The Jets have been looking for an edge grinder for 15 years. Is this the year you finally get one … or two?
The free agency starts at noon on Monday, when the negotiation window between teams and agents opens. Jets general manager Joe Douglas is expected to target the edge rusher as the team sees an opportunity with $ 69 million in wage cap space and a free agent market in a stronger position than The normal.
It has been a position of need since the Jets switched John Abraham after the 2005 season. Since then, three other Jets GMs have failed to fill the hole properly, even with defensive coaches in charge, such as Eric Mangini, Rex Ryan and Todd Bowles.
The Jets again have a defensive coach, Robert Saleh, who needs help to succeed.
There have been hints in the NFL draft for the position of the Jets, most notably Vernon Gholston, but they haven’t chased many free agency pass brokers over the years. This is because normally the best pass brokers do not reach the open market.
This is what makes this year different and presents an opportunity for Douglas to attack. Shaquil Barrett (Buccaneers), Yannick Ngakoue (Ravens), Matt Judon (Ravens), Trey Hendrickson (Saints) and Carl Lawson (Bengals) lead the way at the free agency and everyone would be candidates for the franchise most years. With the salary cap falling this year, more good players are coming to the market. With so many good edge rushers available, Douglas should be able to find value without overpaying.
Former NFL security analyst and current ESPN Matt Bowen named Ngakoue as the best fit for the Jets. He turns 26 in two weeks and has never had less than eight bags in his five-year career. He had a stranger 2020, where he was traded twice, but still managed to get eight bags. He may be a risk against the race, but the Jets could live with that. Saleh was the coach of the Jaguars linebackers in 2016, when Jacksonville called Ngakoue out of Maryland.
“Yannick Ngakoue would be one of my top priorities,” said Bowen. “I think he has a natural curvature and a contraction of the ball. I think it has disturbing characteristics. You look at Robert Saleh’s defense and how they plan their pass brokers. They do a lot with their first four, more than people think. It’s not just, ‘Hey, let’s hurry the quarterback and play the zone.’ They do a lot with several fronts. “
The expectation within the Jets is that they will add two edge rushers for Saleh. This could come on a free will basis or they could sign an edge editor and draft one. This year’s draft has no elite pass rushers like Chase Young or the Bosa brothers. Prospects like Gregory Rousseau of Miami, Kwity Paye of Michigan, Azeez Ojulari of Georgia and Jayson Oweh of Penn State may be potential targets with choosing the second round of the Jets (No. 23 overall), but everyone comes with doubts.
The new coaching staff is excited about what the Jets have on the inside defensive line with Quinnen Williams, John Franklin-Myers and Folorunso Fatukasi. The feeling is that if they manage to get off the edge, it will prevent Williams from doubling up and free him to further speed up the passer.
The last major pass that the Jets signed on as a free agency was Calvin Pace in 2008, when he signed a $ 42 million contract for six years. Pace had 46 sacks in eight years with the team, but was never dominant. He had double-digit bags only once.
In the past decade, the Jets have had to get their quick pass from inland attackers like Muhammad Wilkerson and Leonard Williams, or from blitzling linebacker Demario Davis or blitzing safety Jamal Adams.
Douglas has a chance to give Saleh something that his predecessors did not have – a great striker. This could happen as early as Monday.