With the free agency signing period close at hand and the draft not too far away as well, the Last Word On Sports NFL department is hard at work analyzing team needs at three key positions for each team. Here we take a look at the New York Jets.
New York Jets 2014 Season Review
To put it bluntly, the Jets were a complete dumpster fire in 2014. Gang Green was continual New York City tabloid fodder en route to a 4-12 season that prompted owner Woody Johnson to do a bit of house cleaning at season’s end. Head coach Rex Ryan was fired after six years with the team and general manager John Idzik lost his job a mere two years after assuming that position.
Despite prevalent calls to target somebody with offensive acumen, the franchise once again decided to hire a defensive-minded head coach, going with former Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles. Not since Rich Kotite have the Jets had a coach with ties to the offensive side of the football. Bowles’ defense in Arizona was among the league’s toughest to score on in 2014, finishing fifth in points allowed per game. What should make Jets fans happy about the hire was the fact he was named NFL Assistant of the Year for his performance.
Adding some inter-divisional intrigue, former Buffalo Bills head coach Chan Gailey was brought in as offensive coordinator. This after Ryan himself ended up taking the Buffalo head coaching job. Gailey will be tasked with improving a unit that had its fair share of turmoil in 2014. Of particular concern is that all-important quarterback position and whether or not the beleaguered Geno Smith is the future for this team.
Salary Cap Situation
The Jets have a proverbial boatload of cap space. Their effective salary cap when taking into account carryover comes to slightly more than $152 million yet their active cap spending is around $102 million. With a little over $1.5 million in dead money on the books, roughly $49 million is available to spend on personnel. Only three other teams (Browns, Raiders, Jaguars) in the league exceed that amount.
Having said all this, their situation might not necessarily be a good thing. If you’re a fan of the Jets, you’re probably well aware by now of this team’s propensity for overspending on free agents. The five-year, $36.25 million contract Eric Decker signed during last year’s free agency period is a prime example. His cap hit over the remainder of the deal averages a tad over $8 million a year.
2015 NFL Draft
This year’s draft is pretty straight forward for the Jets. Though things could change if they make some pre-draft deals, as of right now they have a pick per round and will be on the clock for the first time at number six. They would’ve had an extra pick in the sixth round but traded it to Seattle in the deal that sent Percy Harvin to the Meadowlands. If Harvin’s still on the Jets roster after March 19th, that pick will get upgraded to the fourth round. I guess the Seahawks will be ecstatic about that.
Where they pick in rounds four through seven will remain unknown until the NFL’s spring owners’ meeting when compensatory picks are determined. The Jets aren’t expected to be in the mix for any of those selections.
With all this in mind, let’s take a look at those three most pressing needs the Jets need to address in the offseason.
New York Jets Top 3 Offseason Needs
Quarterback
Two quarterbacks in the AFC East were looked at as potential game changers for their respective franchises when they were drafted in 2012. No more than two seasons into their respective NFL careers, it already looks as if the teams they play for are trying to figure out whether they should go in a different direction through free agency or the draft. Both E.J. Manuel and Geno Smith were benched at different points last year and it’s possible both players who took over the starting job at quarterback might not be back for either team.
Kyle Orton already announced his retirement at season’s end for the Bills, and I don’t expect the Jets to re-sign Michael Vick who’s set to become a free agent. If Vick departs, the only signal caller on the roster with any meaningful game experience goes into his third season not commanding much confidence as regards his long-term future.
With the Jets picking sixth in the first round, it’s expected they won’t have a chance to make a run at either Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota. The only scenario where that might be possible is if either player has a less than stellar Combine or pro day. UCLA’s Brett Hundley could be there when the Jets select fifth (37th overall) in the second round. More than likely, though, the team will utilize the late rounds to address this need and try to realize some value with either East Carolina’s Shane Carden or Baylor’s Bryce Petty.
The free agent market at the position is somewhat on the bare side. About the only players I could see the Jets making a play at are either Brian Hoyer or Josh McCown. McCown was cut by the Buccaneers and was in the news earlier in the week when it was rumored he was close to signing a deal with division rival Buffalo.
Cornerback
The Jets were tied with Kansas City and Jacksonville for the fewest interceptions in the league last year with a measly six picks. It’s pretty clear that this position needs to be a priority in the offseason. The secondary as a whole also gave up 31 receiving touchdowns, third worst league-wide.
If this team wants to address this need via free agent signings, there are a handful of intriguing names that could make immediate impacts. Perrish Cox of the 49ers was among the league’s best defensive backs in terms of breaking up passes and finished with five interceptions. Cox only counted $695,000 against San Francisco’s cap last year, so you’re talking about potentially great value for a guy who’s 28 and still has plenty of great years ahead of him.
Michigan State’s Trae Waynes is viewed as the top cornerback prospect coming out of the draft, but the Jets might be reaching to take him with their first round pick. I might wait until the mid-to-late rounds to draft a corner, with players such as Miami’s Quentin Collins and Oregon’s Ifo Ekpre-Olomu potentially available when the Jets pick 70th in the third round.
Offensive Tackle
Much of the success the Jets realized in Ryan’s first two seasons in charge was due in part to an imposing offensive line that dominated at the line of scrimmage. Moving forward to last year and you could make the argument that unit was one of many contributing factors leading to Ryan’s ouster.
Right guard Willie Colon is the lone player on the O-line hitting free agency in 2015 and I don’t see him re-signing. He was maddeningly mistake-prone last season with too many holds and false start penalties. This is a position the Jets could be in prime position to upgrade significantly with their first pick in the draft.
Iowa right tackle Brandon Scherff is clearly the best offensive lineman in a draft that shouldn’t be very high on first round picks at the position. You could see him take over Colon’s position by moving over to guard in the pros. He is a potential instant impact player on a unit that needs to make big strides if the Jets are to make any noticeable inroads in the AFC East.
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