The New York Jets shocked the NFL world by parting ways with two-time All Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner in a trade with the Indianapolis Colts at the trade deadline on Tuesday.
The deal sends Sauce Gardner to the Colts in exchange for two first-round draft picks and second year wide receiver Adonai Mitchell. The Jets now own the Colts first-round picks for the next two years and have set themselves up for a full rebuild. Meanwhile this move signals that Indianapolis is in a win-now mode, sacrificing future draft capital for a Super Bowl run.
Despite Sauce Gardner being loved by the organization and signing a record breaking contract extension this offseason, when any team is presented with an offer of that nature it is hard to pass it up, especially considering the Jets have struggled yet again with a 1-7 record by the deadline.
Other notable players who have been traded for two first-round picks include Micah Parsons, Khalil Mack, and Jalen Ramsey. This is a special list of talent and Sauce Gardner will make an immediate impact for the 7-2 Colts.
An underrated aspect of this trade was the fact that Adonai Mitchell was a throw in. Drafted just one year ago at pick 52 in the second round, Mitchell was an incredible talent coming out of the University of Texas who put up 845 yards and 11 touchdowns in his final year before entering the draft. Mitchell is known for his 4.3 speed and crisp route running, but it just hasn’t worked out in his favor playing for the Colts.
With the Colts having the best offense in the NFL this year, Mitchell has not had much opportunity with so many mouths to feed and his talent has been overlooked. Now, he’ll have the chance to shine in a depleted wide receiver room for the New York Jets and will get to play along one of the best receivers in the league, Garrett Wilson.
Overall, this is a trade that benefits both teams, but I’d give the edge to the New York Jets. This one will be fun to look back on a few years from now to see who really won the trade.