With a whole new front office, coaching staff, and mentality, the New York Jets will be making a plethora of changes this offseason. The Jets will need to re-sign or set free the following players this offseason (according to spotrac.com):
David Harris (30) MLB
Michael Vick (34) QB
Kyle Wilson (27) CB
Willie Colon (31) OG
Dawan Landry (32) SS
Bilal Powell (26) RB
Nick Bellore (25) MLB
Leger Douzable (27) DE
Benjamin Ijalana (25) OT
Kendrick Ellis (27) DT
Tanner Purdum (30) LS
Greg Salas (26) WR
Damon Harrison (26) DT
Jaiquawn Jarrett (25) FS
Dallas Reynolds (30) OG
Phillip Adams (26) CB
John Connor (27) FB
Jermaine Cunningham (26) DE
Matt Simms (26) QB
Terrence Campbell (27) OG
Marcus Lott (24) CB
Even if the Jets sign most of the 21 players on this list, there will still be major holes to fill on this roster. With 49 million dollars in cap space (according to overthecap.com), the Jets will have the capital to sign some of the top free agents on the market. Fifteen free agents the Jets should consider:
Tramon Williams (CB), age 31
Tramon Williams enjoyed most of his success early in his career but has failed to be a liability to his team in his eight year tenure for the Green Bay Packers. Williams was once arguably the best cover cornerback in the NFL, and one of the most versatile as well. He was also a ball-hawk for the Packers. He has regressed a bit since his 2010 Pro Bowl selection, but is still a top option for the Jets to sign at cornerback. At 5’11” 191 lbs, Tramon Williams has decent size, but he has the speed to keep up with most elite wide receivers. He is excellent in run support, and more than capable of limiting the damage a receiver can cause after the catch. Williams could start on any team in the NFL, let alone a cornerback-needy team like the New York Jets. Under Todd Bowles and Company, it would be best to line Williams up as a left corner as often as possible because of his size and his ability to stop the outside run, as well as blitz the quarterback. Left cornerbacks need to be better at this than right cornerbacks, who can sacrifice size for speed.
Antonio Cromartie (CB), age 30
Antonio Cromartie was already a member of the Jets under Rex Ryan, and played cornerback for the Arizona Cardinals under coach Todd Bowles for the last two years. Cromartie has already said that Rex Ryan and Todd Bowles are very similar coaches and that he is open to return to the Jets. His familiarity with the Jets players and facilities, as well as Todd Bowles’ scheme gives him a great chance to come back to East Rutherford this offseason. Antonio Cromartie, like Tramon Williams, produced most in his first few seasons. In Cromartie’s second season in the NFL for the San Diego Chargers, he had a whopping ten interceptions! He has regressed since then but still made the Pro Bowl in 2013 under coach Rex Ryan as a New York Jet, and in 2014 under Coach Todd Bowles as an Arizona Cardinal. If he can reach even near-Pro Bowl production for the New York Jets in 2015, it would be well worth it to sign him.
Byron Maxwell (CB), age 26
Byron Maxwell is seemingly a must-sign for the Jets this offseason as he has many virtues teams look for in a long-term cornerback. Firstly, he has his youth, which means he is less likely to get injured or regress, yet more likely to improve. Maxwell also has excellent size and speed, at 6’1” 207 lbs. In the NFL Draft Combine, he was clocked at 4.43 seconds in his 40-yard dash. Maxwell has been on the “Legion of Boom” and if signed by the Jets, will have a chance to lead a secondary to become the “No Flight Zone” Jets fans once knew. Maxwell is excellent in coverage and has become the NFL’s most underrated cornerback. In 2013, he had four interceptions, while forcing two fumbles. Last year he had two interceptions, while forcing one fumble. In an expanded role for the New York Jets, he will be able to improve on his production.
