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- Jets free agency is a chance for the franchise to turn a corner
- New York has plenty of cap space and will be a popular destination
- Which NFL free agents should the Jets pursue?
The New York Jets went 7-9 in 2019 and went 2-14 in 2020. What went wrong? Adam Gase went wrong.
Now the Jets seem to have their act together. The hierarchy did what they needed to do by parting ways with Gase and bringing in a quality candidate in Robert Saleh.
Saleh, former defensive coordinator of the 49ers, has come in and has already set a positive tone amongst the NYJ fanbase. The new league season is just days away, the draft is a little over a month away. What will General Manager Joe Douglas and the Jets do? Well I’m here to take a look at that.
There are holes upon holes on the Jets roster, although a big plus is that they’ll have veteran linebacker, C.J. Moseley back for 2021, who opted out of last season due to the pandemic.
We’ll start where arguably they must improve straight away, the offence.
New York Jets free agency: Receiving options
The conversation goes on everyday as to who the quarterback will be come game one, however the weapons that man will be using need to be upgraded.
There’s many wide receivers heading into free agency but the three I see the Jets targeting are as follows.
Kenny Golladay
The former star in Michigan for Detroit will enter NFL free agency after the Lions declined putting him on the franchise tag. Kenny Golladay is going to be a popular name in NFL rumors.
He is a guy who has wanted out of Ford Field for a while and he could be a guy the Jets target. However he’s a big name free agent who’d need a big pay day. So it comes down to whether the Jets offer enough.
Juju Smith-Schuster
The Steelers wide-out has fallen in recent times. He was the go to man in Pittsburgh for a while but since the drafting of Chase Claypool, Juju Smith-Schuster has fallen from the first string receiver to the second and maybe even the third when you throw Diontae Johnson in there.
The Jets need a true number one man and I see the infamous Tik-Tok star being a guy Joe Douglas goes after. He would add a certain spice and electricity to the Mike LaFleur’s offence and give whoever the quarterback is a reliable target.
Curtis Samuel
The former Carolina wide receiver has an abundance of talent, both in the slot and running routes. He was probably WR2 or 3 for the Panthers but when targeted, he never disappointed. One standout moment from him was his touchdown against Atlanta in 2020. This is a guy who could be a reliable receiver for the Jets and a definite upgrade on the receiving corps at MetLife already.
Some more names to keep an eye on will be: Will Fuller, Kendrick Bourne and Nelson Agholor.
New York Jets free agency: Defensive targets
Defensively is where it becomes interesting. ‘Gang Green’ have a head coach now in Robert Saleh who will no doubt want his defensive system to be on point. There are a few good pieces in place already. Safety Marcus Maye being one of those.
But if we look to who’s entering free agency, the Jets have a lot of names to choose from.
Kerry Hyder
Former San Francisco edge rusher will enter free agency at the age of 30.
A guy who’ll know Saleh well and a player who can most certainly add instant impact to a very poor pass rushing defence. He’s got to be a Jets free agency priority.
Denico Autry
An out of favour edge rusher in Indianapolis would bring a lot of poise and energy as well as grit to the Jets defensive line.
https://twitter.com/CallumInsull/status/1370732831291404288
Not a standout name, neither is Hyder, but two guys who could become unsung heroes for the team from Gotham city.
K’Waun Williams
Expect Robert Saleh to bring a lot of his own players along for the ride in New York. Williams is a great defensive fit for the Jets. Again, he’s not a standout name but I think veteran cornerback Richard Sherman could be a bit unrealistic.
Other names to look out for: Jason Verrett, Bradley Roby and Ahkello Witherspoon.
There’s plenty more names rumoured, but offensively and defensively those are the players I am predicting could be solid targets for the New York Jets.
