With the agency about to start, here are some last-minute notes and thoughts on the Jets and this important period of free agency gleaned from conversations with sources inside and outside the Jets:
1 It’s no secret that the Jets are after the Patriots, Joe Thuney. They would have been a suitor last year if the Patriots didn’t use the franchise’s label on it. This year, he will be one of the main targets of the Jets. However, the Jets are concerned about a bidding war for Thuney. They see him as the top guard in the market, with a big drop after him. They fear that this will lead to some team paying too much for it. The Jets do not want to be dragged into a bidding war and are certain that they will retain the value they have assigned to the players.
Another interior striker that will generate some buzz is the Packers corey Corey Linsley. The feeling I have in Linsley is that the Jets are not as interested in him as they are in Thuney. If the Linsley market doesn’t develop and Joe Douglas sees value, he can attack, but I don’t expect the Jets to be one of Linsley’s biggest suitors. An interesting dynamic with Linsley is the new Jets offensive coordinator, Mike LaFleur. Her brother Matt is the Packers coach and knows Linsley well. You must ask yourself how much information Mike got from Matt about Linsley.
The Jets do not feel the need to replace Connor McGovern. They felt that he played better at the end of last year. If they hired Linsley, they could expel McGovern to the guard, but their preference for reinforcing the offensive line is to add Thuney.
two The Jets will be great competitors in the top market. An interesting name to watch out for is Steelers passing the Bud Dupree rusher. Dupree broke his ACL in December, and it will be fascinating to see how his free agency fares. Were it not for the loss, Dupree would receive money from the top of the market. Now, the teams will be more reluctant to pay him a lot of money. Dupree and his agent may seek a one-year contract so that he can recover and return to the market next year. I can’t see the Jets doing that, though. You are essentially paying a player for rehab. Who knows when Dupree will really be able to play and players will usually take two years to fully recover from a break in the ACL.
3 The Jets will reach areas in need of free agency, but a major need that they may not be able to meet is the cornerback. This is a weak free agent class in position and Douglas may choose to hire some players in depth instead of paying any of the best players available and then choosing a cornerback. The Jets also feel good about the young singers Bless Austin and Bryce Hall. The new coaching staff believes that they can become good players. Austin and Hall had some good times and some bad ones at the beginning of their careers. They are probably better suited for being the third and fourth corners than the first and second corners at this point. But Douglas may have to roll with the youth and hope that a high pass will help the secondary.
A wildcard in the cornerback is Richard Sherman. It is well known how he feels about the new Jets coach Robert Saleh. It wouldn’t make sense to the Jets if it weren’t for Saleh’s connection. Sherman certainly prefers to join a team that has a chance at this year’s Super Bowl. The Jets should not hire 33-year-old cornerbacks. But it makes sense for Saleh to want a respected player who knows his system to come and help him teach him and help him in the locker room while he tries to build his program.