Jets general manager Joe Douglas has a message of optimism for his players and coaches, the fans, and for Haason Reddick and his agents, which he expressed several times in the first 15-plus news conference questions about the prodigious pass rusher who has yet to report to the team.

"Nothing's changed from our end," Douglas told Jets reporters this morning. "We obviously have a ton of respect for Haason. We're awaiting his arrival and looking forward to when he does and he'll be welcomed with opened arms. I can't lay out any expectations right now for when he does arrive, but we're all going to be excited."

The situation for Reddick, whom the Jets traded with the Eagles for in early April, at least publicly remains in limbo. Douglas declined to characterize the two sides as not talking at all over negotiations for a contract extension that would bring Reddick to One Jets Drive in time to prepare for the Jets' Sept. 9 season opener at San Francsico.

"I wouldn't say we've stopped communications," he said. "There hasn't been a recent conversation, but the phone lines are open."

And the reasons for that and for everyone in green and white waiting to embrace Reddick is because of what he can bring to the Jets' defense and team in the season just ahead. He has 58 career sacks in seven pro seasons, with double-digit sacks in each of his past four seasons, one each with Arizona and Carolina and the past two with Philadelphia.

"I wouldn't say frustration," Douglas said of his emotions regarding a trade that five months later still hasn't brought Reddick to his new team.

"We made the move because we have a lot of respect for him as a player and a person, and we think he can help us win games. We felt really good about the conversations leading up to and at the moment of the trade. So again, we're going to be excited to add him when he decides to arrive."

The GM stressed that as much as they want the player to "come home" (Reddick played his scholastic football at Haddon Heights HS in South Jersey and starred at Temple), he doesn't regret trading John Franklin-Myers to the Rams in late April and feels good about how the defensive line has come together throughout the offseason and training camp.

"We've prepared, we've gone through training camp without him," he said. "But obviously, we still want him here and we're excited to add him.

"In terms of replacing that production, we have a really deep room with a lot of good players. There's been a lot of great reps and opportunities for Jermaine [Johnson] and Will [McDonald]. Takk McKinley has been unbelievable. We've got 'Big Mike' [Clemons] — he's such a great teammate, he plays with great strain and effort and violence. We've added some good young talent in the room, so we feel great about our D-line depth as a whole."

Douglas said of the Jets wanting Reddick to report before they began to hammer out a new contract, "That's been the message, we've been clear on that." He was asked if the club might adjust the player's current contract first just to induce him to report to the Jets' Atlantic Health Training Center. He reminded that the audience for such a change in approach is far wider than just the Jets, Reddick and his reps.

"I think we've been clear from the outset, 'Hey, let's get here and then let's talk,' " he said. "I want to reiterate the respect I have, but I don't have the benefit of just dealing with one person and one agent. A lot of the decisions you make reverberate through the locker room, have a ripple effect on the locker room. To me, that will always be the most important thing."

As frustrating as the Reddick saga has been for fans who would love to see him in a Jets uniform applying pressure and hits and executing takedowns of every opposing QB from San Francisco's Brock Purdy on opening night to Tua Tagovailoa in the regular-season finale, Douglas said he continues to have confidence that the situation will conclude favorably for all parties.

"I'd say again, from our standpoint, we've been really clear and direct with our communications," he said. "I have a lot of respect for the agent, a lot of respect for the player. I have faith this will all get resolved."