New York Jets Offseason: What Do They Need To Do? | Teen Ink

New York Jets Offseason: What Do They Need To Do?

October 26, 2017
By Lukepensallorto74 BRONZE, Wyckoff, New Jersey
Lukepensallorto74 BRONZE, Wyckoff, New Jersey
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

The New York Jets have not always been the best team in recent years. They have now been established as one of the worst teams in the NFL, possibly even worse than the Cleveland Browns. The Browns! After going 4-12 in the 2014 season, the Jets needed to rebound from last year to revive the losing franchise. This offseason was special for the Jets, they went a different route than other teams in the offseason. They signed and traded for veterans that still had something left in the tank. Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie, James Carpenter, Brandon Marshall, and Ryan Fitzpatrick. Along with other cuts and re signings, not many people, if anybody, had the Jets winning more than eight games alone, but out of nowhere the Jets got hot and ended the season with a record of 10-6. The Jets missed the playoffs by one game making it another year they were left out.

 

The 2016 season looked bright, but ended with a 5-11 record and the sixth overall pick. With the Jets being 1-2 so far this season the only thing fans are looking forward to is the 2018 offseason. So what do the Jets need to do this offseason? With the departure and cutting of almost every single veteran over 30, the Jets are clearly looking to rebuild with the youth. Mike Maccagnan elected to draft back to back safeties in the first two rounds with Jamal Adams (Sixth Pick) and Marcus Maye (39th pick), who have shown much promise and are a feared tandem together on the field for opposing offenses. Even with the signing of Morris Claiborne the Jets still have lackluster talent at the corner back position. Buster Skrine has been a strong piece at the cornerback position, but isn’t worth his paycheck of six million dollars. Justin Burris the fourth round pick in 2016 has shown lots of progression this year and could be a viable starter in the near future. With drafting of Derrick Jones from Ole Miss (Mississippi) and Jeremy Clark from Michigan. Todd Bowles, Head Coach, and Mike Maccagnan, General Manager, continue to have projects to build on and enhance their players development to win games.


The New York Jets linebackers are still no strong suit of the New York Jets, but there is promise for some. Jordan Jenkins, outside linebacker out of Georgia, is used mostly for pass rush with occasional drop backs in coverage. Although he was never properly taught the skill of pass rushing, Jordan spent this offseason working to improve his ability. It paid off as you can see in the games he's played this year. Another talented linebacker is, Daron Lee. Darron Lee has the speed and athleticism to patrol the middle of the field as well as guarding slot receivers, which is hard for many linebackers. With the other inside linebacker in Demario Davis, and outside linebacker, Josh Martin, there is not much talent or depth and Mike Maccagnan should be interested in some upgrades this offseason.

 

Now, for the D-Line, arguably the best set of talent on the New York Jets roster.


Jam packed with studs like Muhammad Wilkerson and Leonard Williams, offensive lines will surely think twice before leaving them one on one. Leonard Williams is a young, but still very talented defensive end with a high skill set in the pass rush and the run game. After having seven sacks last year with no hope Leonard is seeking revenge, which could be a motivation for him to play further than his limits. After Muhammad Wilkerson broke his leg two years ago some say he isn’t the same. His production has gone down, but you can’t count out Muhammad. Sheldon Sheldon Richardson another Pro-Bowler was traded to the Seattle Seahawks for Jermaine Kearse and a second round pick. With the speculation of Sheldon not resigning after his contract was up, the Jets got lots of value out of him.  Kony Ealy was a steal after the Patriots cut him and he fell onto the waivers. He got his chance to show himself versus Jacksonville. Having four passes deflected and one interception. The defense has its flaws, but adding a new addition somewhere can turn this good defense into a great defense.


The long tale of the New York Jets, who is going to be their quarterback? Some argue that the Jets have never had a good quarterback since Joe Namath, which was 40 years ago. Josh McCown is not a long term solution even though he could possibly stay in the NFL forever. The 2018 NFL Draft is loaded with great prospects like Josh Allen, Josh Rosen, Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield, and the reigning heisman winner Lamar Jackson. With seemingly a top five pick in sight Mike Maccagnan might look to spend it on their, yes their franchise quarterback. However, what’s the point of a franchise quarterback with a offensive line that can’t protect him efficiently. With the departure of Nick Mangold, Wesley Johnson will surely not be another Nick Mangold but is keeping the head of the line stable. Kelvin Beachum and James Carpenter are temporary players and should be upgraded through the draft. Brian Winters earned himself a nice contract and should be the starter till his contract is up. Lastly, the right tackle is being rotated but Brandon Shell has shown his worth to be the starter over Brent Qvale. Running backs have always been mediocre, but with Matt Forte being out and Bilal Powell and Elijah Mcguire stepping up it looks like a pretty scary duo. Leading me to the next point that the Jets should trade Matt Forte for anything they can get because he won’t be playing in Green and White anymore. Quincy Enunwa devastated Jets fan after having a bulging disc in his neck during a Jets scrimmage causing him to be out the season. However, with the trade of Sheldon Richardson and obtaining Jermaine Kearse who has stepped up and exceeded what Jets fan were hoping for. The season is going to be another disappointment for New York Jet fans but the future does look bright.



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