by Kyle Delahanty
As Kansas City and members of Chiefs Kingdom from around the globe celebrate a Super Bowl victory for the first time in 50 years, New York Jets fans look forward to a 51st?…52nd?… straight offseason in hopes of an actual rebuild. It’s been so long you begin to lose track of how many years it’s actually been.
Now, a true lifelong Jets fan will admit that the Jets have more holes to fill and changes to make than a quick blog post could justify. Ultimately, my offseason suggestions are…well my offseason suggestions and I have to understand these probably won’t happen, although I think the team should find a way to make a few of these moves.
Let’s take a look at the ingredients to the START of a Jets rebuild in the right direction (remember, it’s a start…it’s not all going to happen in one season).
First up, FIRE ADAM GASE. Unfortunately, it seems this ingredient was missing from the Jets actual plan, so we’ll have to maneuver our way around this one for now and wait for that to happen next year.
Anyway, the Jets currently hold about $49.6 million in cap space heading into the offseason, but by cutting a few ties to certain players on their roster, they’d be taking off into free agency with around $67.7 million in cap space.
A few notable cuts to clear some room would be releasing the likes of CB Trumaine Johnson, RG Brian Winters, CBs Darryl Roberts and Nate Hairston, as well as WR Josh Bellamy. One additional name that has been rumored to possibly be released is LB Avery Williamson, and although he’ll be coming off a torn ACL, I think Williamson is too much of an asset to the Jets roster and I’d like to see him and CJ Mosley play alongside each other in DC Gregg Williams’ defense for the 2020 season.
Notable UFA’s from the 2019 roster will be WRs Robbie Anderson and Demaryius Thomas, RB Bilal Powell, and LT Kelvin Beachum. Simply put, the Jets should move on from all four of these men.
Now, positions of need for the Jets are the offensive line (which should be the Jets #1 priority not only for this offseason but for years to come) cornerback, wide receiver, and finding a legitimate edge rusher to get some pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
I think the number 1 rule in free agency is to find players that will be beneficial to your roster for years to come, rather than just throwing money at big name stars (S/O Mike Maccagnan and Trumaine Johnson). With that being said, through my years of watching football, I’m a firm believer in the fact that positons such as RB and WR can be filled in the late rounds of the NFL Draft, instead of reaching for skill position talent so early on (S/O Kamara, Hill….and even you, Antonio Brown).
Considering the Jets need to make protecting QB Sam Darnold their number one priority, I’d love for them to fill at least two, if not three of the OL holes with valuable talent. This could involve the likes of Brandon Scherff, Jack Conklin or Anthony Costanzo, plus a 1st or 2nd round draft pick selection in Andrew Thomas, Tristan Wirfs, Jedrick Wills or Tyler Biadasz. If the Jets can acquire two of these upcoming free agents, then I wouldn’t be opposed to drafting a WR like Jerry Jeudy or CeeDee Lamb at #11 in the draft, while hoping Biadasz falls to NYJ early in the 2nd round, which can definitely happen. Depending on how much cap space would be available following the signing of two valuable OL, the addition of a non-overpriced CB and edge rusher should be the next move for the Jets.
To wrap things up, I want to make one thing clear. The Jets can NOT get rid of Jamal Adams nor Le’Veon Bell. Adams is a bonafide superstar and an ideal leader for a franchise, and if you can utilize Bell the right way and give him holes to run through, he will be worth the money he’s getting paid. I have faith in Joe Douglas, don’t screw this up!
Hey guys, I will be doing a lot of these posts frequently where I feature friends and family on my blog. I feel as if it’ll offer a better perspective into how certain fans of certain teams truly feel about their beloved franchises. You can follow the author of this article, Kyle, on Instagram @kyledelahanty_
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