With the 2021 season now behind them, the Jets are getting into an fascinating offseason.
Basic supervisor Joe Douglas has spent his first two years on the job clearing out unhealthy contracts, getting the Jets wage cap in form and buying draft belongings. That has meant buying and selling gamers away (Leonard Williams, Jamal Adams, Sam Darnold) and all the time pointing to subsequent 12 months.
Properly, subsequent 12 months is right here.
It's time for Douglas to tremendously enhance this roster and make the Jets a workforce that may be in rivalry for a playoff spot in 2022.
“We have now a number of work to do transferring ahead and we have to get higher throughout the board,” Douglas stated at his season-ending press convention. “I can let you know that our focus this offseason goes to be bettering the workforce and know that I stated bettering the workforce, not simply purchase expertise, however bettering the workforce.”
Douglas enters the offseason with $53.8 million in wage cap house, the fifth-most within the NFL, per Over The Cap. He additionally has 9 draft picks, 4 within the prime 38, to amass gamers who can have an instantaneous influence and assist coach Robert Saleh in his second 12 months.
Douglas has not requested for our assist, but when we have been in cost, right here is how we might assault the offseason:
Holding their very own
The very first thing that Douglas has to resolve on is the Jets’ personal free brokers. The Jets have 20 gamers able to develop into unrestricted free brokers in March. Some are low on the roster and Douglas could select to carry again on one-year offers.
The precedence for me if I have been Douglas can be re-signing defensive deal with Folorunso Fatukasi and large receiver/kick returner Braxton Berrios. Fatukasi is an underrated run-stopper in the course of the protection and a workforce chief. I feel you may get him on a three-year, $24 million cope with $15 million assured. Berrios was named All-Professional as a kick returner and was a dependable large receiver for Zach Wilson. It's arduous to determine what a contract will seem like for him, however the Jets must make each effort to carry him again until his contract calls for are outrageous.
The Jets ought to say goodbye to veterans Marcus Maye, Jamison Crowder, Jarrad Davis, Morgan Moses and Laurent Duvernay-Tardif. Maye’s free company is sophisticated by his Achilles damage. If Maye continues to be available on the market after the draft, I’d contemplate bringing him again on a one-year deal.
One different factor for Douglas to think about together with his personal gamers: Defensive deal with Quinnen Williams is eligible for an extension. I feel Douglas will wait till 2023 to increase Williams.
Trades
The Jets have stayed away from making splashy trades to amass gamers. They've been on the opposite facet as an alternative in recent times and that made sense as they started a rebuild. However the timing feels proper for Douglas to make a splash.
“I feel we’re all the time going to be aggressive if the fitting alternative presents itself and so, the nice factor is that I feel transferring ahead, we may be in nearly any dialogue relating to participant trades,” Douglas stated.
Falcons large receiver Calvin Ridley is probably the most fascinating identify rumored to be on the block. Ridley had 90 catches for 1,374 yards and 9 touchdowns in 2020, displaying he generally is a No. 1 receiver. He solely performed 5 video games in 2021, although, leaving the Falcons at midseason to work on his psychological well being.
There are a number of questions that have to be answered earlier than you possibly can simply say, “Go get him, Joe.” You must examine the circumstances of Ridley’s departure from the Falcons final season. Is he now in a greater place? Does he wish to play soccer? Then, there's the difficulty of what you would need to give as much as get Ridley. On expertise alone, Ridley would demand a first-round choose, however the complicating elements will decrease his value. ESPN not too long ago quoted an govt projecting it might be a conditional second-round choose that goes as much as a primary based mostly on enjoying time.
If I’m Douglas, I don’t wish to hand over a first-rounder. Bear in mind, this could be a 2023 draft choose whether it is conditional. I might hand over one of many two second-rounders the Jets have in 2022 for Ridley in the event you be ok with his want to play and his psychological well being.
Free company
It feels like a number of cap house while you say $53 million, however that received’t go far for the Jets this offseason. They've 9 draft picks to signal, together with two within the prime 10. I've additionally spent cash on Ridley, Fatukasi and Berrios already.
I don’t suppose the Jets are going to be main gamers in free company due to that. To me, they've to unravel considered one of their downside positions in free company. The very best choices to me are at security, cornerback, guard or tight finish. Douglas wants to search out probably the most bang for his buck at a kind of positions.
The very best choices in my eyes are Bengals security Jessie Bates III, Buccaneers cornerback Carlton Davis, Washington guard Brandon Scherff, 49ers guard Laken Tomlinson and Dolphins tight finish Mike Gesicki. I feel Douglas would wish to see first who doesn't get the franchise tag after which discover what the contract calls for for every of them is and discover the very best worth.
Relying on how a lot you spend on that first precedence, the remainder of free company can be about cheaper free brokers so as to add depth.
The Draft
It's inconceivable to venture the draft in January however the Jets go into this 12 months’s choice assembly with the No. 4 and 10 picks total. Numerous these choices shall be based mostly on what occurs within the classes above. If the Jets get Ridley, cross large receiver off the listing. If the Jets get Davis, cross cornerback off. There may be going to be a camp that desires the Jets to commerce again from 10, however I feel that shall be powerful this 12 months as a result of it's a weaker draft with out quarterbacks groups are going to focus on.
One place I feel Douglas ought to solely handle within the first spherical of the draft is edge rusher. That's the place you discover the very best. If Douglas can get Michigan’s David Ojabo or Purdue’s George Karlaftis, that will bolster Saleh’s protection. Relying on the opposite strikes within the offseason the opposite positions to observe are: cornerback, linebacker, middle/guard, tight finish, large receiver and security.
Get to work, Joe.
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