Darrelle Revis (CB), age 29
I know, this is the fourth cornerback on the list, but I promise it’s the last. The Jets are very needy at cornerback and there are four excellent cornerbacks I absolutely believe the Jets should consider signing this offseason. Todd Bowles loves to blitz, as he did so on 49% of all defensive plays last year, and he will need a good secondary to hold their own for the front seven to get in their opponents' backfields or he will be disabled from blitzing nearly as much as he would like. With that said, everybody knows about Revis Island- and many Jets fans have harsh feelings towards him for signing with the Patriots. If the Jets can get their hands on him, and owner Woody Johnson has shown strong interest in it, he would immediately improve the Jets’ secondary to being among the top in the NFL. Revis is still capable of shutting down the opponent’s top receiver any time, any day, despite recently being burned in the playoffs by the Ravens. When Darrelle Revis was a New York Jet, teams wouldn’t throw the ball near him because they knew it was a lost cause. This is unlike anything the 2014 Jets know, as quarterbacks could easily pick on any member of the Jets’ secondary.
Orlando Franklin (OL), age 27
Orlando Franklin is a huge, versatile force on the offensive line at 6’7” 320 lbs. Franklin plays both the guard and tackle positions. He has started in 63 of 64 possible regular season games for the Denver Broncos in his four years there. The Jets need to upgrade their right tackle and both guard positions, so signing Orlando Franklin would greatly help fix the Jets’ offensive line struggles. An offensive line consisting of Nick Mangold, D’Brickashaw Ferguson, and Orlando Franklin would be one of the top in the league. Last season, the Broncos only allowed 17 sacks on Peyton Manning, while rushing (with two backup running backs for the most part) for 111.6 yards per game, averaging a stellar 4.7 yards per carry! The Jets can surely use that kind of protection, as poor offensive line play resulted in several turnovers committed by Geno Smith and Michael Vick, and injuries to both as well.
Jeremy Maclin (WR), age 26
Jeremy Maclin is a spectacular wide receiver coming off a Pro Bowl season in which he racked up 85 receptions, 1,318 yards, and 10 touchdowns. The Jets can surely add such a dynamic threat to their arsenal including Eric Decker, Percy Harvin, and Jeremy Kerely. Whoever is starting for the Jets at quarterback next year will greatly benefit from having another star receiver to throw to. Maclin is still young, with plenty of time to improve, and has just entered his prime. He has good size, at 6’0” 198, and has good speed, as he ran his 40-yard dash in 4.45 seconds. Maclin is super-quick in space, however, and that makes up for his sub-elite speed. He brings a lot of big-play potential to the table, but lacks the consistency of elite receivers like Jordy Nelson and Julio Jones. If the Jets can snag him, Jeremy Maclin would be a great boost to the Jets’ lackluster offense, with the rest of the Jets’ receiving corpse making up for Maclin’s lack of consistency.
Randall Cobb (WR), age 24
Randall Cobb was a beast last season, with 1,287 yards and 12 touchdowns on 91 receptions. Cobb is just what the Jets need in a wide receiver, as nine of his twelve touchdowns came from the red zone. He even brings big-play potential, as evidenced by his 70-yard touchdown against the New Orleans Saints, and his 24 20+ yard catches throughout the season. Randall Cobb has been a dynamic receiving threat in his four-year career, but never as prodigious as he was last season. At a small size of 5’10” 192, it is easy to wonder just how Randall Cobb is such an amazing red zone threat. There are two reasons: First, he had Aaron Rodgers throwing to him. Rodgers is arguably the best quarterback in the league, with pin-point accuracy. Second, Cobb can slip through the cracks of coverage and use his superb quickness and route-running ability to get open in short yardage situations. Eight of his nine red zone touchdowns came from within ten yards. The Jets have struggled mightily in the red zone these past years, and the presence of Randall Cobb would put an end to that, with the combination of his route-running and Eric Decker’s size.
Dez Bryant (WR), age 26
This is a man who needs no introduction- Dez Bryant, if signed by the Jets would easily catapult their offense into the top ten in the NFL. Bryant has been elite for years, but has enjoyed no season as productive as his 2014 campaign, in which he racked up 1,320 yards and 16 touchdowns on 88 receptions! It was a season that included 22 20+ yard receptions and five 40+ yard receptions. It was the third season in a row that Bryant had over 1,200 yards and 12 touchdowns. It was also his third consecutive season in which he started all sixteen games, which means he avoids legal issues and injuries. His only problem is being a so-called “troublemaker” on the sideline, but the media is always out to get stars of Dez Bryant’s caliber so there isn’t much leverage to his troublemaking accusations. At only 26 years of age, things will only be going up for Dez Bryant from here, and he shouldn’t even begin to regress for at least another three or four years.
