EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – OCTOBER 21: Darron Lee #58 of the New York Jets reacts against the Minnesota Vikings at MetLife Stadium on October 21, 2018 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Vikings defeated the Jets 37-17. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images)
On a day that saw the team make some big changes in the front office, the New York Jets are trading linebacker Darron Lee to the Kansas City Chiefs.
When it was all said and done on May 15, it proved to be a very long day for the New York Jets. After making some news earlier on Wednesday when it came to the front office, the Green and White dealt away one of the team’s recent first-round draft choices.
Back in 2016, then Jets’ general manager Mike Maccagnan used the 20th overall pick that year on Ohio State University linebacker Darron Lee. And on a day in which the former was dismissed by the organization, the one-time Buckeye was dealt to the Kansas City Chiefs for a sixth-round draft choice in 2020. The move was made by interim GM and current Jets’ head coach Adam Gase (per ESPN’s Adam Schefter), who is in his first year with the organization.
In terms of what it means for Andy Reid’s Chiefs, Brooke Pryor of the Kansas City Star offered this analysis:
But what does the move mean for Gase and new defensive coordinator Greg Williams? The club did go out this offseason and landed one of the bigger free-agent prizes in inside linebacker C.J. Mosley, a four-time Pro Bowler with the Baltimore Ravens.
There’s been whispers regarding the availability of Lee in terms of a trade for quite some time so it wasn’t a surprise to hear the news, other than perhaps the timing. The three-year pro played in 40 games and made 36 starts since his arrival in ’16. He missed four games this past season but still finished third on the club with 73 tackles, to go along with three interceptions and five passes defensed.
So less than 24 hours after adding an additional title to his job description, Gase ends the evening making a deal that nets the team a pick in next year’s draft. Could it be the first of some additional moves made by the interim general manager over the next few weeks? Stay tuned.