The Jets joined the board on Monday night with some free agency deals. Here are some ideas about the Jets’ movements and what’s to come:
1. I am not a fan of spending a lot on free agency. I don’t think it’s a sustainable way to win. That said, I recognize that the Jets were in a position where they had to spend some money and I think Joe Douglas took a wise approach.
Douglas identified edge rusher and wide receiver as two positions in this market that had more talent than usual, as the reduced salary cap forced teams to make some tough decisions and prevent players who would normally get the franchise brand from achieving it.
Then he analyzed two players, Corey Davis and Carl Lawson, who would not seek the best contracts in their position and were also young enough (both will be 26 in week 1) so that their best football is ahead of them.
That said, no one knows what these contracts will look like in two years. They gave Lawson a guaranteed $ 30 million and he never had double-digit bags. They gave Davis a guaranteed $ 27 million and he never had 1,000 yards in one season.
Free agents are free agents for a reason. The trick is to identify what that reason is and find out if it is worth investing in them. In this case, it seems that the Titans had other priorities and did not want to pay Davis, and the Bengals tried to keep Lawson, but my guess is that they were reluctant to structure the contract in the same way as the guaranteed money Jets. We’ll see when we have all the details of the contract.
Both players pose risks, but the Jets are better off in these positions today than they were yesterday. They also did not overpay on the biggest names available, as they did with Trumaine Johnson, Le’Veon Bell and CJ Mosley. I preferred Yannick Ngakoue to the edge rusher because he is more proven, but Lawson may have a bigger advantage.
It is impossible to know how these players will fare. That note will come in two years. But Douglas’s logic, plan and execution were sound.
2. The Jets are not finished yet. There are still holes in this list and Douglas will not be able to fill them all in the draft. I’m not sure if Douglas is going to hand out more big contracts. I think now he will be looking for value. The biggest jumping positions are cornerback and running back. The Jets feel that the draft is stronger in these positions than the arbitration. But they still need to add in the position.
Some players to watch: RBs Kenyan Drake and Jamaal Williams, CBs Shaquill Griffin and Richard Sherman.
I could also see the Jets adding another edge rusher to go along with Lawson. Kerry Hyder had 8 ½ sacks last season for Robert Saleh in San Francisco. It will not break the bank and will be an upgrade with familiarity with the scheme.
I also think that Jets need a little more depth in the linebacker and the tight end.
3. I didn’t list the inside offensive line above because I don’t think the Jets have many options there. The free agent market was Joe Thuney on guard, Corey Linsley in the center and then a big drop. I’m not sure if any of the names that are still out there are an update for the Jets. Douglas can address the need in the draft or maybe he can find someone in a trade. I think he needs to do something as a guard, and he can’t go into the season with Alex Lewis and Greg Van Roten as his only answers. The Jets like Connor McGovern in the center and feel that he played better at the end of the season.
As for Thuney, you can’t criticize Douglas for not hiring a guard for $ 16 million a season. This is crazy and good money for Thuney to get it. Also, if the Jets match the Chiefs’ offer, where is Thuney going? Kansas City was in the last two Super Bowls. Therefore, the Jets would have to outperform the offer, perhaps significantly, to land it.
As for Linsley, the Jets were not interested. They did their homework on Linsley and decided he didn’t fit. They were not being cheap. They just didn’t think he was the right player for them. You must think they knew a lot about him, since he played for Matt LaFleur for the past two years and his brother Mike is now the Jets’ offensive coordinator.
4. Jarrad Davis’s signature discourages me. He did not play well in Detroit to the point of having a reduced role last season. I wonder what the Jets’ plans are for him. They didn’t pay you much money, so they may see you as a deep player.
As for Mosley, I wouldn’t change it. I think the Jets will not be able to move it because of the contract and, if they do, they will not receive much in return. He’s a good football player when he’s healthy. Take a chance to get something from him this season and try to move him in the next off-season.
5. One last observation about an old Jet. When I saw the news that Washington signed quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick to a $ 10 million contract for a year, I thought about the end of the 2016 season with the Jets. Fitz had played terribly that year and everyone knew that his time with the Jets was over. A reporter asked Fitzpatrick if he thought he just played football, period. Fitzpatrick did not like the question. That’s why I remember. He was irritated by the idea that he was finished. Five years later, he just received another $ 10 million. Long live Fitzmagic. He had a fascinating life in football.