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David Harris (30) MLB
Michael Vick (34) QB
Kyle Wilson (27) CB
Willie Colon (31) OG
Dawan Landry (32) SS
Bilal Powell (26) RB
Nick Bellore (25) MLB
Leger Douzable (27) DE
Benjamin Ijalana (25) OT
Kendrick Ellis (27) DT
Tanner Purdum (30) LS
Greg Salas (26) WR
Damon Harrison (26) DT
Jaiquawn Jarrett (25) FS
Dallas Reynolds (30) OG
Phillip Adams (26) CB
John Connor (27) FB
Jermaine Cunningham (26) DE
Matt Simms (26) QB
Terrence Campbell (27) OG
Marcus Lott (24) CB
Even if the Jets sign most of the 21 players on this list, there will still be major holes to fill on this roster. With 49 million dollars in cap space (according to overthecap.com), the Jets will have the capital to sign some of the top free agents on the market. Fifteen free agents the Jets should consider:
Tramon Williams (CB), age 31
Tramon Williams enjoyed most of his success early in his career but has failed to be a liability to his team in his eight year tenure for the Green Bay Packers. Williams was once arguably the best cover cornerback in the NFL, and one of the most versatile as well. He was also a ball-hawk for the Packers. He has regressed a bit since his 2010 Pro Bowl selection, but is still a top option for the Jets to sign at cornerback. At 5’11” 191 lbs, Tramon Williams has decent size, but he has the speed to keep up with most elite wide receivers. He is excellent in run support, and more than capable of limiting the damage a receiver can cause after the catch. Williams could start on any team in the NFL, let alone a cornerback-needy team like the New York Jets. Under Todd Bowles and Company, it would be best to line Williams up as a left corner as often as possible because of his size and his ability to stop the outside run, as well as blitz the quarterback. Left cornerbacks need to be better at this than right cornerbacks, who can sacrifice size for speed.
Antonio Cromartie (CB), age 30
Antonio Cromartie was already a member of the Jets under Rex Ryan, and played cornerback for the Arizona Cardinals under coach Todd Bowles for the last two years. Cromartie has already said that Rex Ryan and Todd Bowles are very similar coaches and that he is open to return to the Jets. His familiarity with the Jets players and facilities, as well as Todd Bowles’ scheme gives him a great chance to come back to East Rutherford this offseason. Antonio Cromartie, like Tramon Williams, produced most in his first few seasons. In Cromartie’s second season in the NFL for the San Diego Chargers, he had a whopping ten interceptions! He has regressed since then but still made the Pro Bowl in 2013 under coach Rex Ryan as a New York Jet, and in 2014 under Coach Todd Bowles as an Arizona Cardinal. If he can reach even near-Pro Bowl production for the New York Jets in 2015, it would be well worth it to sign him.
Byron Maxwell (CB), age 26
Byron Maxwell is seemingly a must-sign for the Jets this offseason as he has many virtues teams look for in a long-term cornerback. Firstly, he has his youth, which means he is less likely to get injured or regress, yet more likely to improve. Maxwell also has excellent size and speed, at 6’1” 207 lbs. In the NFL Draft Combine, he was clocked at 4.43 seconds in his 40-yard dash. Maxwell has been on the “Legion of Boom” and if signed by the Jets, will have a chance to lead a secondary to become the “No Flight Zone” Jets fans once knew. Maxwell is excellent in coverage and has become the NFL’s most underrated cornerback. In 2013, he had four interceptions, while forcing two fumbles. Last year he had two interceptions, while forcing one fumble. In an expanded role for the New York Jets, he will be able to improve on his production.
Darrelle Revis (CB), age 29
I know, this is the fourth cornerback on the list, but I promise it’s the last. The Jets are very needy at cornerback and there are four excellent cornerbacks I absolutely believe the Jets should consider signing this offseason. Todd Bowles loves to blitz, as he did so on 49% of all defensive plays last year, and he will need a good secondary to hold their own for the front seven to get in their opponents' backfields or he will be disabled from blitzing nearly as much as he would like. With that said, everybody knows about Revis Island- and many Jets fans have harsh feelings towards him for signing with the Patriots. If the Jets can get their hands on him, and owner Woody Johnson has shown strong interest in it, he would immediately improve the Jets’ secondary to being among the top in the NFL. Revis is still capable of shutting down the opponent’s top receiver any time, any day, despite recently being burned in the playoffs by the Ravens. When Darrelle Revis was a New York Jet, teams wouldn’t throw the ball near him because they knew it was a lost cause. This is unlike anything the 2014 Jets know, as quarterbacks could easily pick on any member of the Jets’ secondary.
