Some would call it spinning. Others would regard it as digging. A deeper hole.

And that's what the Jets seem to be doing.

They traded for pass rusher Haason Reddick at a time when he wanted a new contract. But they didn't sign him to a new contract before making the deal.

Advantage, Reddick.

Since then, he has dug in, staying away from all of the offseason program and now holding out from training camp. The move brings back into focus the wisdom, or lack thereof, of trading for Reddick without a new contract.

The Jets are responding by leaking to a reliable and compliant member of the press corps covering the team. Here’s the latest from Connor Hughes of SNY.tv:

"The [Jets] made Haason Reddick a contract offer before the trade from Philadelphia. It would have been a raise from the $14.5 million he's scheduled to make this year. Reddick declined the offer. The Jets said if he wanted more ($25-$28m annually), they needed to see him perform first. In the meantime, the Jets would adjust his current deal (convert non-GTD to GTD, incentives). Reddick told the Jets he was on board with this. He would show up for the offseason program, minicamp, & training camp. He'd perform well early [in the] season, leading [to] an in-season extension (similar to John Franklin-Myers in 2021). Reddick then skipped OTAs, minicamp & training camp. The Jets are not willing to negotiate anything until he shows up. The Jets do not know when he plans on coming back. He will be fined for his absences."

This new report adds a twist to Hughes's prior report that "[i]t was understood there would be no contract extension before the season," and that the plan was to "[p]lay it out, play well, then get the deal you desire (ideally with the Jets) after the year." The last time, there was no mention of a pre-trade contract offer.

All in all, the current situation becomes the latest example of the obvious risks associated with trading for a player who wants a new deal without agreeing to a new deal on the way through the door. After the trade, the player has the leverage. Before the trade, the team has the leverage.

The Jets aren't the first team to do this. The Texans did it when trading for tackle Laremy Tunsil. The Seahawks did it when trading for safety Jamal Adams. The Rams did it when trading for cornerback Jalen Ramsey. (That's just a few.)

In each case, it would have been better to do the deal at the same time the trade was being done — and to not do the trade if the player wouldn't agree to the deal.

The Jets might think the news that the Jets offered Reddick a new contract and he said "no thanks" and they traded for him anyway makes the situation better. Most would say it doesn't.