New York Jets NFL offseason preview: Roster

[gmf1369]

The New York Jets' 2021 season didn't produce tangible results (a 4-13 record and a lot of ugly stats, especially on defense), but the point of the year was to play the kids and determine which ones could be part of the future foundation. The rookies played a total of 5,681 snaps, second only to the Detroit Lions (5,989), according to ESPN Stats & Information.

Wide receiver Elijah Moore and running back Michael Carter flashed the most potential, with guard Alijah Vera-Tucker a notch below them. Quarterback Zach Wilson and cornerback Brandin Echols endured more growing pains than the others, but the organization remains high on their futures. They have to be right about Wilson. If not, the regime of coach Robert Saleh and GM Joe Douglas will have failed.

The return of defensive end Carl Lawson (zero games played) and wide receiver Corey Davis (nine games), both coming back from injuries, should help a lot. Despite injury and personnel issues on both sides of the ball, the Jets were competitive over the final month, fueling internal optimism that the rebuilding plan is working.

Projected salary-cap space: $47,464,306

Top free agents: WR/KR Braxton Berrios, S Marcus Maye, DT Folorunso Fatukasi, WR Jamison Crowder

Potential cut candidates: Cap-wise, they're in pretty decent shape, so there's no immediate pressure to dump salary. Tight end Ryan Griffin ($3 million savings) and guard Greg Van Roten ($3.5 million) are possible cuts, but their cap charges aren't grossly out of line for veteran backups. If things get tight, defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins ($5.4 million) could be a name to watch. Linebacker C.J. Mosley won't get cut because he has a $16 million guarantee in 2022, meaning the cap hit is prohibitive, but he could be asked to do a routine restructure to lower his enormous cap charge ($17.5 million).

ESPN Rich Cimini

 

[Seaver41]

odds of Becton being dealt?

 

[Innocenti]

odds of Becton being dealt?

In 2022....close to zero

 

[Innocenti]

...They have to be right about Wilson. If not, the regime of coach Robert Saleh and GM Joe Douglas will have failed. ...

I can't help but wonder if the 2-14 debacle was staged in an attempt to snag Lawrence. If that was the case, and I think it's rather likely that it is, then JD failed on two accounts.

1. He didn't get Lawrence
2. Tua and Jones were better.

In fact, it's usually a bad proposition to tank for a better chance at a top QB. Some history.

2008 - Jets missed on Matt Ryan who won an MVP....Flacco won the superbowl.
2006 - Jets missed on Vince Young but Cutler turned out to be best
2005 - Alex Smith went 1st overall but 4-time MVP and superbowl champ Aaron Rodgers was still available 20 picks later.
2021 - Already mentioned
2009 - Matthew Stafford won the superbowl...but with a team different than the one that drafted him.
2010 - Sam Bradford and Tim Tebow

 

[gmf1369]

I can't help but wonder if the 2-14 debacle was staged in an attempt to snag Lawrence. If that was the case, and I think it's rather likely that it is, then JD failed on two accounts.

1. He didn't get Lawrence
2. Tua and Jones were better.

In fact, it's usually a bad proposition to tank for a better chance at a top QB. Some history.

2008 - Jets missed on Matt Ryan who won an MVP....Flacco won the superbowl.
2006 - Jets missed on Vince Young but Cutler turned out to be best
2005 - Alex Smith went 1st overall but 4-time MVP and superbowl champ Aaron Rodgers was still available 20 picks later.
2021 - Already mentioned
2009 - Matthew Stafford won the superbowl...but with a team different than the one that drafted him.
2010 - Sam Bradford and Tim Tebow

I guess there are many ways to look at it...
end of the day they have to make it work otherwise the organization will be like always searching for positives...

 

[Seaver41]

I can't help but wonder if the 2-14 debacle was staged in an attempt to snag Lawrence. If that was the case, and I think it's rather likely that it is, then JD failed on two accounts.

1. He didn't get Lawrence
2. Tua and Jones were better.

In fact, it's usually a bad proposition to tank for a better chance at a top QB. Some history.

2008 - Jets missed on Matt Ryan who won an MVP....Flacco won the superbowl.
2006 - Jets missed on Vince Young but Cutler turned out to be best
2005 - Alex Smith went 1st overall but 4-time MVP and superbowl champ Aaron Rodgers was still available 20 picks later.
2021 - Already mentioned
2009 - Matthew Stafford won the superbowl...but with a team different than the one that drafted him.
2010 - Sam Bradford and Tim Tebow

can't buy in to the notion of just going after Lawrence.......if so they needed to do more to not win the games they did........and what HC would sign his own walking papers to just improve the next guy's draft?

