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Rich Cimini, ESPN Staff Writer
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Take a look at what's happening around the New York Jets.
1. Recipient required: Now that Aaron Rodgers has new protection details, and we're talking about a revamped offensive line, not the Secret Service, the focus shifts to the wide receivers.
When Rodgers arrived 11 months ago, his receiving corps included holdovers Garrett Wilson and Corey Davis, newcomers/old friends Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb, and newcomer Mecole Hardman. In theory, it was a deep and balanced group.
That never worked. Only Wilson and Lazard remain, and Lazard may be on thin ice after being benched last season. Rodgers, who has said in multiple interviews that he needs to add receiver, may be questioning the status of his arsenal after the Jets failed to address the position in the first wave of free agency.
The options are rapidly dwindling, and the pressure is mounting on general manager Joe Douglas to fulfill the role of a future Hall of Fame quarterback.
Douglas had some interest in Jerry Jeudy and Keenan Allen before being traded to the Cleveland Browns and Chicago Bears, respectively, but is still exploring the trade market, sources said. Tee Higgins has requested a trade from the Cincinnati Bengals, and San Francisco 49ers star Brandon Aiyuk is rumored to have a wandering eye, but there are no specifics suggesting either is available. There is no evidence.
The smartest plan for Douglas, who is looking for a bargain, is to sign a moderately priced free agent and then jump into the deep receiver depth in the draft. Talent evaluators believe that when the Jets acquire a second-round pick (they traded a second-round pick for Rodgers), that quality will extend into the third round.
In terms of free agency, we have a fading star (Odell Beckham Jr.), a star coming back from ACL surgery (Mike Williams), a solid WR3 (Tyler Boyd), and another Rodgers entourage (Marquez Valdez). This is a mid-sized group that includes (Scantling). Mr Williams will reportedly visit this week. Also keep an eye on Beckham, who was on the verge of signing a contract last year.
Davis, who requested reinstatement after opting to sit out last season, is available. The Jets would welcome him back to compete for a roster spot, but my sense is he would explore the market and prefer a team closer to his home in Nashville, Tennessee.
So far, the Jets' top three receivers are Wilson and second-year players Xavier Gipson and Jason Brownlee, with the latter two combining for 26 catches as rookies. Perhaps in the near future, Rodgers will be campaigning as a receiver.
2. Tyrone's influence: The addition of former Dallas Cowboys left tackle Tyron Smith does three things. The initial stages of rebuilding the offensive line are complete. The Jets can continue to be wary of Aaliyah Vera-Tucker. The draft board then opens with the 10th pick.
Jets current starting five, left to right: Smith, John Simpson (via free agency), Joe Tippman, Vera Tucker, Morgan Moses (via trade). On paper, it's a much improved line from last season.
Before signing Smith, most people in the mock draft world had the Jets' tackle at No. 10, but now he could be a wide receiver or tight end, possibly Georgia's Brock Bowers. In a perfect world, they would like to trade down and acquire another top-100 pick. For now, they only have two.
The additions of Smith and Moses don't preclude drafting tackles, who are 33 years old on one-year deals, but it certainly reduces the need for them.
3. All in: Smith's departure reflects a sense of crisis throughout the organization, with owner Woody Johnson on high alert after a string of disappointing seasons. Smith is a quick-fix/high-risk player.
If the eight-time Pro Bowler plays, the Jets will have their best left tackle since Debris Shaw Ferguson a decade ago. If his injury problems remain (missing 37 games over the last four seasons) and he succumbs to Father Time, it will be compared to the Duane Brown and Ryan Clady disasters. Smith allowed two sacks in his final game and lost to the Green Bay Packers in the playoffs. Maybe it was just the worst day at the office.
Financially, the Jets protected themselves with an incentive-heavy one-year deal that included less than $7 million guaranteed.
4. Clowney on the radar: With Bryce Huff and Quinton Jefferson signing to the Philadelphia Eagles and Browns, respectively, the Jets lost 33% of their sack production. They are in the market for an edge rusher and will reportedly welcome former No. 1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney on a free-agent visit on Tuesday. Clowney, 31, had 9.5 sacks last season as a three-down player with the Baltimore Ravens. It will be interesting to see if the Jets view him as a situational pass rusher, essentially Huff's role, or as a starting defensive end. In other words, do they see him as a potential successor to John Franklin Myers? He's still a productive 3-down player, but the cap charge is his $16.4 million.
5. Jefferson Memorial: When the Jets signed defensive tackles Javon Kinlaw and Leki Fotu, it was a natural assumption that they were moving on from Jefferson. it's not. They wanted him back. The Jets were given a chance to match the one-year, $3.6 million contract offer they received from the Browns, but they waited too long to respond, two people familiar with the matter said. By the time the Jets responded, Jefferson had agreed to terms with Cleveland. Things move quickly in free agency.
6. Oldies but delicious: The Jets may be getting younger at some positions, but not at quarterback.
Rogers is 40 years old. Newly signed backup Tyrod Taylor will be 35 years old by the start of the season. The Jets will have the oldest quarterback room in the league. In fact, according to ESPN Stats & Information, they are the first team to have two players in the 35+ category on their Week 1 roster since the 2020 Atlanta Falcons, who had Matt Ryan (35) and Matt Schaub (39). It will be the first team to field a quarterback. .
A similar thing happened with the New Orleans Saints in 2016 with Drew Brees (age 37) and Luke McCown (age 35).
This isn't Taylor's first time as a junior quarterback. He backed up Philip Rivers (38) of the Los Angeles Chargers in 2019.
7. He's a tough guy, but…: Taylor showed last season that he can still play. With the New York Giants, he ranked 19th out of 41 quarterbacks in expected points added/play based on at least 200 dropbacks. (By the way, Zach Wilson is 40th). Taylor's problem is durability.
During his 13-year career, he has suffered broken ribs and four concussions, as well as hamstring, wrist and groin injuries. Now he's backing up his quarterback with a surgically repaired Achilles tendon. The Jets hope the injury gods give them a change.
8. For sale: Speaking of Wilson, the New York Post reported that his condo in New Jersey went up for sale about 10 days ago. The Jets are trying to find a new home for him, but the trade market isn't looking good.
9. One for your team: By reworking his contract and providing cap relief, middle linebacker C.J. Mosley secured a roster spot this season and increased his chances of returning in 2025. This was important for the defensive captain, who turns 32 on June 19th. He's a player with heart and soul. He's a player I've often talked about wanting to be around when the Jets take off.
From a basic accounting standpoint, he took a pay cut, converting his $17 million (non-guaranteed) final year of his contract into a two-year deal of $17.25 million ($13.25 million guaranteed).
It took a while to complete. Negotiations dragged on until last week, when former Jets linebacker Demario Davis reworked his contract with the Saints, and a few days later, Mosley accepted the exact same deal. The Davis deal provided the framework.
Mosley's original contract (five years, $85 million in 2019) was always an outlier for an off-ball linebacker. His new average annual salary ($8.625 million) ranks him tied for 11th at the position.
10. Leading tea leaves: Cornerback DJ Reed recently changed agents, leading to increased speculation that he may seek a contract extension. Reed, one of their better players over the past two years, is scheduled to make $10.5 million non-guaranteed in the final year of his contract.
