Over the weekend, there was a positive development for Jets fans that negatively impacted Falcons fans: Haason Reddick would return to New York after reworking his contract.
Of course, it was always going to be a challenging trade for Terry Fontenot to pull off because there was a stipulation in the original trade between the Jets and Eagles that if New York traded Reddick to an NFC team, it would result in Philadelphia receiving a second-round pick instead of the third-rounder that was initially agreed upon.
However, Haason Reddick is hardly the only pass rusher the Falcons can target at the trade deadline. Za’Darius Smith, Azeez Ojulari, and Josh Uche are a few veterans who could intrigue the Falcons, and there will be more that emerge, a couple already have too, according to Ian Rapoport.
Packers defensive end Preston Smith has reportedly drawn interest with Green Bay rotating a lot of edge players and their defense skewing young. Smith is “on several teams’ radars.”
Smith has 2.5 sacks and 14 tackles through six games. Even though the Packers rotate a lot of their defensive linemen, Smith ranks second among the club’s defensive ends, playing 58.5% of the snaps. He wouldn’t be an every-down player but would undoubtedly be an upgrade on pass rushing downs if Green Bay entertains a trade.
The Falcons need help on the edge, but there is more than one way to skin a cat, and the club isn’t in a position to turn away from anyone who could potentially help the pass rush. According to Rapoport, Browns interior defender Quinton Jefferson has drawn interest from some teams, and as the NFL insider notes, “Over the last five years, Jefferson has been among the most efficient pass rushers among defensive tackles.”
Through the first seven games of 2024, Jefferson has logged six tackles and a sack in a limited role, but last year, he racked up 34 tackles and six sacks with the Jets.
More and more names will appear on the trade market before the deadline on November 4th. The simple fact is the Falcons cannot come away empty-handed and actually have any hope of a deep playoff run.
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