While the New York Jets were very busy before Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline, new details have emerged on why they did not move the two players most expected to be playing elsewhere in Week 10.
New York stole the show before the 4 PM ET deadline with a pair of blockbuster trades. First, they stunned the football world when they sent star cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts for a pair of first-round picks. A couple of hours later, they sent disgruntled defensive lineman Quinnen Williams to the Dallas Cowboys in a deal that included another first-rounder.
It was a bold decision to trade two of the team’s best players, but after a 1-7 start, it made sense, considering the impressive return they received in the two trades. However, heading into Tuesday’s deadline, many thought running back Breece Hall and pass rusher Jermaine Johnson were the players most likely to be moved. On Wednesday, a pair of ESPN NFL insiders explained why neither player was shipped out of town.
When it comes to Johnson, there were two reasons why he is staying in New York. Firstly, according to Jeremy Fowler, the Jets wanted a second-round pick in a trade. Something rival teams clearly did not want to pay.
Along with that, the insider reports “coach Aaron Glenn said to Johnson that he wanted the edge rusher as part of the plans and valued that Johnson wanted to be a Jet long term.”
Jets veteran Breece Hall was seen as one of the most intriguing backs on the trade market. New York would certainly be open to moving him during a lost season, but for the right price. That obviously never game because the “Jets held firm on their request for a third-round pick for Hall,” according to Dan Graziano. The team is reportedly also interested in giving him a contract extension.
Hall wasn’t the only running back expected to be traded by wasn’t on Tuesday because, according to Jeremy Fowler, there simply wasn’t much of a market for RBs this week.
“The running back market simply didn’t move on Tuesday,” Fowler wrote. “Along with the Jets keeping Hall, the Chargers seemed comfortable riding with Kimani Vidal until Omarion Hampton returns, and New England stood pat. I figured some combination of Hall, Cleveland’s Jerome Ford, Tennessee’s Tony Pollard, Miami’s Jaylen Wright, and Baltimore’s Keaton Mitchell had a chance to land new homes, but none of them did.”
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