 

[Innocenti]

can't buy in to the notion of just going after Lawrence.......if so they needed to do more to not win the games they did........and what HC would sign his own walking papers to just improve the next guy's draft?

I don't think Gase had much choice. Or maybe he trusted JD not to throw him under a bus. I'm not necessarily sold on the idea that the Jets tanked. I just lean a bit in that direction but I haven't seen anything compelling for that idea.

 

[Seaver41]

what has to be kept in mind with any draft pick is who picked him. I gotta believe Joe D has a lot of sweat equity invested in making that pick even though it was under the Gase scheme. Still one has to wonder how the current regime feels about him

 

[Innocenti]

If it's for a top 10 pick? Sure.

If not?

It makes zero sense to quit on an extremely talented O-Lineman with Franchise LT potential before even heading into his 3rd year (and all because of a 2nd year injury).

Kid was an absolute beast as a ROOKIE and earned nicknames such as Big Ticket and Highway 77 because of it and absolutely dominated/manhandled some of the best NFL pads rushers within the entire league.

Let's be honest here. Zach Wilson was sacked 44x and Mike White sacked a couple of times too (and Mekhi Becton wasn't there to protect/save them).

Becton becomes an FA in two seasons and the Jets are sitting on negative cap money if they release him. So, even if the Jets were trying to move him and the consensus was talent-wise he's worth a top ten pick, the Jets are not in a favorable bargaining position and so I don't think that's likely.

But hey, the Eagles were in worse shape last off-season but still managed to move Wentz. So who knows.

Edit: Add to that Becton is only locked in for two seasons. and a rookie contract is twice as long.

 

[Seaver41]

always have to worry about a guy who looks at the menu and says.....'yes'

 

[Innocenti]

always have to worry about a guy who looks at the menu and says.....'yes'

or orders by page number.

 

[NewMFS62]

what HC would sign his own walking papers to just improve the next guy's draft?

Brian Flores signed his own walking papers when he refused to do it, and they even offered him money to do it.
Later

 

[Jetsfan4life]

NFL = NOT FOR LONG doesn't only apply to players but to coaches as well.

on the Becton front he looks like he is settling back into the swing of things.

 

[Tinstar]

I don't think Gase had much choice. Or maybe he trusted JD not to throw him under a bus. I'm not necessarily sold on the idea that the Jets tanked. I just lean a bit in that direction but I haven't seen anything compelling for that idea.

Why do you think JD threw Gase under the bus ? Gase was in charge, not JD . He called the shots and 1st Mac did his bidding and then JD did . He dug his own grave and lied down in it . All JD did was cover him up

 

[Innocenti]

Why do you think JD threw Gase under the bus ? Gase was in charge, not JD . He called the shots and 1st Mac did his bidding and then JD did . He dug his own grave and lied down in it . All JD did was cover him up

Did you read not read the part where I said that I'm not necessarily sold on the idea? It's just speculation at this point and I could change my mind rather easily. Don't ask me to defend something that I don't necessarily believe. With that said, if my speculation is actually true, you might have explained it in your first sentence.

 

[Seaver41]

I don't really think anyone was in charge....just one big cluster.....and obviously JD saw this and won the power struggle. Might've been the most important front office development in their history.

 

[Innocenti]

Why do you think JD threw Gase under the bus ? Gase was in charge, not JD . He called the shots and 1st Mac did his bidding and then JD did . He dug his own grave and lied down in it . All JD did was cover him up

It's pretty clear that JD did not like Darnold. Did it start before JD arrived or towards the end of the season? I don't know. But if it started early on, it could certainly be a motive for tanking to get a top QB. Again, I'm not saying he did. This is all speculation at this point.

 

[Seaver41]

IMO, tanking only works from the GM level in not giving the coaching staff proper tools. In a rebuild, part of that is the teardown...I just refuse to believe coaches should be asked to compromise themselves.

 

[Tinstar]

It's pretty clear that JD did not like Darnold. Did it start before JD arrived or towards the end of the season? I don't know. But if it started early on, it could certainly be a motive for tanking to get a top QB. Again, I'm not saying he did. This is all speculation at this point.

If the Jets were tanking, then why was the only coach who was on board with a tank fired ?

 

[Innocenti]

If the Jets were tanking, then why was the only coach who was on board with a tank fired ?