The New York Jets just finished an exciting offseason. Joe Douglas and Robert Saleh completed their first draft together. The class is headlined by the second overall pick in the draft, Zach Wilson. Wilson was drafted by the organization with the hope that he will be their franchise quarterback for many years to come. Here, we will discuss whether or not Saleh and Wilson have enough to work with in their first year together.
The Jets did a Good Job Surrounding Zach Wilson?
True. Entering this offseason, the Jets had five players offensively they could already count on. Wide receivers Jamison Crowder and Denzel Mims are two of those five. The other three are offensive lineman, Mekhi Becton, Connor McGovern, and George Fant. Hiring Mike LaFleur to be the offensive coordinator should help Wilson. At BYU, Wilson played in the type of scheme LaFleur will be running. The system is predicated on the run and pass looking the same. So, this simplifies things for the quarterback off play action with easy completions.
In free agency, the Jets signed wide receivers Corey Davis and Keelan Cole. Then, the Jets added a lot of young offensive talent with Wilson in the draft. Trading up to draft Alijah Vera-Tucker was a great move. Elijah Moore and Michael Carter are two skill position players who have the talent and potential to contribute right away. The only two concerns around Wilson are at tight end and right guard. Hopefully, Chris Herndon can put it all together this year at tight end. At right guard, it would be great if Cameron Clark played well in training camp and won the job.
A Veteran Cornerback Should be Signed?
False. Enough competition was created late in the draft. On the outside, the two starting cornerback jobs will be won through competition. It should be between second-year player Bryce Hall with rookies Jason Pinnock and Brandin Echols. The starting slot cornerback will be up for competition as well. This battle is expected to be between Javelin Guidry who is in his second season and rookie Michael Carter II. Clearly, there is a ton of youth at this position. The team is not going into this season with playoff expectations. Therefore, they should allow these young players to show their ability. Hopefully, one or two of these players can be counted on as starters moving forward.
Robert Saleh and Jeff Ulbrich Have Enough Talent on Defense for Now?
True. This is mainly because of the great defensive line. Saleh and Ulbrich will be implementing a Cover-3 scheme. In this scheme, having a dominant defensive line is very important. Certainly, Quinnen Williams and Carl Lawson should make for a fun tandem up front. John Franklin-Myers and Folorunso Fatukasi are two underrated defensive linemen. On the second level, C.J. Mosley will be back. Marcus Maye is coming off a great year and will lead the secondary.
The team did address all three levels of the defense in free agency with veterans on one-year contracts. Upfront, Vinny Curry was acquired. Curry will help as a situational pass rusher and provide veteran leadership. Jarrad Davis was signed and brings needed speed to the linebacker position. The team added Lamarcus Joyner to the secondary. It will be fun to see Joyner used back at safety where he has played his best.
The Jets Should Add a Veteran Quarterback?
True. There is not one NFL start right now between the three quarterbacks the Jets have. Recently, interest in Brian Hoyer was shown by the team. Nick Mullens is also available. Hoyer or Mullens would be a good fit. They have both been in this offensive scheme with LaFleur. A third option would be Nick Foles. Foles was with Douglas in Philadelphia. The Jets would not have to give up much to get Foles in a trade. However, the trade is hard to complete with the contract Foles has. Therefore, if the Jets were to acquire Foles they should not take on any of the dead money attached to his deal in future years. Any of these three players would help Wilson as a rookie.
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One Response
Overall, I would have to give kudos to the Jets front office. However, I could hear the collective sigh across jets fan world when the Patriots selected Mac Jones with the 15th pick. The franchise has programmed us all to think the worst…Jones will win six Super Bowls for the Pats in the same time the Jets will be on their sixth QB after Wilson. Let’s hope that is not the case. But hope is not a strategy.