been on the field, and he’s a good fit in Robert Saleh’s Cover 3 defense.

Reed’s signing will elevate the team’s defense, and it’s the most overlooked addition of the offseason.

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