Orlando Franklin (OL), age 27
Orlando Franklin is a huge, versatile force on the offensive line at 6’7” 320 lbs. Franklin plays both the guard and tackle positions. He has started in 63 of 64 possible regular season games for the Denver Broncos in his four years there. The Jets need to upgrade their right tackle and both guard positions, so signing Orlando Franklin would greatly help fix the Jets’ offensive line struggles. An offensive line consisting of Nick Mangold, D’Brickashaw Ferguson, and Orlando Franklin would be one of the top in the league. Last season, the Broncos only allowed 17 sacks on Peyton Manning, while rushing (with two backup running backs for the most part) for 111.6 yards per game, averaging a stellar 4.7 yards per carry! The Jets can surely use that kind of protection, as poor offensive line play resulted in several turnovers committed by Geno Smith and Michael Vick, and injuries to both as well.
Jeremy Maclin (WR), age 26
Jeremy Maclin is a spectacular wide receiver coming off a Pro Bowl season in which he racked up 85 receptions, 1,318 yards, and 10 touchdowns. The Jets can surely add such a dynamic threat to their arsenal including Eric Decker, Percy Harvin, and Jeremy Kerely. Whoever is starting for the Jets at quarterback next year will greatly benefit from having another star receiver to throw to. Maclin is still young, with plenty of time to improve, and has just entered his prime. He has good size, at 6’0” 198, and has good speed, as he ran his 40-yard dash in 4.45 seconds. Maclin is super-quick in space, however, and that makes up for his sub-elite speed. He brings a lot of big-play potential to the table, but lacks the consistency of elite receivers like Jordy Nelson and Julio Jones. If the Jets can snag him, Jeremy Maclin would be a great boost to the Jets’ lackluster offense, with the rest of the Jets’ receiving corpse making up for Maclin’s lack of consistency.
Randall Cobb (WR), age 24
Randall Cobb was a beast last season, with 1,287 yards and 12 touchdowns on 91 receptions. Cobb is just what the Jets need in a wide receiver, as nine of his twelve touchdowns came from the red zone. He even brings big-play potential, as evidenced by his 70-yard touchdown against the New Orleans Saints, and his 24 20+ yard catches throughout the season. Randall Cobb has been a dynamic receiving threat in his four-year career, but never as prodigious as he was last season. At a small size of 5’10” 192, it is easy to wonder just how Randall Cobb is such an amazing red zone threat. There are two reasons: First, he had Aaron Rodgers throwing to him. Rodgers is arguably the best quarterback in the league, with pin-point accuracy. Second, Cobb can slip through the cracks of coverage and use his superb quickness and route-running ability to get open in short yardage situations. Eight of his nine red zone touchdowns came from within ten yards. The Jets have struggled mightily in the red zone these past years, and the presence of Randall Cobb would put an end to that, with the combination of his route-running and Eric Decker’s size.
Dez Bryant (WR), age 26
This is a man who needs no introduction- Dez Bryant, if signed by the Jets would easily catapult their offense into the top ten in the NFL. Bryant has been elite for years, but has enjoyed no season as productive as his 2014 campaign, in which he racked up 1,320 yards and 16 touchdowns on 88 receptions! It was a season that included 22 20+ yard receptions and five 40+ yard receptions. It was the third season in a row that Bryant had over 1,200 yards and 12 touchdowns. It was also his third consecutive season in which he started all sixteen games, which means he avoids legal issues and injuries. His only problem is being a so-called “troublemaker” on the sideline, but the media is always out to get stars of Dez Bryant’s caliber so there isn’t much leverage to his troublemaking accusations. At only 26 years of age, things will only be going up for Dez Bryant from here, and he shouldn’t even begin to regress for at least another three or four years.
This is the first half of this article- for the rest, CLICK HERE!
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